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Indian-origin student wins Hofstra Inaba Scholarship
The scholarship recognizes outstanding achievement in global studies and geography and is awarded annually to a top student in the department.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 15, Jun 2026
- 16:04 EDT
- 28
Aadi Gadekar / news.hofstra.edu
Hofstra University has awarded Indian-originstudent Aadi Gadekar the 2026-2027 Dr. Masaharu G. Inaba Endowed Memorial Scholarship, for his academic achievements and contributions to the Department of Global Studies and Geography.
Gadekar, a native of Morris Plains, New Jersey, is pursuing a bachelor's in Global Studies with a minor in Geography alongside a BS in Pre-medical Studies with the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
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“I was incredibly grateful to hear I was chosen as the recipient of the Inaba Scholarship. I’m so fortunate to have found such a supportive community within the Department of Global Studies and Geography,” Gadekar told university press.
The award comes after a string of academic achievements. Earlier this year, Gadekar represented the Middle States region at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting in San Francisco, helping the team win the World Geography Bowl, a national academic competition. It marked his second consecutive year competing on a championship Middle States team.
Gadekar has also built an extensive research portfolio spanning public health and biomedical sciences. At Hofstra, he developed a research proposal examining the role of intra-urban mobility in dengue transmission in Pune, India, and presented the work at the 2025 American Association of Geographers annual meeting.
He is currently a student researcher at the Feinstein Institutes, where he investigates the role of cytokines and cellular signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Beyond academia, Gadekar serves as assistant executive director (Coaching) at the GeoEd Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on geography education. In that role, he has helped develop curriculum, organize competitions, and mentor students participating in geography contests.
Within the Hofstra community, Gadekar has served as a student aide in the Department of Global Studies and Geography and was recently inducted into Mu Kappa, the university's chapter of the international geography honor society Gamma Theta Upsilon.
During the 2026-2027 academic year, he will serve as president of the South Asian Students Association and vice president of the Hindu Students Association.
The Dr. Masaharu G. Inaba Endowed Memorial Scholarship was established by the Inaba family in memory of George Inaba, who taught geography at Hofstra from 1959 to 1983.
The scholarship, valued between $9,000 and $10,000, is awarded annually to a global studies and/or geography major in addition to other financial aid received by the student.
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