Two College Seniors Win 2016 President’s Engagement Prize

College seniors Vaishak Kumar and Kriya Patel have been named recipients of the 2016 President’s Engagement Prizes at the University of Pennsylvania, along with Penn Nursing’s Melanie Mariano.

“Vaishak, Melanie and Kriya embody the very best qualities of Penn undergraduates: their eagerness and ability to translate knowledge into real-world impact and to apply their Penn education toward the betterment of humankind,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “These projects represent a most remarkable range of Penn-educated talent, determination, and public-spirited enterprise among our students. They will no doubt be outstanding ambassadors of public service, and I look forward to seeing the results of their projects.”

Each President’s Engagement Prize recipient will receive as much as $100,000 for project implementation expenses and $50,000 for living expenses. The prizes, first awarded last year, are competitively awarded annually to Penn seniors to design and undertake local, national, or global engagement projects during the first year after they graduate. Patel will help women stay on top of their health and medical needs after being released from prison, while Vaishak will work with farmers in India to increase their yields.

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