Minority Participation in Political Process: NJ Legislator to Address Briarcliff Rotary

Mr. Upendra Chivukula, the first Asian-Indian American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and the fourth Indian-American in the US to be elected to state office, will address the Rotary Club of Briarcliff Manor at its meeting on Friday, May 24, 2013, on "The Importance of Civic Engagement."

Mr. Chivukula is currently serving his sixth term in the Assembly, representing the 17th district, which encompasses New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway, Milltown, and Franklin Township.  Upendra is the Chair of the Telecommunications & Utilities Committee, Vice-Chair of the Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee and a member of the Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee in the Assembly. He is a member of the Science and Technology Commission for the State of New Jersey, the Asian American Study Foundation, the Intergovernmental Relations Commission, the Assembly Life Sciences Task Force, and the Health Information Technology Commission. He has served on the International Education Taskforce, World Languages Instruction Committee and the Board of State Canvassers.  Upendra co-founded the NJ Legislative Science & Technology Caucus, as well as the World Languages & International Studies Caucus in the Legislature. Governor Florio of New Jersey appointed him to be a Public Member of the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners. He served on the board of the New Jersey State Cross-Acceptance Committee from 1994 to 1997.  Formerly, he was a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Executive Committee.  He was Chair of the NCSL Communications, Technology and Interstate Commerce Committee and served on the Energy & Electric Utilities Committee, as well as the Task Force on Homeland Security for the NCSL.  He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Upendra was an Elector for the Electoral College in 2004.

An Electrical engineer by background and training, Mr. Chivukula has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from City College of the City University of New York. 

The Briarcliff Rotary meets at noon on Fridays at The Briar's, 512 N. State Road, Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510.