Indian Student Parikshit Roychowdhury Honoured with Grinnell College's Top International Leadership Award
Grinnell, Iowa : Parikshit Roychowdhury, an Indian student, has received the distinguished Nancy Schmulbach Maly ’61 International Student Leadership Award for 2025 from Grinnell College, honoring his outstanding leadership qualities, academic achievements, and dedication to community service.
Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in economics and anthropology (Class of 2026), Roychowdhury has emerged as a prominent student leader. His name will be inscribed on a commemorative plaque in the college’s Humanities and Social Studies Center, and he will also receive a monetary prize as part of the honor.
Roychowdhury has served in key leadership positions, including on the cabinet of the International Student Organization and as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) chair in the Student Government Association (SGA). His efforts in enhancing DEI initiatives like the Cultural Closet and strengthening ties with the Multicultural Leadership Council have been particularly praised.
A coordinator and student leader at the Wilson Center, Roychowdhury has also contributed to the Build a Better Grinnell project, funded by the USDA, analyzing policy effects on rural healthcare across three Midwestern states. He has conducted fieldwork examining the effects of coal mining displacement in India and the implications of climate change on food security across Central Africa. His senior thesis focuses on how climate change is affecting the Marshall Islands.
Active in the debate team, business and finance community, and as a Bengali tutor, Roychowdhury continues to inspire peers through his dedication to leadership and global understanding. He completed his schooling at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School in India.
"This award ensures Nancy Maly’s legacy continues through students like Parikshit," said Karen Edwards, Dean for International Student Affairs. "We are grateful to the Maly family for championing international student leadership at Grinnell."
