Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi will be awarded the Immigrant Achievement Award on April 28 in Washington D.C. at the D.C. Immigrant Achievement Awards, according to the American Immigration Council.

The award is presented yearly to an organization or individual that “exhibits a commitment and dedication to our heritage as a nation of immigrants and to the struggle for fair and humane immigration policies in the United States,” as stated by the website.

“I am deeply honored to be named the recipient of this year’s Immigrant Achievement Award and equally humbled to be among such prestigious past honorees, each of whom reflects the importance and impact of immigration within our nation,” said Bendapudi in a release. “Immigration, truly, is a cornerstone of the American dream, and I am grateful to the American Immigration Council for its work to help make this dream a reality for immigrants from across the globe.” 

Bendapudi was raised in India, where she pursued her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Andhra University. She later moved to the United States to get her doctorate in marketing from the University of Kansas. Currently, she serves as Penn State’s president and is the first woman and person of color to serve as president in the history of the university.

“For nearly 30 years, Penn State President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi’s career in higher education has been committed to student success, fostering inclusive excellence, and creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to thrive,” said Jeremy Robbins, the executive director of the council. “She is a values-driven leader who believes strongly in the transformative power of higher education and its impact on individuals and communities.”

Since taking over the Penn State administration, Bendapudi has focused on five goals for the institution. These include enhancing student success, growing the university’s interdisciplinary research excellence, increasing Penn State’s land-grant impact, transforming the university’s internal operations, and fostering diversity, belonging, and inclusion.