Alumni News
- Indian Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellow Ashish Tiwari led the Indian team to victory at Harvard Kennedy School’s prestigious Kennedy AI for Good Hackathon. Their voice-first AI solution called MEGHA (Meghalaya E-Governance Human-centered Assistance) is designed as a toll-free service that enables rural citizens in India to access government schemes using basic mobile phones, addressing digital literacy barriers in underserved communities. The solution delivers guidance in conversational language while grounding responses in verified official documents.
- Indian Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program alumnus Satyam Mishra has been awarded the Phyllis Strimling Award by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Harvard University. This is one of only two awards given by HGSE each year and is presented to one graduating student in recognition of their contributions to advancing gender equity.
- Indian Fulbright-Nehru alumnus Dr. Santosh Kumar Gupta, Scientific Officer at BARC, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal for his outstanding contributions to materials science and engineering. The MRSI is an organization that promotes research and development in materials, and encourages their application in areas such as agriculture, energy, and health. Dr. Gupta's groundbreaking research focuses on designing novel optical materials for energy conversion, solid-state lighting, sensors, and bioimaging applications.
- Indian Fulbright-Nehru alumna Naiyya Saggi makes it to the IMPACT50 Most Influential Women of 2024. The list celebrates women from various sectors such as business, politics, entrepreneurship, technology, social causes, and more, who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and transformative influence. Naiyya is an entrepreneur and the founder of BabyChakra, India’s largest online parenting platform. Naiyya is also a co-founder of The Good Glamm Group, a fast-growing beauty and personal care conglomerate.
- U.S. Fulbright-Nehru alumnus Challa Kumar has done groundbreaking work in tackling toxicwaste with sustainable materials. Prof. Challa Kumar has developed two innovative technologies using proteins and natural fibers that create biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics. His first project transforms proteins into plastic-like materials, which can be tailored for diverse applications—from coffee cup lids to heart valves. The second innovation incorporates cotton fibers into protein composites, turning textile waste into valuable materials. This approach not only addresses waste from the fashion industry but also promotes sustainability. He is currently Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry at University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.