Honoree’s 2022 Bio

Chairperson’s Award

Syra Madad, D.H.Sc., M.Sc., MCP is an internationally recognized public health leader and epidemiologist in infectious disease and special pathogen preparedness and response. She serves as the Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal healthcare delivery system. She also serves as the Co-Principal Investigator of NYC Health + Hospitals Institute of Diseases and Disaster Management. In addition, Dr. Madad is Core Faculty at the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), and affiliate faculty at the Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Policy & Research at Boston University. Her work focuses on the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery from infectious disease outbreaks with an emphasis on health care and public health biopreparedness. She has led and responded to multiple outbreak responses including Ebola, Zika, Measles, COVID-19 and Monkeypox.

Dr. Madad is a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs where she publishes and leads a science communication series on infectious disease threats. She is the creator and moderator of Belfer Center’s Diversity in STEM and Women in STEM series. She is also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, and Alumni Fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Health Security’s Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Program.

She earned her Doctoral degree in Health Science with a concentration in Global Health from Nova Southeastern University. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Biotechnology with a concentration in Biodefense and Biosecurity from the University of Maryland. She holds numerous professional certifications, licenses and raining certificates including Master Continuity Practitioner Certification (FEMA), Advanced Emergency Planning Certification, All Hazard Response (CBRNE) Training for Laboratory Personnel, Infection Control and Prevention Certification, Biosafety Level III Training, and Identification of the Primary Select Agents of Bioterrorism Training.

She was highlighted as a “Pathogen Preparedness Pioneer” in NYC Health + Hospitals Press Release in 2017 and was awarded “Most Innovative Use of Healthcare Simulation” by The Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning (IMSAL) in 2019 for her ongoing work in special pathogens preparedness via incognito special pathogen patient simulation drills. In 2022, she received the honoree Reset Award for her role in NYC COVID-19 pandemic response.

Dr. Madad has over 100 publications and has been a guest speaker at over 70 scientific and medical conferences around the world. She is frequently quoted and appears on major media outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, among others. She is featured in the 2020 Emmy-nominated Netflix docuseries, Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak, which follows a handful of leaders throughout the world on the frontlines to prevent the next outbreak. She is also prominently featured in the 2021 Discovery documentary, The Vaccine: Conquering COVID, with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins and other leading scientists.

President’s Award

Mr. Bashir Kapdi established NRS Accounting Services, Inc. in 1996. The practice has grown over the years with focus on small to medium sized companies. NRS provides sound financial guidance to both individuals and businesses. NRS Accounting Services, area of expertise include, but are not limited to tax management, planning and accounting services as well as audits, financial statements, and financial planning.

Bashir has been active in the community and has been an integral part of ICLI. He has served as a trustee on the board and has volunteered throughout his affiliation with ICLI. He has an incredible work ethic and commitment to his practice.

ICLI has been incredibly blessed to have Bashir's accounting expertise over the past 15 years. We are truly grateful to him and his office staff for providing unwavering support and dedication to ICLI's financial health. He has worked tirelessly to benefit the Center and Community with stability for the sake of Allah (swt) through six Executive Committee terms.

When he is not hard at work, Bashir enjoys spending time with his family, and relaxing with an occasional Bollywood movie. He is honored and humbled to receive this award.

Bashir is a devoted husband to his wife Saida and loving father of three children, Naseem, Riyaz and Salmaan.

Interfaith Award

For the past 8 years, Joshua Seftel has been using filmmaking to combat Islamophobia with his Emmy and Peabody-nominated series of short documentaries SECRET LIFE OF MUSLIMS (SXSW). STRANGER AT THE GATE is the latest documentary short in his efforts. Seftel, who faced anti-Semitism as a child, has been deeply connected and committed to this subject matter.

At age twenty-two, Seftel made his first film, the Emmy-nominated LOST AND FOUND (PBS), which exposed the conditions of Romania's orphaned and abandoned children and spurred the American adoption of thousands of children. His other award-winning films include TAKING ON THE KENNEDYS (POV), ENNIS' GIFT (HBO), THE HOME TEAM (SXSW), THE MANY SAD FATES OF MR. TOLEDANO (NYT Op-Docs, Tribeca), and the anti-war movie WAR, INC. (Tribeca), starring John Cusack, Marisa Tomei, and Ben Kingsley. He is also a contributor to the Peabody Award-winning podcast This American Life and a commentator on CBS Sunday Morning, where he regularly interviews his eighty-five-year-old mother.

STRANGER AT THE GATE Summary: After 25 years of service, U.S. Marine Richard "Mac" McKinney returns home to Indiana filled with an all-consuming rage toward the people he had been fighting against. Still fueled by his desire to fight for his country, he plans to bomb the local mosque. But when he comes face to face with the community of Afghan refugees and others of Muslim faith that he seeks to kill, his plan takes an unexpected turn.

Recent awards for STRANGER AT THE GATE:

Tribeca Film Festival - Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Short HollyShorts Film Festival - Social Impact Award Indy Shorts International Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize Woods Hole Film Festival - Audience Award: Best Documentary Short Walla Walla Movie Crush - Best Documentary Short River Run International Film Festival - Honorable Mention