Gita Gopinath, Kamlesh Lulla among Carnegie’s “2021 Great Immigrants” honorees

New York: International Monetary Fund chief economist Gita Gopinath and NASA scientist Kamlesh Lulla are among the 34 immigrants honored by a prestigious American foundation “who have enriched and strengthened” the US society and democracy through their contributions and actions.

Gopinath and Lulla are among the ‘2021 Great Immigrants” honorees named by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a non-profit organization.

“This year, our foundation honors 34 naturalized citizens who have strengthened our nation through their lives and examples.”

“The Class of 2021 represents more than 30 countries of origin and emphasizes service to society, including honorees who are recognized for helping others as medical providers and researchers; as advocates for the disadvantaged, disabled, and disenfranchised; and as changemakers in politics, voting rights, climate change, and teaching,” the Corporation said.

In the profile for 49-year-old Gopinath, Carnegie noted that she is “one of the world’s outstanding economists” and focuses her research on international finance and macroeconomics.

Gopinath says “her most important advice is to have inner strength because you really have to believe in what you are capable of to keep pushing your ideas forward,” according to her profile.

“It’s exactly what the world is worried about: recession, jobs, inequality. It’s so clear to people these are important issues. And given my science background, I like that I’m bringing in some mathematical rigor to understand these issues of the day,” she is quoted as saying in the profile.

A widely published author, Lulla is a senior advisor for university research and technology collaboration at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre and the former chief scientist for Earth Observations (Space Shuttle).

“He has trained astronauts, helped develop the International Space Station’s observational science capabilities, and published vital research on topics such as climate change science,” Carnegie said, adding that an internationally recognized scientist with a storied career at NASA that has spanned more than three decades, Lulla is the recipient of three NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals.

“Furthermore, Lulla is committed to the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders community, working to raise awareness about the role of Asian Americans in various fields,” the corporation said.

Lulla’s honors include the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award and the Ellison Onizuka Award, named after the Asian American astronaut who inspired him.

This year’s honorees include Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla, Google’s Director of Engineering and Technical Projects Lead Ivan Poupyrev, creator of language-learning software Duolingo Luis von Ahn and celebrities such as actress Helen Mirren and comedian John Oliver.

The Great Immigrants initiative is intended to increase public awareness of immigration’s role in the US, reflecting the priorities of Andrew Carnegie, a self-made industrialist.

 

Image courtesy of (image courtesy: nasa.gov)

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