ELMONT, NY — The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center, Inc. (Kerala Center) will honor eight distinguished Indian American Malayalees for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields and their contributions to society at its 34th Annual Awards Dinner on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Public officials and community leaders from the United States and India are expected to attend the prestigious annual event.
“The Kerala Center has been honoring outstanding achievers since 1992. Each year, we invite nominations from the community, and the Awards Committee carefully reviews the nominations before making its selections. This year’s honorees represent an impressive range of professional accomplishments and community service,” said Dr. Thomas Abraham, Trustee Board Chairman of the Kerala Center and a member of the Awards Committee.
Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, Chairman of the Board and the Awards Committee, said, “The Kerala Center is proud to recognize American Malayalees who have excelled in their professions while making meaningful contributions to social progress. Their accomplishments and commitment to service should serve as an inspiration to the next generation.”
2026 Kerala Center Awardees
The 2026 honorees and their respective categories of recognition are:
- Legislator Anant Nambiar — Political Leadership and Keynote Speaker
- Dr. Joe Verghese — Medicine
- Dr. Beena S. Peters — Nursing Leadership
- Dr. Girish Kumar Panicker — Applied Science
- T. S. Nandakumar — Performing Arts
- Sibi David — Community Service
- Prince Johnson — Education
- Jose Cheripuram — Pravasi Malayalam Literature
The award ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Kerala Center, 1824 Fairfax Street, Elmont, New York. The evening will feature a variety of entertainment, followed by a dinner celebrating the honorees and their accomplishments.
Members of the 2026 Awards Committee, in addition to Dr. Thomas Abraham and Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, are Varkey Abraham, Daisy P. Stephen and Dr. Marilyn George.
Kerala Center President Alex K. Esthappan noted that the organization has recognized more than 195 American Malayalees over the past 33 years.
“It is gratifying to see the recipients of Kerala Center awards continue to achieve greater heights in their careers and, at the same time, contribute to the betterment of society,” Esthappan said.
Members of the community and the public are invited to attend the 34th Annual Awards Dinner and join in honoring this year’s distinguished recipients.
For reservations and additional information, contact the Kerala Center at 516-358-2000 or email [email protected].
For further information, please contact: Alex Esthappan, President, 516-503-9387; Raju Thomas, General Secretary, 516-434-0669.
2026 Kerala Center Awardees
Legislator Anant Nambiar — Political Leadership.
Anant Nambiar is the Westchester County Legislator for District 7, representing the communities of Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, and Harrison, New York. Elected in 2025, he is the first South Asian American and Hindu member of the Westchester County Legislature.
Prior to entering public service, Nambiar had a distinguished 25-year career as a financial executive with American Express, Mastercard, and Synchrony Financial, where he led global strategy and product teams. He is also an inventor, holding 12 U.S. patents for innovation.
Nambiar previously served on the Mamaroneck School Board and Town Board, where he worked on fiscal stability, union negotiations, and responsible housing growth. He holds an engineering degree and an MBA from Canadian universities.
Dr. Joe Verghese — Medicine.
Dr. Joe Verghese is Chair and Distinguished University Professor of Neurology at Stony Brook University. A graduate of St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India, he completed postgraduate medical training in the United Kingdom before undertaking residency and fellowship training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He also earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Research Methods from Albert Einstein.
An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. Verghese has authored more than 350 publications in leading medical and scientific journals. His current research focuses on non-pharmacologic approaches to dementia prevention, global dementia research, and the relationship between migration and cognitive health. His NIH-funded “Akkare” study examines the effects of migration on cognition among Kerala Americans.
Dr. Beena S. Peters, DNP, RN, MS, FACHE, FABC, FAAN — Nursing Leadership.
Dr. Beena S. Peters is a nationally recognized nursing and healthcare leader. She served as System Chief Nursing Executive at Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the United States. She is currently Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of HRTLY Inc., a health technology company focused on advancing equitable access to high-quality healthcare through technology-enabled solutions.
Dr. Peters is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Academy of Nursing, and The Advisory Board, and is a Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellow. She serves on numerous community, healthcare, and educational boards, including the UIC College of Nursing External Advisory Board, the UIC Master of Healthcare Administration Advisory Board, and the Institute of Medicine Chicago Board of Governors and Executive Board.
A leader in the Indian American nursing community, Dr. Peters is the founding president of the Indian Nurses Association of Illinois and previously served as National President of KCWFNA.
Dr. Girish Kumar Panicker — Applied Science.
Dr. Girish Kumar Panicker is an internationally recognized agricultural scientist and an authority on C-factor, or cover and management, research involving horticultural crops. He is a tenured Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences and Director of the USDA Conservation Research Center at Alcorn State University in Mississippi.
In 2001, Dr. Panicker released the first technology-transfer bulletin on cover and management research for horticultural crops. The 42-page publication has been adopted by numerous land-grant universities and is also available through the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
His distinguished career has earned him numerous honors, including Fellow of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (FMAS); the 1995 Chapter Award of the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America; the 2011 Pride of India Award; the 2020 Lifetime Organic Achievement Award of the American Society of Agronomy; the 2023 International Conservation Research Award of the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America; and the 2026 Global Ratna Award from India.
T. S. Nandakumar — Performing Arts.
T. S. Nandakumar, widely known as Bombay Nandakumar, is an internationally acclaimed mridangam maestro, educator, composer, author, and cultural ambassador of Indian classical music. A recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award presented by the President of India, he has received numerous other honors for his contributions to music and cultural education.
Nandakumar founded the TSN’s Percussive Arts Centre (TSNPAC) in Bombay in 1998 and later established its presence in New Jersey. Through the institution, he has trained thousands of students and helped promote Indian percussion traditions internationally.
He is the author of acclaimed works including Roots of Mridangam, Intricacies of Mridangam, and The Ultimate Koruvais. Through his performances, teaching, scholarship, and cultural outreach, he has played a significant role in preserving and promoting the rich traditions of Indian classical percussion for audiences and students around the world.
Sibi David — Community Service.
Sibi David has devoted four decades to public service, the arts and culture of Kerala, humanitarian initiatives, and community leadership. Guided by his philosophy of “Unity Beyond Barriers,” he has worked to promote cultural preservation, humanitarian service, and greater understanding and unity among communities.
He founded Art 4 Life, an initiative supporting underprivileged children in Kerala, and has created platforms to provide opportunities for artists and emerging young talent. Through the Kalavedi platform, he has organized numerous cultural programs and directed proceeds toward helping individuals and families in need.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, David led the weekly musical program “Santhwana Sangeetham” for approximately a year and a half through the Federation of Malayalee Associations of America (FOMAA). The program provided cultural connection, companionship, and encouragement to Malayalees across the United States during a particularly difficult period.
A former president of the Kerala Samajam of Greater New York, David has remained deeply involved in community service and cultural activities. Professionally, he serves as a Deputy Director at the New York City Department of Transportation.
Prince Johnson — Education.
Prince Johnson is a veteran educator with 27 years of experience and a passionate advocate for career and technical education, sustainability, and innovative teaching. In 2026, he was named New York State Teacher of the Year, following his selection as the 2025 Gilder Lehrman New York History Teacher of the Year.
Johnson teaches social studies at Food and Finance High School in New York City and serves on the NYC Public Schools Climate Education Leadership Team. His approach to education integrates history, career and technical education, culinary arts, and environmental stewardship, creating interdisciplinary learning experiences that connect classroom knowledge with real-world challenges.
His commitment to education was shaped in part by the experiences he encountered while teaching on Rikers Island, where he witnessed firsthand the impact of social inequities on young people. Today, he encourages students to use their knowledge, skills, and voices to build stronger and more equitable communities, with a focus on empowering every student to reach their full potential.
Jose Cheripuram — Pravasi Malayalam Literature.
Jose Cheripuram is a talented Malayalam poet, humorist, and writer whose work reflects his keen powers of observation and his ability to transform everyday experiences into engaging poetry, humor, and stories. He has been actively involved with literary organizations including Sarggavedi and the Literary Association of North America (LANA).
His published works include Kavyanartaki (Poems, 2011) and Aliyante Padavalanga (Humor, 2012). He continues to contribute poetry, humor, and articles to print and online publications. His literary contributions have been recognized with the eMalayali Award and the “Golden Poet” Award from the World of Poetry.
Before immigrating to the United States in 1979, Cheripuram served in the Indian Air Force in its medical branch. After arriving in the United States, he became a registered nurse and went on to serve with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation for 30 years. His professional career and literary pursuits have allowed him to make significant contributions to both the healthcare and Malayalam-American communities.
