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Indian student wins Grinnell College international student leadership award
Parikshit Roychowdhury was described in multiple nominations as “a true and clear campus leader.”
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 28, May 2025
- 11:39 EDT
- 26
Parikshit Roychowdhury receiving the award / Grinnell College
An Indian student was named the recipient of the Grinnell College’s 2025 Nancy Schmulbach Maly ’61 International Student Leadership Award.
Parikshit Roychowdhury, pursuing bachelor of arts in economics and anthropology (Class of 2026), was described in multiple nominations as “a true and clear campus leader.”
Also Read: Meena Sundrum wins 2025 Gretchen Goldsmith Lankford Award
The annual recognition honors international students who demonstrate exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and service to the college community.
As a recipient of the award, Roychowdhury’s name will be added to a commemorative plaque displayed in the Global Living Room of the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC). The award also includes a cash prize.
Roychowdhury has served as a cabinet member of the International Student Organization, an International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP) mentor for incoming international students, and as the DEI chair for the Student Government Association (SGA).
As DEI chair, he helped strengthen initiatives such as the Cultural Closet and improved communication between SGA and the Multicultural Leadership Council.
At the Wilson Center, Roychowdhury served as a coordinator and team lead, advocating for student interests in institutional dialogues. As a research assistant for the Build a Better Grinnell initiative — a USDA-funded rural placemaking program — he analyzed interview data and assessed legislative impacts on healthcare and community development across three Midwestern states.
He has conducted fieldwork in India, examining socio-economic displacement from coal mine expansions, and collaborated on Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs) exploring climate change’s impact on food security in Central Africa. His senior thesis focuses on the environmental and human costs of climate change in the Marshall Islands.
Roychowdhury is affiliated with the Wilson Center Catalyst Fund, the business and finance career community, the international student organization, the debate team, and serves as a Bengali language tutor. He completed his high school education at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, India.
The award honors Grinnell alumna Nancy Schmulbach Maly, Class of 1961, and celebrates her legacy of leadership and global engagement. “We are so grateful to the Maly family for their recognition of international student leadership at Grinnell,” said Karen Edwards, dean for international student affairs. “Nancy's legacy is in excellent hands, with students of this caliber in our midst.”
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