NEW DELHI /LONDON/ NEW YORK(TIP): The University of East Anglia in the UK conferred on Ambassador Asoke Mukerji (he was Permanent Representative of India to the Unite Nations a few years ago) an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws degree for his contribution to diplomacy, more than two years after his retirement from the Foreign Service.
The last time they had given an honorary DCL to another Indian was in 2012 to Dr M.S. Swaminathan (the “father of India’s Green Revolution”) for his contributions to science. Since it was established 55 years ago, the University has moved into the top 200 universities of the world, and the top 15 of the UK. It has produced two Nobel Laureates from its alumni – the 2017 Nobel Laureate in Literature Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and the 2001 Nobel Laureate in Medicine Sir Paul Nurse.
Ambassador Asoke Mukerji (seated second from left)
In his Acceptance Speech on this occasion, addressing the students graduating on the same day, Ambassador Mukerji offered them the vision of Rabindranath Tagore from more than a century ago to confront the turbulence currently being witnessed in international affairs. This poem is from Tagore’s Gitanjali, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913:
“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high,
where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY (TIP): House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) announced, April 3, his request for additional funding for federal aid programs that benefit low-income college students in the upcoming 2019 government funding bill.
The three campus-based aid programs, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, and Perkins Loans, work together with Pell Grants and Direct Student Loans to provide low-income students with a manageable balance of grants, loans, and work to help pay for college. In the most recent academic year, more than 188,000 awards totaling $280 million in tuition assistance were granted through these programs in New York State.
Funding for work study programs and opportunity grants were slashed in recent years as congressional Republicans pushed forward budgets that dramatically lessened domestic spending on education. And, earlier this year, Congress failed to reauthorize the Perkins Loan program, which helps fill the gap for students with unmet financial needs.
More than 80 members joined Congressman Crowley’s push to increase funding for these programs by $67 million.
“With higher spending allocations for FY 2019, the campus-based aid programs can be reinvigorated to become the strong institutional partnership programs to the Pell Grant program they are intended to be,” the lawmakers wrote to the House Committee on Appropriations. “The aid these programs provide to low-income students and families is indispensable in allowing them to attend college without having to borrow or work more to pay for college, which results in increased rates of degree completion.”
NEW YORK (TIP) : On Jan. 16, The American Academy of Microbiology announced it’s 2018 Fellows amongst which four are Indian Americansout of 96 , according to a press release.
The Indian American Fellows are Ashok Chopra, Atin Datta, Rajeev Misra and Reeta Rao.
Ashok Chopra is a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the microbiology and immunology department.
Atin Datta is a supervisory research microbiologist and branch chief for the Department of Health and Human Services since November 2006.
Rajeev Misra is a microbial geneticist who studies how proteins, synthesized in the cytoplasm, are targeted to the bacterial outer membrane and is a professor at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences.
Reeta Rao is an associate professor in biology and biotechnology at Worcester
According to a press release, AAM Fellows are elected annually through a highly-selective, peer review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.
There are over 2,400 Fellows representing all subspecialties of the microbial sciences and involved in basic and applied research, teaching, public health, industry and government service, according to a press release.
“School buildings are neighborhood hubs and I encourage you to get involved, spend time at your local school and invest in the next generation of leaders”, says the author.
With over 50 years of experience as an educator, I know that it truly takes a village to deliver for students. In each school community, that village is made up of teachers, administrators, support staff, outside partners and of course, families. While I often say it all comes down to what happens in the classroom, when it comes to building strong school communities, families are critical partners.
That’s why, as Chancellor, I’ve made family engagement a priority for all of our schools, and there has been an unprecedented investment in families. Whether we’re bringing parents into the classroom to teach robotics, inviting parents to learn English alongside their children, or providing professional development to parent leaders, we’re constantly rolling out innovative programs that provide unique opportunities for parents to get involved in schools.
My message to all parents, grandparents, family members or alumni reading this: school buildings are neighborhood hubs and I encourage you to get involved, spend time at your local school and invest in the next generation of leaders. From PA/PTA President to field trip chaperone to mentor, only when the village is engaged in school-based activities, events and decision-making, can we foster the development of a community deeply committed to the success of our students.
And when we invest in families, they want to invest in us. That’s why we’ve increased our outreach to families. When I became Chancellor four years ago, requiring all schools to host at least one Parent-Teacher Conference at night and extending meeting time to accommodate working families were no-brainers. As a result of these efforts, the number of parents attending family conferences increased by 43 percent since 2013. We’ve also removed barriers for families that speak a language other than English at home by expanding our translation and interpretation services in over 200 languages.
The opportunities in New York City are endless, and Career Day events, mentorship programs and beautification projects help us bring those opportunities into schools and classrooms, and expose our students to endless possibilities. For example, alumni from the Bronx spent a Saturday morning painting classrooms and planting a garden at the Longwood Preparatory Academy. This is one of many ways the millions of former New York City public school students are getting involved through P.S. Alumni.
All across the world, our alumni are doing amazing things: starting businesses, investing in their communities and raising families. P.S. Alumni taps into the incredible network of mentors, volunteers and advocates ready to give back and help students find success.
For alumni who are also parents of current public school students, it’s time to get involved. You know firsthand the important role that education plays throughout your life and why it’s so important to build a strong foundation. Whether you’re volunteering to do a read-aloud in your child’s class, or speaking at your alma mater for College Awareness Day, now is the time to share your experience and help shape the next class into the future leaders of this City and of the world.
That work starts in your neighborhood and at your local school. The doors are always open.
(The author is New York City Schools Chancellor)
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