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Indian Student Wins Eppright Award

Announced: March 7, 2007

Mahesh receiving Eppright Award

Mahesh Padanad of India, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Genetics, was presented Texas A&M University's Eppright Outstanding International Student Award, which includes a $2,500 scholarship. This is the university's highest recognition to a currently enrolled international student.

Padanad was recognized at the 2007 Consuls General Luncheon for his work with international organizations on campus and his dedication to Texas A&M and the Bryan-College Station community. University Interim President Eddie J. Davis presented the scholarship plaque and check, and Richard Ewing, vice president for research gave an overview of the award and cited Padanad's accomplishments.

Ewing cited Padanad’s dedication to promoting the participation of international students in events of local culture and his ability to organize events that created the opportunity for better understanding among the community and all nationalities such as the work he did in organizing the Aggie football seminar and National Night Out at the University Apartments as two reasons for his nomination.

His nominators said he is consider Padanad a model student in the classroom, in the lab, and as a teaching assistant. Through his work in the lab, Padanad discovered a relationship between a number of genes and inner ear development, a finding with significant clinical implications.

Padanad served as Vice President and President of the University Apartments Community Council, coordinating events such as the International Potluck Dinner, international movie screenings, and classes in Yoga and Henna design. He is also an active member of the India Association, the Hindu Student Council, the International Graduate Student Association, the International Student Association, AID-TAMU, and the Genetics Graduate Student Association.

Padanad received the prestigious Buck Weirus Spirit Award for the year 2005-2006 for outstanding contributions to student life and the Southerland Aggie Leader Scholarship for 2006-2007 in recognition of proven academic and leadership achievements.

Three other students were finalist for this year’s award, Prashanti Chennamsetti a Ph.D. student from India in Educational Psychology, Ashwin Menezes, an undergraduate student from India in Mechanical Engineering, and Ramesh Sagili, a Ph.D. student from India in Entomology.

Riyadh Chakmachi, a former international student from Iraq, created the Outstanding International Student Award 22in 1985. In 1991, the award was endowed through the generosity of the late Col. George J. Eppright, class of 1926. The criterion to receive this prestigious award includes an excellent academic record, involvement in a wide array of university and community activities, and promotion of international awareness on campus and in the community.

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