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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 | The Indian Eye 34

MANU GUPTA al high-profile leadership positions

Academic appointed within Toastmasters and has attained
the Distinguished Toastmaster desig-
nation—the highest level of educa-
as Vice Provost and Dean of tional achievement in the organiza-
tion.
She says, “Toastmasters is an in-
Graduate School vestment in yourself. The skills you
learn in Toastmasters can be used in
all aspects of your life.”
irginia Commonwealth Uni- As International President,
versity, VCU is pleased to
Vannounce the conclusion of Spear is the highest ranked officer on
the Toastmasters Board of Directors.
VCU’s national search and appoint-
ment of Manu Gupta, Ph.D. as vice
provost and dean of the Graduate
School at Virginia Commonwealth RICHARD VERMA
University, effective immediately. Dr.
Gupta currently serves as the unit’s Envoy slams ‘vile and racist
interim dean, a position he has held
for nearly two years. The Board of attacks’ on Indian Americans
Visitors approved the appointment at
their September meeting.
Dr. Gupta began his academic
career as a finance professor at the University of Missouri Columbia in 2004.
The next year he held the same role at Southern Illinois University, Edwards-
ville before joining the VCU School of Business in 2008.
He earned tenure in the VCU School of Business, was promoted to pro-
fessor, and became the chair for the Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate
department while serving as a faculty advisor for the MS finance program.
Over the next decade, Dr. Gupta led major curriculum revisions responsive
to market demands.
As the interim dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Gupta led the develop-
ment of a strategic plan for graduate enrollment across the university and has
worked with academic units across our campuses to improve their processes
for graduate program admissions. His leadership was instrumental in creating
a tailored tuition plan to attract more out-of-state and international students.
Dr. Gupta’s leadership, and ability to collaborate with leaders across our
academic units, are delivering results for the university. Over the last year,
VCU has seen increases in both applications and accepted offers and are re- ichard Verma, a senior US diplomat, denounced “vile and racist attacks”
flected across all demographic segments. on Indian Americans. This comes after derogatory remarks were made
RADHI SPEAR Rrecently about Vice President Kamala Harris’s origins.
“Nothing could be more threatening or damaging to US-Indian ties than
NJ-resident named as the recent demonization of immigrants we’ve seen careening through cyber-
space and on our TV screens in recent days, which includes vile and racist
Toastmasters International attacks directed at Indian Americans,” Verma said at the Hudson Institute
think tank, where he was delivering an address on relations between the

President world’s two largest democracies.
Richard Rahul Verma is an American diplomat, who serves as the
adhi Spear, DTM, of Piscataway, New Jersey, is the new International deputy secretary of state for management and resources, a posi-
President of Toastmasters International, the world’s leading organi- tion he has held since April 5, 2023. He served as the assistant
Rzation devoted to communication and leadership skills development. secretary of state for legislative affairs from 2009 to 2011, and
Spear assumed the one-year term at the organization’s 2024 International
Convention, held in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 14-17. as the U.S. ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017.
Spear is a software engineer for AT&T in Middletown, New Jersey, and
has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 30 years. She has He was speaking at the Hudson Institute, a Washington DC based think-
expertise in software development, systems administration, and acceptance tank, on the milestones and the pathways of US-India ties, ahead of Prime
testing. She troubleshoots problems and develops software for projects that Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. Verma spoke about the progress that has tak-
impact millions of people. en place in the last 25 years.
Spear holds a master’s degree of science in electrical engineering from Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist, who has been travelling
the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey. She partici- with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, recently posted on so-
pates in employee resource groups at AT&T, including Women of AT&T and cial media that Harris would make the White House “smell like curry” if she
InspirASIAN, which fosters development and leadership opportunities for its won November’s election. Harris, has Indian-origin roots as her mother was
members. She was also an assistant Girl Scout troop leader for five years. born in India and father in Jamaica, and sge would be the first US president
A Toastmaster since 2000, Spear is a charter member of her home of South Asian heritage if elected on November 5.
club, AT&T Middletown Toastmasters in Middletown. She has held sever- Continued on next page... >>

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