By It was a tough and tumultuous year. Yet there are those who broke barriers, charted new paths and raised the bar for their peers. Here’s raising a toast to prominent Indian Americans who hogged the limelight for all good reasons.
MEERA JOSHI
In December 2021, Meera Joshi created history when New York’s Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced that he would appoint five women for deputy mayor positions including the Indian American attorney. She has been named as Deputy Mayor for Operations.
Joshi was the acting administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration since January.
As Deputy Mayor for Operations, Joshi is entitled to ensure that New York City can respond in real-time to meet and exceed the needs of every community and be a model of excellence for all urban centers, said Adams.
Joshi served as the chair and CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, the largest in the nation for-hire transportation regulator. With them, she spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns using data tools to keep high-risk drivers and unsafe vehicles off the road, her bio noted.
“I am deeply honored to serve Mayor-elect Eric Adams and all New Yorkers. Our work ahead is clear. The operations of our city must meet and exceed the needs of every community, respond in real-time and be a model of excellence for all urban centers,” Joshi said.
NEELI BENDAPUDI
Indian-origin professor Neeli Bendapudi became the first woman and person of color to be named as the president of America’s prestigious Pennsylvania State University, the educational institution. Bendapudi, who was born in Visakhapatnam and came to the US in 1986 for higher studies, is currently serving as the president and professor of marketing at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
She was unanimously named Penn State’s next president by the Penn State Board of Trustees on December 9. She begins her appointment as Penn State’s 19th president in spring 2022.
Bendapudi is a recognized leader in higher education who specializes in marketing and consumer behavior. With a nearly 30-year career in academia, she has taught marketing and served in a variety of administrative roles over the years, including as provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas, dean of the School of Business at the University of Kansas, and founding director of the Initiative for Managing Services at Ohio State University.
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