Page 30 - The Indian EYE 101725

Newsmakers of the Week OCTOBER 17, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

SANJYOT DUNUNG grants, Sanjyot Dunung built a career as an award-winning entrepreneur and
small business owner. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the
Hindu American PAC Endorses National Small Business Association, the Truman Center for National Policy,
and the American Leadership Project. Sanjyot previously served on President
for candidate for Illinois district Biden’s Foreign Policy Working Group focused on international trade and on
the Board of Directors for UNICEF USA.

IPSHITA ZUTSHI

Neuroscientist honored with 2025

Blavatnik awards

he global Kashmiri and scientif-
ic communities are celebrating
Tthe accomplishment of an ex-
ceptional young neuroscientist, Ipshita
Zutshi who was recently named among
the 2025 Blavatnik honorees, recog-
nized for her pioneering work in brain
science and her contribution to the ad-
vancement of human knowledge.
The Blavatnik Awards’ flagship
prize honors outstanding postdoctor-
al scientists from academic research
institutions across New York, New
Jersey, and Connecticut. Ipshita Zut-
anjyot Dunung, a Congressional candidate for Illinois’ 8th District, has shi has been honored for early-career excellence in the category of Life Sciences
received the endorsement of the Hindu American PAC (HAPAC), an in-
Sdependent and non-partisan political action committee representing the as the finalists for the prestigious 2025 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young
Scientists. She will receive $10,000 in unrestricted funds as the prize money.
Hindu American community. This endorsement for Dunung further solidifies Ipshita Zutshi, PhD was nominated by New York University and was rec-
her commonsense campaign momentum and is another vote of confidence in ognized for discovering how the brain integrates dynamic goals with sensory
her path to victory. inputs (sound, vision) to guide memory and decision-making — providing a
HAPAC’s mission is to identify and support new candidates or incumbents
who prioritize and are committed to religious freedom, civil and human rights, framework for understanding cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders.
Adding to the pride, it was noted that Ananya Zutshi, daughter of Rita
and other Hindu American interests. and Anil Zutshi, was also a recipient of the Harvard Business School Blavatnik
Said Rishi Bhutada, Co-Founder and Board Member of HAPAC, “San-
jyot’s unwavering passion for religious freedoms exemplifies the core values we Fellowship during the 2021–2022 cycle. Her recognition marked a major mile-
stone in the fields of biomedical science and early-stage research leadership.
advocate at Hindu American PAC. Her dedication to ensuring that every Hindu The shared history of Kashmiri heritage behind the surname, Zutshi
American can practice their beliefs freely is a reflection of her commitment to makes every overseas Kashmiri proud of their achievements. Most important-
the civil rights of our nation. We believe her leadership as a future Representa- ly, both being young women, they have become symbols of the community’s
tive will better society and ensure every voice matter.” academic and scientific excellence. Bringing joy and admiration within the
“I am incredibly honored by the endorsement from Hindu American PAC,”
said Dunung. “This support strengthens my advocacy for the preservation of Kashmiri Overseas Association Inc.
religious freedoms and practices for all Americans. Our Founding Fathers es-
tablished constitutional religious freedom through the First Amendment, and I JIYA RAI
am committed to protecting both religious liberty and civil governance so that
every American will always have the right to express and practice their beliefs Para-swimmer creates history by
freely. I am dedicated to championing these values and ensuring that the voices
of everyone in Illinois 8, our state, and our country are heard and respected.”
Dunung’s campaign for Congress is focused on actively working to intro- swimming across Catalina Channel
duce commonsense, practical ideas for solutions-based policies that will help
create a brighter future for everyone – a future where daily life is more afford- 17-year-old girl, Jiya Rai, with autism spectrum disorder, became the
able, safer, healthier – built on a foundation of freedom, opportunity, dignity, A
first female para-swimmer to successfully swim solo across the Catalina
and security for all Americans. Channel near Los Angeles, USA.
To learn more about Sanjyot and join the campaign, visit sanjyotforcon- Jiya covered a distance of about 32 km in 15 hours, 1 minute and 43 sec-
gress.com. onds, starting on midnight on September 25 from Catalina Island, and finished
About Sanjyot Dunung: Raised in Des Plaines, the daughter of Indian immi- Continued on next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com