Carnegie Corporation of New York recently announced that Pakistani-American Nergis Mavalvala has been honoured with a Great Immigrants Award.
She’s among 38 immigrants who will be awarded by the philanthropic foundation honouring immigrants’ role in the American society.
Mavalvala was born in Lahore but raised in Karachi. She moved to the United States in 1986 where she received her higher education. She later went on to do her PhD at the MIT and later joined its Physics faculty in 2002. Nergis Mavalvala was among the team of scientists who worked on gravitational waves, which was a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s work based on 1915’s general theory of relativity.
“Our annual tribute to Great Immigrants demonstrates the richness of talent, skills, and achievements that immigrants from around the world bring to every sphere of American society,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.
“This campaign reminds us of the debt the United States owes to generations of immigrants who become citizens and contribute to the progress of this country. Today, we celebrate and thank them.”
They are working with other partner organisations, initiating works and raising awareness about the naturalisation process and to provide assistance to those who are in need. The corporation has recognised countless immigrants from 30 different countries who have played a vital role on a high level of professional leadership in countless fields.
Nergis will be awarded on the Fourth of July, among other prominent figures like Academy Award- winning actor Anthony Hopkins and Max Levchin co-founder of PayPal.