13th March 2026
Three Indian Americans listed in the top ten Regeneron Science Talent Search

Three Indian Americans listed in the top ten Regeneron Science Talent Search

by | Mar 26, 2022 | Indian-American

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Three Indian American students are among the top ten winners in the 2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search, America’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.

Neil Chowdhury, 18, of Bellevue, Washington, Pravalika Gayatri Putalapattu, 17, of Centreville, Virginia, and Neil Rathi, 17, of Palo Alto, California won the fifth, seventh, and eighth places respectively.
More than $1.8 million was awarded to the 40 finalists, who were evaluated based on their projects’ scientific rigor, their exceptional problem-solving abilities, and their potential to become scientific leaders, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Society for Science announced March 15.

Fifth place winner Chowdhury received a $90,000 award for creating a computer model to study the role of a histone protein implicated in colon cancer and found that the histone caused changes to two key processes regulating the way DNA folds itself to fit into the nucleus of cells.

Seventh place winner Putalapattu received a $70,000 award for designing a video-assisted workflow recognition program to monitor laparoscopic gall bladder surgeries in real-time, verify the surgeons’ actions, and flag errors so immediate corrective action can be taken.

Eighth place winner Rathi received a $60,000 award for identifying common linguistic patterns in four languages that support the theory that human language evolved for greater efficiency in communication.

For the first time since 2019, the competition was carried out in person under strict Covid-19 protocols in Washington, DC, after virtual competitions in 2020 and 2021. The finalists were honored during a live-streamed award ceremony emceed by Saturday Night Live’s Melissa Villaseñor.

Indian-American Ro Khanna named to the biotechnology body

Indian-American Ro Khanna named to the biotechnology body

by | Mar 19, 2022 | Indian-American

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Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has been anointed to a top advisory body to review how advancements in emerging biotechnology and related technologies will shape current and future activities of the Department of Defense.

The 12-member National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, providing an interim report to President Joe Biden and the Armed Services Committees of the Senate and House within one year, according to an official release.

The committee will submit a final unclassified report within two years to the President and the committees, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government, it said.
The names were announced Thursday by the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, Representatives Adam Smith and Mike Rogers, and Senators Jack Reed and Jim Inhofe.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Smith selected Ro Khanna who represents California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is serving in his third term.

Khanna sits on the House Armed Services, Agriculture and Oversight and Reform committees, where he chairs the Environmental Subcommittee.
Additionally, Khanna is the Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, serves as an Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus, and is the Democratic Vice-Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
“Khanna is committed to representing the people and ideas rooted in Silicon Valley to the nation and throughout the world,” the release said.

Authentic Maharashtrian Taste in Dallas- Vishnu Ji ki Rasoi

Authentic Maharashtrian Taste in Dallas- Vishnu Ji ki Rasoi

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Editors Choice

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Step into the shoes of a foody customer and just give a thought. What makes you happy and satisfied as a customer when you visit a restaurant. Taste of food, cheerful and pleasant ambiance, and quality service, isn’t it? If by and large, this is true, Vishnuji Ki Rasoi stands tall on these grounds. And Vishnuji Ki Rasoi in Dallas(Allen) has earned its reputation on all these fronts within a year of its birth. Indeed, an incredible journey and feat, especially during testing Covid times.

Hemant Kulkarni, who is now shouldering the responsibility of this incredible brand, has a lot of stories to share about his journey in this one year. Originally an IT guy, Hemant was always interested in doing some business apart from his regular IT job. An active member of Maharashtra Mandal since 2017-18 he was searching for the right opportunity. Meanwhile, he happened to visit the already running outlet of Vishnuji Ki Rasoi and got an immensely bad experience in terms of service. He communicated his resentment with the restaurant and even to Vishnu Manohar in Nagpur, India, the founder of a well-known chain and a celebrity chef. Those discussions triggered the idea and Manohar offered him to run the restaurant in Dallas. This started the journey of finding a suitable place, learning from mistakes, trying newer things, taking guidance from Vishnuji, and all sorts of things. And the target was a single point to make the VKR, Dallas a successful venture. And then began actual operation, the restaurant was opened on Feb 7, 2021.

 “When I started working on this, I was new to everything. I even did not name of equipment used for preparing food. Due to the good advertisement, the brand name, and discount offer, there was a large turnout on an inaugural day and all planning turned into chaos on the very first day. Thus started our journey of the new restaurant business. After one year down the line, when I look back, I think we have achieved a lot in this short span of time,’’ says Kulkarni.

Learning from Challenges – 
Meanwhile, Vishnu Manohar himself visited the US and stayed with Kulkarni for almost four months. His guidance about connecting with people, handling operations, overcoming mistakes, developing networks, thinking process was a learning experience for Hemant. That changed him a lot like a restaurant professional. That also reduced his stress while handling the workload and he started managing his IT job as well as Rasoi in an efficient manner.
“ After handling the responsibility, one thing I have learned is that we all have immense potential, but we never explore it and choose to stay in our comfort zone. Running a restaurant is not an easy job. You need to give good service, manage resources including staff and handle customers. We are still at an early stage in this business and learning new things every day. Why we are growing since one year is good food quality, good service despite fewer resources and guidance from Vishnuji,” shared Hemant. He also gave credit to his wife Priyanka who is handling family responsibilities as well as contributing to the hotel.

Moving towards the next milestone – 
Now, VKR Dallas has started a bakery and cake shop. It is also planning to add a feather in the cap by starting a new non-veg restaurant with the name Saoji which would have non-veg food varieties across Maharashtra. They are also trying to introduce Maharashtrian cuisine in the curriculum of local hotel management institutions which would also help them to get trained professionals for their business. Engaged in a social cause like distributing food in temples, VKR is also trying to provide employment opportunities through their venture. They are also doing tie-ups with other Desi restaurants.
“One thing is clear for us that we want to promote Maharashtrian food which has a huge variety. We have now started providing breakfast on weekends which is essentially Maharashtrian. We are very much sincere to this motto and sure that people like Maharashtrian food,’’ ends Hemant
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Legislation introduced in US Senate to reform H-1B, L-1 visa system

Legislation introduced in US Senate to reform H-1B, L-1 visa system

by | Mar 6, 2022 | Immigration

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The legislation “to reform and close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programs” was introduced in the Senate Tuesday by Senate Democratic Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

H-1B visas – are used by US companies to employ highly skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations. 

L-1 visas – are available for intracompany transferees who work in managerial positions or have specialized knowledge. 

Indian professionals extensively use such visas.

The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act will reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders, and require more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers, the senators said.

The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act will require US Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritize for the first time the annual allocation of H-1B visas. The new system would ensure that the best and brightest STEM advanced degree students educated in the United States receive preference for an H-1B visa, and also prioritize other US advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

 The legislation explicitly prohibits the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 visa holders and clarifies that the working conditions of similarly employed American workers may not be adversely affected by the hiring of an H-1B worker, including H-1B workers who have been placed by another employer at the American worker’s worksite, a media release said.

 “Reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programs is a critical component to fixing America’s broken immigration system,” Durbin said. “For years, outsourcing companies have used legal loopholes to displace qualified American workers, exploit foreign workers, and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs. Our legislation would fix these broken programs, protect workers, and put an end to these abuses,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas’s Krishna Jayasankar won Silver For Shot Putt

Texas’s Krishna Jayasankar won Silver For Shot Putt

by | Feb 27, 2022 | Community

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19-year-old Indian American Krishna Jayasankar representing the University of Texas at El Paso is now the second Indian woman shot-putter to break the 15m barrier and won the silver medal at the Conference USA Indoor meet that occurred, Feb. 19-20.

Training at TX, for her, has been about a series of lifting, bar repetitions on the push press, squats, and supporting exercises to intensify the strength. She had started the season at 14.10m, and over a series of meets, hit the 15-meter mark It makes her the second Indian woman, the first being Manpreet Kaur from Ambala, who threw 15.21meter in2016 at the championship in Doha.
Jaysankar was a student of SBOA School and Junior College in Chennai where she began her athletic career, though she had yearned for it from her 6th grade. With motivation from her parents, Prasanna Jayasankar and Jayasankar Menon, both of are well-known Indian basketball players, she pursued her love for throwing.
Her broad physique is stated to have embarrassed her in earlier days, but she soon learned to corral it for sport. She went to Jamaica to train and develop needed skills.
Coming on an academic scholarship to the University of Texas gave growth to her sporting career.