“We are very thankful to Dr. Blondin, Clark State Board of Trustees, Clark State Foundation and the nominating committee for giving us this honor. It is a very humbling experience for both of us ... This award was a very pleasant surprise to us,” Shashi said.
Dr. Amrit and Shashi Chadha have been loyal supporters of the college for many years and have made significant financial contributions. They established the B. R. and R. R. Chadha Memorial Scholarship to support students majoring in psychology or health technologies, they assisted in establishing at least three other endowed scholarships, and they support students with disabilities through a separate Springfield Foundation scholarship.
Shashi said the two feel strongly about the education for young people.
“It is one important step for changing the lives of people and ultimately changing the world for the better. We are also aware that some students lack the opportunity for pursuing their education and educational goals for lots of reasons, mostly for financial hardships,” she said. “We were fortunate to be able to start an endowment fund for scholarships in memory of Dr. Chadha’s parents.”
Dr. Amrit is a physician and neurologist for the Rocking Horse Community Health Center. Before he retired last year, he was a neurologist in Springfield for 45 years. He did his post-graduate studies in internal medicine in India and completed his residency in neurology in State University of New York at Buffalo, New York.
Shashi, who has her master’s in psychology, has been an adjunct faculty member of the college since 1977 and has served on the Foundation Board of Directors for over 11 years. Over the years, she has taught general psychology, abnormal psychology, interpersonal communications and regional studies of India.
“The Clark State Foundation is grateful for the Chadhas’ generous support of our students. In addition to their scholarship, the Chadhas have generously supported other healthcare program initiatives and our Major Gifts Campaign. The give of their time and generously provide resources to support Clark State’s mission and the Springfield community,” said Toni Overholser, Director of the Foundation.
The other 2021 Presidential Award honorees include:
The Emerging Leader Award will be presented to Cory Gaston.
Gaston is a 2012 Clark State graduate, has two Associate of Applied Business degrees in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity, has a bachelor’s degree in Program Analysis Technical Management from the University of Dayton, and has a master’s degree in Information System Management from Keller University. He worked as a System Administrator at Clark State in 2013 and then joined American Electric Power (AEP) in 2014 as a Software Developer.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award will be presented to Timothy Derickson.
Derickson is a 1980 Clark State graduate, has an Associate of Agriculture and Business and has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Miami University. He has held multiple positions serving Ohio, served several legislative committee positions and appointments, has served as a township trustee and founded several businesses.
This event was created in 2019 to honor the recipients of these awards and to raise funds for student scholarship. The Foundation awards approximately $300,000 per year in scholarships to hundreds of students.
“We are honored to highlight the accomplishments of these outstanding award recipients. The honorees have made significant contributions in support of Clark State students and the community,” Overholser said. “We look forward to coming together to celebrate their accomplishments and raise funds to support student scholarships.”
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