The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center will honor seven Indian American Malayalees for their outstanding achievements in their fields of specialization and for their service to the society, at its 33rd Annual Awards Dinner.
Public officials and leaders from the U.S. and India are expected to attend this prestigious event on Oct. 25 at the Kerala Center, 1824 Fairfax St., Elmont, New York, according to a Kerala Center press release.
“Kerala Center is very happy to honor American Malayalees who excel in their professions and who work for social progress — their examples should be an inspiration for others,” said Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, Chairman of the Board and Award Committee.
Kerala Center President Alex K. Esthappan said that the Center has recognized over 190 American Malayalees in the last 32 years.
This year’s honorees and their categories of recognition are: Inspector Shibu Madhu – Govt. and Public Service; Diya Mathews – Legal Service; Priscilla Samuel – Nursing; Jayan Varghese – Pravasi Malayalam Literature; Koshy O. Thomas – Community Service; Nandini Menon – Education; and Joharath Kutty – Engineering.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Suresh U. Kumar, professor of entrepreneurship at New Jersey Institute of Technology, ex-President of TIE-New Jersey, member NJ-India commission and author of Amazon #1 Bestselling novel, “The Girl in Scarlet Hijab.”
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Kerala Center Awardees 2025:
Inspector Shibu Madhu, NYPD – Govt. and Public Service
Madhu joined the New York Police Department in 2007. He started his career as a midnight patrol officer in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He has worked in 79 Precinct, 75 Precinct, 81 Precinct, 115 Precinct and in Detective Bureau. He is currently assigned as the Executive Officer in Detective Borough Brooklyn South. In December 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector, making him the first Indian American to achieve that rank in the history of NYPD.
Dr. Priscilla Samuel – Nursing Leadership
Samuel is Vice President of Advanced Practice Nursing at the Mount Sinai Health System, where she leads strategic initiatives to elevate the advanced practice nursing workforce across a complex, multi-site health system. As the inaugural co-lead of the Center for Advanced Practice Providers, she drives innovation in APP clinical excellence, workforce development and revenue optimization. Her work has helped to shape robust clinical practice models that support both quality care and organizational growth.
Diya A. Mathews – Legal Service
Mathews is a trailblazing attorney, business leader, and community advocate whose career bridges law, entrepreneurship, and service. As Partner in Charge of Chugh LLP’s New York and New Jersey offices, she leads a thriving practice focused on business immigration law and corporate compliance. She is widely recognized for her expertise in the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). She is the incoming President of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) – New Jersey Chapter. Since 2013, she has held leadership roles with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and serves as a regional representative of the South Asian Bar Association of NJ.
Koshy O. Thomas – Community Service
Thomas is a distinguished community leader with lifelong commitment to public service that is grounded in the belief that God is One and that service should transcend all barriers. He currently serves as Special Assistant and Community Liaison to New York State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein.
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Thomas, a longtime member of various organizations, has also served as President, Chairman of FBIMA (Floral Park Bellerose Indian Merchants Association Inc.), and Chairman of the India Day Parade Committee in Queens.
In the private sector, Koshy is a partner at www.Lendme.com. He has law degrees from both Madras University in Chennai and Touro Law School in New York.
Dr. Nandini Ambat Menon – Leadership in Education
Menon is the Founder and Chief Education Officer of Cedar Hill Preparatory School in Somerset, New Jersey. Under her leadership, Cedar Hill Prep has earned national recognition, including the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award in 2017, accreditation by the Middle States Association in 2021, and is currently on track to become an International Baccalaureate World School. With a proven record of academic excellence, Cedar Hill Prep graduates go on to attend highly selective private high schools and top-tier universities across the country. She also contributes to the broader education and entrepreneurial community through her service on the Board of the NJ Academy of Sciences, the Indian American Women Entrepreneur Association, and as Co-Chair of TiE NJ Next Gen and a committee member of TiE Global Nxt Gen.
Joharath Kutty, P.E., PMP – Engineering
Kutty is a Senior Director of System Engineering at New York Power Authority (NYPA) with over 20 years of experience in the electric utility industry. In her current role, she provides overall leadership and technical direction as “Chief Engineer”, for the Long Island transmission expansion project (Propel NY Energy).