The National Association of Social Workers’ Pennsylvania chapter (NASW-PA), has named Indian American State Representative Arvind Venkat as its 2025 Legislator of the Year.
NASW-PA, the state’s largest membership association for professional social workers, recognized Venkat for his leadership on issues of health equity, patient safety, and support for social work practice across the Commonwealth.
“A practicing physician and strong partner to NASW-PA, Rep. Venkat has been a tireless advocate for health equity, patient safety, and policies that strengthen social work practice across the Commonwealth,” the association said announcing the award.
READ: Amid tariffs and tensions, new Congressional Study Group on India launched on Capitol Hill (
The NASW-PA Legislator of the Year Award is part of the association’s annual PACE (Political Action for Candidate Election) honors, which highlight public officials advancing the mission of social work.
“Truly honored and humbled to be named by NASW Pennsylvania as their Legislator of the Year,” Venkat posted on X. “As an emergency physician who has worked with social workers my entire career, I understand how critical our social workers are for the health and well-being of our community and state. I will continue to stand with them in their advocacy for their profession and all Pennsylvanians.”
A member of the Democratic Party, Venkat, 51, represents the 30th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
First elected in 2022, Venkat was re-elected in the 2024 General Election, again prevailing by a margin of over 10 percentage points.
READ: Balvir Singh becomes first Sikh member of New Jersey legislature (
Upon taking office, Venkat became the first state representative of Indian American descent in state history, as well as the first licensed physician in the General Assembly in 60 years.
Before entering politics, Venkat was an attending physician at Allegheny General Hospital, specializing in emergency medicine.
Born in Madurai, India to a Tamil family, he was raised in Detroit, Michigan after his family immigrated. He attended Detroit Country Day School for high school, graduating in 1992.
Venkat graduated from Harvard University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Science and a Master of Arts degree in History of Science. He then attended Yale School of Medicine where he graduated with a medical degree in 2000.