Jain Spirit 2001 12 No 09

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 16

GLOBAL NEWS
. ACHIEVEMENTS
surveying company. The chapter has more than 130 corporate members representing more than five thousand personnel. Shah has been active with the Jain Society of Greater Detroit and has received several professional as well as community services recognition awards.
THIKA, KENYA: Dr Rahul Dodhia has recently received a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Columbia
University, New York, U.S.A and is thought to be the first Halari Visa Oshwal to obtain a doctorate in this field. He obtained his first degree in 1994 from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts and then he went on to teach mathematics for a full year at Philips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. Columbia University approached Rahul and offered him a 5 year scholarship to study Psychology at advanced level. The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) has recruited Rahul to work in their research centre based in Silicon Valley, California
LONDON, UK: Sonia Shah from Wembley, London was one of the youngest contestants to take part in this year's Chelsea Flower Show. She was among 11 children to win a gold medal for her "Heraldic Emblem" exhibit. The emblem was constructed using dried plants and seeds and took over four months to complete.
Jain and has completed a 30-day fast on 23rd August this year during Paryushan, the Jain festival of abstinence, a fast that sustains not only on boiled water but consuming it only during sunrise to sunset. At 12, she began with an 8-day fast, and then at 16 she lived on boiled water for 16 days. Since the age of 13, she has been attending Pathshala (school) to learn about religion and this interest led her involvement with the Young Jains of America. She was thankful that she had some time to recuperate before continuing her law studies at Oxford University in England. She has to be careful about her diet since her body will not be able to tolerate solid food after such a long abstinence. Then comes the Sidhchakra Mahapoojan, which commemorates a fast of this kind. Finally, the family will observe Sanji with gifts given to relatives and friends to remember the occasion.
The 31st Annual Recognition Ceremony, which celebrates the achievements of outstanding members of the University of Washington, saw the Outstanding Distinguished Teaching Award in Social Work go to Biren Nagda, NAIROBI, KENYA.
TEXAS, USA: The Supporting Excellence in Education (SEED) Foundation announced the winners of its annual award on 18 September 2001. Amongst the three winners was Ms. Seema Shah, who was studying in Houston, Texas. The award had interest from over 200 applicants but only three winners could be announced. Seema was ranked first in her graduating class of over 500 in Houston. She has been honoured by the Caltech Alumni Association, Association of Communication Disorders, and is a National Merit Semi-Finalist. She was active in the National Honour Society, Marching band and the Academic Decathlon. In her free-time she served as Editor-in-Chief of her school's magazine. She has also volunteered her time for Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Chinmaya Mission and has also tutored a sixth-grade student.
NAIROBI, KENYA: Punit Shah is said to be the first Oshwal to serve in the British Navy as a Navigator, Radio Controller, Watch Leader, Quarter Master and Officer of Watch. Punit, who graduated from the University of Manchester in 2000, has served H.M.S Biter and is currently serving H.M.S Wildlife.
CHICAGO, IL, USA: Crowning a widespread and distinguished Indian presence in the world of management studies, Dipak C. Jain, 43, a marketing professor at Chicago's J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, has taken over as Dean of the world famous institution from 1 July 2001. Jain replaced the legendary Donald Jacobs, who gave up his position after 26 years. He took Kellogg to one of the top management schools in the world. Jain was formerly an Associate Dean of academic affairs. Kellogg is typically rated among the top two management schools along with Wharton, although the rankings change every year. Jain is also part of the team that has planted a unique management sapling in Hyderabad, where Kellogg and its equally famous rival and peer, the Wharton School of Business, have started the Indian School of Business.
CHICAGO, USA: A speech contest was held to mark the Birth Anniversary of Lord Mahavir. There were three age categories each with a different subject. The winners for the 10-13 age group with a working title of "A message from the life of a Jain Entity of your choice" were Palak Shah, Madhur Paharia and Soniya Vasanwala. "Keeping Jain Values Alive" was the category for the 14-18 year olds and the winners were Teena Shah, Hemant Mehta, Arun Singavi. The winners of the 19 and above age bracket titled "Jainism and Global Peace" were Sejal Jain, Shailee Masharuwala and Ankur Mehta.
SAMIR N. KOTHARI of Nairobi, Africa, has recently successfully completed the BT (British Telecommunication) Global Challenge Boat Race from Sydney to Cape Town. His team were one of twelve finalists amongst 200 participants. The race covers 30,000 miles and lasts ten months. Each boat weighs forty tons and is seventy-two feet long with eighteen amateur crew members and the captain who is professionally qualified. Sergeant Sir Chai Blithe started the BT Global Challenge race in 1971.
SUSHIL JAIN, Sports Journalist, was posthumously awarded the "Olympic Award" in New Delhi by the International Olympic Council in the presence of India's outgoing IOC member Ashwini Kumar and Mr. Raj Chopra, President, Delhi Olympic Association.
JAY B. SHAH, an Indian-American Jain executive has taken over the presidency of the Michigan Chapter of the Council of Engineering Companies. Shah is the president-owner of the civil engineering and
WASHINGTON, USA: Namita Shah, 19, a junior of Georgetown University, is a typical teenager who loves to party and go to movies. At the same time, she is a devout
VADODRA, GUJARAT, INDIA: Gurjar Vikas Sangh presented its prestigious Gurjar Ratna (Gujarati Jewel) Awards to twelve personalities. The Jains included amongst them were the prominent industrialist Arvind Mafatlal and the recently deceased, computer expert, Devang Mehta.
12
Jain Spirit . December 2001 - February 2002