St Aloysius felicitates Rajyotsava Awardee Rev. Fr Prashanth Madtha and Ms Lucy Mariappa, Alumna & USA-based CIO
Mangaluru: St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, organised a felicitation programme to Rev Fr Prashanth Madtha, SJ for being the recipient of the Kannada Rajyotsava Award 2024 and Former Principal of St Aloysius College and Ms. Lucy Mariappa, a proud alumna and USA based renowned Chief Executive Officer and Visionary Business Executive, on 3rd January 2025 in LCRI Hall of the University.
Rev. Dr. Praveen Martis, SJ, Vice Chancellor of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) presided over the programme. Rev. Fr Melwin Joseph Pinto, Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, Rev. Dr. Melwyn D’Cunha SJ Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Alwyn DSa Registrar of the College, Dr. Ronald Nazareth, Registrar of the University were on the dais.
The Directors of Various Blocks, Deans, staff, and students were present for the programme.
After the felicitation program, there was a guest talk by Ms. Lucy Mariappa on the topic “Being Future-ready and Career-prepared”.
Manoj Dyson Fernandes compered the program. Dr Alwn DSa welcomed the gathering. Dr Mahalinga Bhat & Dr Ronald Nazareth read out the citations. Ms. Shanthi Lobo, Chair of Public Relations at the University, meticulously planned and executed the programme.
About Rev. Fr Prashanth Madtha, SJ
Rev. Fr Prashanth Madtha hails from a humble hamlet in Sullia in the district of Dakshina Kannada, you secured an MA in Kannada from Bangalore University with the Gold Medal. He served as a teacher of Kannada at St Aloysius College and went on to take up the mantle of being the Principal leading the institution with a strong and upright vision bringing several path-breaking and innovative changes with refreshing and proactive perspectives laying a strong foundation to a new, diverse and inclusive paradigm and campus culture.
His prolific writing career in Konkani, Kannada, and English is a testimony of his expansive reading and reflection. His popular weekly column in Udayavani, Chakitha Chittha has been a household name and an incisive contemporary cultural and social commentary.
His versatility has been proved beyond any doubt in the dexterity in expression in his mother tongue, Konkani writing in his works, Kittalan (two editions), Ratavol, Vally Padryabacha Bolsanthlen, and other similar works which have caught the imagination of the readers of all sections and ages.
Fr. Madtha’s Kannada works such as Veera Viraktha, Savira Hoogalu Aralali, Ninanthe Naanagalu, Sanidhya and Gandu Rachane; Hennu Rachane on gender construction has made a lasting impact on readers. His commendable attempt at writing an intimate history of 125 years of eventful saga of St Aloysius College, On Eagle’s Wings has been a veritable testimony of his uncanny ability to retell the Aloysian narrative with his unique story-telling technique.
His foray into writing dictionaries resulted in collecting and publishing 10,000 Konkani idioms in the form of a book, Pikkolin has been an invaluable and enriching contribution to the Konkani linguistic depository. In addition, works like Padanidhi, a dictionary of Kannada synonyms and antonyms as well as Thesar, a thesaurus of Konkani synonyms and antonyms have added significant value to the corpus of dictionaries of these languages.
His immense contribution and leadership to various Jesuit educational institutions in the Karnataka Province and the Archdiocese of Bangalore have been commendable.
Besides this, he has been the recipient of the Indian Catholic Press Association Award 2008, Sandesha Award for Konkani Literature 2009, Life Time Achievement Award by the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations of Karnataka, Bahrain Konkani Kutam Award, Alva’s Nudisiri Literary Award, and several other eminent recognitions and awards.
About Ms Lucy Mariappa:
Ms. Lucy Mariyappa, a distinguished Chief Information Officer and visionary leader, has carved a permanent mark on the world stage with her exceptional leadership, transformative vision, and groundbreaking innovations across 40 countries and diverse industries.
She held prominent roles at top technology companies leading the global product development for 32 countries (generating billions in annual revenue), consulted at Fortune 500 companies driving their business ahead, and then led large, complex organizations, positioning them as industry leaders. She has worked at industry-leading organizations including SAP and Oracle.
Her illustrious career is adorned with accolades such as “CIO of the Year,” “Top 100 Leaders in Education,” Prestigious “2021 US CIO 100 Award” which is a special recognition to the top 100 organizations in the USA for their achievements in Technology Innovation & Leadership. All these accolades epitomize her dedication to advancing technology and business excellence.
A pioneer during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Lucy’s leadership in transitioning a large Texas-based school system to remote learning within just five days stands as a testament to her resilience and forward-thinking. Her efforts earned national acclaim, including recognition from the U.S. Education Secretary.
Ms Lucy Mariyappa’s journey, however, began right here at St. Aloysius, where she pursued her Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s in Computer Applications. Even as a student, her leadership was evident. As Joint Secretary during undergraduate studies and later Secretary during her postgraduate studies, she was instrumental in launching the first-ever annual festivals focused on science, management, and women empowerment—an enduring legacy that continues to inspire the Aloysian community.
