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Newsmakers of the Week JULY 11, 2025 | The Indian Eye 32

Kaushik Luthra Sridhar Chillara to lead South

joins University of Arkansas Asian American Coalition for

as assistant professor of grain Jack Ciattarelli 2025

processing
ew Jersey gubernatorial can-
didate Jack Ciattarelli has
r. Kaushik Luthra has been Nnamed Sridhar Chillara as
appointed assistant professor
Dof post-harvest grain process- Chairman of the South Asian Amer-
ican Coalition for his 2025 campaign.
ing by the University of Arkansas Sys- At a gathering in Edison, NJ, at-
tem, Division of Agriculture. Based tended by community leaders, Chil-
at the Northeast Rice Research and lara announced plans for multiple
Extension Center in Harrisburg, sub-coalitions representing Indian,
he will work to enhance Arkansas’s Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali, and
grain industry by addressing post-har- Sri Lankan American communities.
vest challenges, improving effi- Within the Indian Ameri-
ciency, and maximizing crop value. can Coalition, language-based
Luthra will engage with farm- wings—Telugu, Gujarati, Tam-
ers, mills, and grain elevators to il, Punjabi, and Hindi—will drive cultural outreach. Chillara will also form
optimize quality and profitabil- leadership and advisory teams focused on digital outreach, festival engage-
ity. He’ll also conduct outreach ment, youth and women’s programs, fundraising, and voter registration.
through the Cooperative Extension Calling it “a movement,” Chillara emphasized the political strength of New
Service. His expertise spans dry- Jersey’s 1 million-strong South Asian population. “Our voice, our vote, and
ing, storage, and processing to improve shelf life and product safety. our values matter — and we are ready to deliver a decisive victory,” he said.
With a doctorate from the University of Arkansas and a bachelor’s from Pant- The appointment marks a significant mobilization of South Asian Americans
nagar University in India, Luthra previously worked in the Arkansas Rice Pro- in the state’s political landscape.
cessing Program. Department head Terry Howell Jr. praised him as a leading
authority in post-harvest technologies, especially for rice. Luthra’s work aims To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
to counter an 8% projected drop in rice cash receipts in 2025 and ensure sus- our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
tained growth for Arkansas agriculture.

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