Neeli Bendapudi to receive Immigrant Achievement Award

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 25 April 2023

The Indian American president of Penn State University, Neeli Bendapudi will be receiving the prestigious Immigrant Achievement Award for her contributions to US higher education this year.

Every year, this award is given to the person or any organization that has shown a commitment to upholding the heritage of America as a nation of immigrants and advocating for humane immigration policy.

This year's award will be presented to Neeli at the DC Immigrant Achievement Awards reception on 28 April.

Neeli has been raised in India where she achieved her MBA and bachelor's degree in English from the Andhra University in India. She moved to the University of Kansas to complete her Ph.D. in marketing to start her career as an academic educator and leader.

Neeli became the first woman to hold the position of president at Penn State University. She also served as the President of the University of Louisville from 2018 to 2021 and received both national and university-level recognition for her contributions.

She also marked her place as one of the 25 women "who have made a difference in the academy" in 2021 by the Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

She was also recognized as one of the women who "are making difference in business and the community" in 2021 by the Enterprising Women. In 2020, Louisville Business First mentioned Neeli as one of the 25 local leaders on the list of "Most Admired CEOs" for displaying strong leadership during the year of unprecedented challenges.