Indian American to join Virginia Tech as Associate Vice President

Guru Ghosh, director of international programs for the California State University System's Humboldt State University, will join Virginia Tech as associate vice president for international affairs in July of this year.

Ghosh earned his Ph.D. in educational policy, planning, and leadership from Virginia's College of William and Mary. At Humboldt, he oversaw the development of strategic partnerships and international agreements as well as supervised faculty and staff at a branch campus in China. Ghosh also served as director of global education for the College of William and Mary from 2000 to 2009. His portfolio there included numerous international study programs in 20 countries.

Announcing Ghosh's appointment, John Dooley, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs, said, "I'm pleased and delighted that, after a nationwide search, we have found a charismatic leader to build upon the great success we've developed over the last 20 years. He will help us move forward in the increasingly vital international sphere."

As associate vice president, Ghosh will be responsible for the planning, marketing, delivery, and oversight of the university's international programs and activities.

New Dean of Undergraduate Stern School at NYU

Geeta Menon, the Abraham Krasnoff Professor of Global Business and Professor of Marketing, has been appointed as the dean of the undergraduate college of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business.

Her appointment, announced recently by NYU President John Sexton and Provost David McLaughlin, is effective July 15, 2011.

Menon, whose research interests include the study of consumer memory, information processing and emotions in the contexts of survey methodology, advertising of health information, and risk perception – has been a member of the faculty of NYU's Stern School of Business since 1990.

Before joining the faculty of NYU's Stern School in 1990, Geeta Menon was a research executive at the Indian Market Research Bureau in Delhi. After joining NYU, she has also held appointments as a Visiting Scholar at the Indian Institute of Management, a Visiting Scholar at Stanford Business School, a Visiting Professor at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, and the Laura and John J. Pomerantz Professor of Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

The author of numerous scholarly publications, her work includes key articles published in the Journal of Consumer Research such as "Behavioral Frequency Judgments: An Accessibility-Diagnosticity Framework" (1995), "AIDS and Me, Never the Twain Shall Meet" (1998), "We're at as Much Risk as We're Led to Believe" (2002), and "A Sound Idea: Phonetic Effects on Consumer Judgments" (2004).

First Indian American elected as School Board Member in South Brunswick, NJ

Deven Patel, a resident of South Brunswick, New Jersey, was elected member of the South Brunswick School Board on April 27, 2011 defeating his incumbent rival and securing a second place in a close contest.

Deven Patel, born in Nadiad, Gujarat, and brought up in Mumbai, is a young civil engineer who arrived in the United States 20 years ago. He completed his civil engineering from NJIT and is currently working for Department of Transportation in New Jersey state as a Civil Engineer.

Heavily involved in community activities for the past few years, Patel serves as a member of South Brunswick Township Transportation Advisory Committee, member of the Middlesex County Transportation Coordinating Committee, Chairman at NJ Department of Transportation Asian American Heritage Committee and Board of Directors at Indo- American Cultural Foundation of Central Jersey. In the past, he was joint secretary of the Federation of Indian Associations.

Universal Health Care Group CEO Dr. Akshay Desai reappointed to Florida State Board of Education

L to R: Crystal Desai, Seema Desai, Mrs. Emma Scott (mother of Governor Rick Scott), Florida Governor Rick Scott, Ann Scott, Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll, Priyanka Desai, and Dr. Akshay Desai at the Desai home in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Universal Health Care Group, Inc. has announced that founder and CEO, Dr. Akshay Desai has been reappointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott to the Florida State Board of Education for a second fouryear term. Dr. Desai was initially appointed four years ago by then-Governor Charlie Crist. Dr. Desai stated, "It is an honor to serve the State of Florida.

The education of our children is critical to the future success of our great State. I thank Governor Scott for his consideration and for bestowing this opportunity and privilege to serve upon me." This appointment requires confirmation by the Florida Senate. The Florida State Board of Education is essentially a committee comprising seven members appointed by the Governor. These members are charged with the task of guiding and directing public K-12 and also community college education within the state of Florida. Universal Health Care Group is the parent company of Universal Health Care, Inc., a managed care company that has been providing Medicare Advantage Health Plans to Medicare eligible beneficiaries since 2003 – most notably the "Medicare Masterpiece® (HMO)" and "Medicare Masterpiece® (PPO)" plans, as well as Florida Medicaid benefits through its "Universal U-First®" plans.