Kothamangalam: Gopika Anil Kumar Pillai, a final-year Mechanical Engineering student at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (MACE), has been awarded the 2025 ASME Charles T Main Student Leadership Award — the highest honor bestowed annually by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to one student worldwide for exceptional leadership and service to the engineering community.

This prestigious award comes with a $3,000 cash prize, a vermeil medal, a certificate, and sponsored travel to the United States to attend the official awards ceremony. Notably, Gopika is only the second Indian recipient in the award’s 100-year history, marking a significant milestone for Indian engineering students.

The ASME student chapter at MACE, guided by Dr Bobin Cherian Jos and Dr Kora T Sunny, has consistently excelled at both national and international levels. Known for its active student engagement, the chapter ranks among the top globally on the ASME leaderboard, often surpassing several leading universities worldwide.

This exceptional recognition is a testament to the chapter’s unwavering dedication and dynamic student involvement. Dr Winny Varghese, Secretary of the M A College Association, Principal Dr Bos Mathew Jos, and Dr Soni Kuriakose, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, lauded the achievement as a proud moment for MACE. They congratulated Gopika and her mentors for bringing international acclaim to the institution and the country.