2 Kammas among 18 Indian American Kids Win 2015 National Geographic State Bees

2 Kammas among Eighteen Indian American youths from around the USA were recently named winners of the 2015 National Geographic State Bees.

Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to inspire students to be curious about the world. 

As state winners, each youth will receive $100 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their respective states in the national finals of the Bee at the National Geographic Society headquarters from May 12 to 14. 
The winners, by state, are:

MICHIGAN
Shriya Yarlagadda, 6th Grade, Grand Blanc East Middle School, Grand Blanc.

LOUISIANA
Ajaya Tummala, 8th Grade, Caddo Middle Magnet School, Shreveport.

Satya Nadella tops global CEO pay chart

NEW YORK: With a pay package of $84.3 million (Rs 525 crore) a year, technology giant Microsoft's Indian-origin chief Satya Nadella has emerged as the top-paid CEO in the US, as per a new list.

The Equilar 100 CEO Pay Study, an analysis of CEO salaries at the 100 largest public US companies as measured by revenue, was last year topped by Oracle's Larry Ellison, who has been now pushed by Nadella to the second position.

Another Indian-origin CEO, Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, is ranked 19th with $19.08 million. Legendary investor Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway is ranked last at 100th position with a total compensation of $464,011 million.

Ellison ($67.3 million) is followed by Steven Mollenkopf of Qualcomm at the third place on the list with $60.7 million.

Others in the top-ten include Robert Iger (Walt Disney), Larry Merlo (CVS Health), K Rupert Murdoch (Twenty-First Century Fox), W James McNerney, Jr (Boeing). James Gorman (Morgan Stanley), David Cote (Honeywell International) and Kenneth Chenault (American Express).

General Motors Names Dhivya Suryadevara Vice President, Finance and Treasurer

DETROIT -- General Motors has named Dhivya Suryadevara GM vice president, Finance and Treasurer, effective July 1, replacing Niharika Taskar Ramdev. Suryadevara will retain her current responsibilities as CEO and chief investment officer of GM Asset Management.

"Dhivya's experience in leading our asset management team will serve her well in this important role for the company," said Chuck Stevens, GM executive vice president and chief financial officer. "I'm confident that she will build on the great work the team has accomplished under Niharika's leadership. Niharika has done an excellent job over the past year as we improved our investment grade ratings and introduced a comprehensive capital allocation framework."

Suryadevara will direct GM's global treasury operations, including capital planning, capital market activities, worldwide banking and participate in business development, risk management and investor relations. Taskar Ramdev will lead the finance team for GM International, GM's operating segment which generates $14 billion in revenue and comprises nearly 100 markets outside of China, including India, Africa and the Middle East.

Suryadevara was named chief investment officer of GM Asset Management in July 2013, with responsibility for approximately $80 billion in assets across GM defined benefit plans. She was previously managing director of investment strategy and fixed income for GM Asset Management, where she was responsible for investment strategy and asset allocation for GM's pension plans. She also led the plan's fixed income and de-risking efforts including in-plan initiatives and lump sum and annuitization transactions. Suryadevara began her GM career in 2004 in treasury.

Nidhi Surapaneni wins AITA Title

15-year-old Nidhi Surapaneni, who had a trail-blazing AITA debut in Gwalior on Saturday with her stellar performances in the Road to Wimbledon event in New Delhi

It has been a wonderful outing for Nidhi, who raised the level of her game by several notches once she made it to the knockout stage of the Amity University (AU) sponsored Rs 2.5 lakh women's tournament, which she won, according to reports received. Nidhi scalped third seeded Moulika Ram with 7-6(7-4), 5-7, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals. 

To prove that it was no case of isolated brilliance, she stunned the top seeded Akshara Iska while coming back from a second set loss for a 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 semifinal conquest. She was also tested in the final by the other surprise player, Asha Nandkumar before clinching the title with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 verdict.

Rao Mulpuri's Smart-glass maker View is raising $100M

Smart-glass startup View Inc. is raising up to $100 million in fresh capital.

The company is raising the round at a $750 million valuation, according to a report from VentureWire on Thursday. The company raised $100 million in early 2014 led by Madrone Capital, a private equity firm associated with the heirs to the Walmart fortune. Prior to this latest funding, the company raised $339 million over several rounds from investors such as Khosla Ventures, 

NanoDimension, Corning, GE Capital, the Westly Group, DBL Investors, Sigma Partners and Navitas Capital.

Founded in 2006, CEO Rao Mulpuri now heads up the Milpitas-based company formerly known as Soladigm. Prior to joining View, Mulpuri was president of Novellus Systems Japan and served as vice president and general manager of the Integrated Metals business unit.

The tint on glass made by View is controlled by electrical charges, which can be applied automatically when lighting changes or can be controlled on demand. According to the company, the windows can cut 20 percent on heating and cooling costs, 20 percent from lighting costs and can reduce electricity use by as much as 25 percent at peak-use times.

Since launching commercialization of the product in 2011, View said it had shipped to more than 100 dynamic glass projects in North America for use in hospitals, hotels, universities, government buildings and businesses. The company figures its potential market is about $100 billion, based on about 10 percent of the world's buildings making use of its glass.

Lake County spelling bee champ Aniket Nuthalapati crowned

Aniket Nuthalapati, an eighth-grader at Aptakisic Junior High School, was the winner of the Lake County Final Spelling Bee competition March 19. Aniket will travel to Washington, D.C. to compete in the Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, May 24-30. All expenses for the seven-day trip will be paid cooperatively by the Lake County Regional Office of Education and the Jelly Belly Candy Company. 

5 Kammas Among New Fellows of the American College of Physicians

Bhuvaneswari Burugupalli

Nearly 50 Indian American and other South Asian physicians from around the United States, Canada and other countries were among the 301 new Fellows of the American College of Physicians recently approved for election by the credentials committee. 

5 Kammas in the list were Arkansas: Latha M. Achanta, Indiana: Bhuvaneswari Burugapalli, Maryland: Raghuram Chava, Ontario: Padmaja R. Naidu, Pennsylvania: Srikanth Nagalla.