Dr. Sampath Shivangi

New Jersey : Dr. Sampath Shivangi, a well-known medical practitioner and philanthropist, was honoured with the Ellis Island Medal of Honour for the year 2008.

The Medal of Honour is presented to American Citizens of diverse origin for their outstanding contributions to their own ethnic groups, their ancestral countries and to the United States.

The list of former awardees includes six past Presidents of the United States like George Bush Sr, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton as well as Nobel Prize winners and leaders of the industry, education, arts, sports and Government.

The US House of Representatives and the Senate has officially recognized the Ellis Island Medal of Honour as among the topmost awards in the US with its recipients listed in the Congressional Records.

Dr.Sampat Shivangi is being honoured for his contributions to Indo-US relations, his philanthropic work in India and the US and his crucial role in obtaining a first ever US Congressional grant to study Diabetes Mellitus amongst Indian Americans who have one of the higher incidences of this disease.

Dr Shivangi served American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin as Secretary, Vice President and founding President of AAPI Mississippi and as Advisor to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, a White House appointment.

He was also the first Indian American member of the Mississippi State Board of Health appointed by the Governor Haley Barbour. Dr. Shivangi has been at the forefront of bringing Washington and New Delhi closer during the current Bush regime. Dr.Shivangi is credited with having the White House recognize and celebrate Diwali (India's festival of lights) as an annual event.