Gannon University
03/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/27/2024 11:58
Gannon's Amanpreet Oberoi recognized at City and State PA Above & Beyond Awards Gala
Gannon's Amanpreet Oberoi recognized at City and State PA Above & Beyond Awards Gala
Published: 03/27/2024
The gala was held Tuesday evening in Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, March 26, Gannon University's Global Health Liason and Health Manager Amanpreet Oberoi was recognized at the City and State Pennsylvania Above & Beyond Awards Gala in Philadelphia.
Oberoi was one of 50 women recognized in City and State Pennsylvania's 2024 Above & Beyond list, which celebrates and honors influential women who demonstrate exemplary leadership in their respective fields, making significant contributions to society in business, public service, media, nonprofit and organized labor. Each woman will be featured in a special edition of City & State Pennsylvania magazine.
Read Oberoi's excerpt from the 2024 Above & Beyond list below:
As global health liaison and health manager at Gannon University, Amanpreet Oberoi helps decipher mysteries of the U.S. system - PCPs and pre-authorizations - for both foreign students and Americans newly on their own.
In recent years, the India-born Oberoi has expanded beyond health to community activism. When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted rises in both anti-Asian bias and food insecurity, she launched Gannon's first-ever Asian Heritage Month celebration, initiated campus hunger screenings and expanded Gannon's food pantry.
"I realized we needed to create more awareness," said Oberoi, a former neurosurgical trauma nurse who moved to Pennsylvania in 2004. When her children were stigmatized over their unfamiliar lunch foods, she intervened with multicultural programming at school; years later, when racial tensions surged on campus, "I reached out to colleges and businesses and asked, 'What steps are you taking to keep your population safe?'"
Oberoi's activism led her to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, where she helped introduce Asian languages for state initiatives like telehealth. As president of the Erie Asian American Pacific Association, Oberoi has coordinated support for refugees, established the organization's youth division and organized Asian festivals for the community.
As she earns a master's in health administration, Oberoi continues a personal commitment to positive change. "I always wanted to help my community," said Oberoi. "This is my passion."