Ram Uppuluri remembers his mother Shigeko at May 8 meeting of Altrusa

The Oak Ridger
·2 min read

Oak Ridge native Ram Uppuluri will talk about his mother, the late Shigeko Uppuluri, at the Wednesday, May 8 meeting of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge.

"Remembering My Mother, Shigeko Uppuluri, and Her Unique and Adventurous Life in Oak Ridge," is the title of his talk. His mother died June 8. Ram’s parents, V.R.R. (Ram) and Shigeko were longtime residents of Oak Ridge and were instrumental in bringing the International Friendship Bell to Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge native Ram Uppuluri, far right, is seen with his mother Shigeko and son Adam at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga in 2019. Ram will be speaking on his mother's 'remarkable' life at the Mother's Day meeting of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge on May 8.
Oak Ridge native Ram Uppuluri, far right, is seen with his mother Shigeko and son Adam at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga in 2019. Ram will be speaking on his mother's 'remarkable' life at the Mother's Day meeting of Altrusa International of Oak Ridge on May 8.

Ram is an attorney licensed in Tennessee and the District of Columbia. A 1979 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, he recently moved back to Oak Ridge after living in Washington, D.C. for the past 25 years, where he served in the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy, followed by a 20-year career in the local D.C. government and local nonprofit sector, according to an Altrusa news release.

He served as Legislative Counsel to the D.C. Council’s Committee on Human Services from 2007-2010, as vice president for partnerships at the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust, as executive director of the D.C. Alliance of Youth Advocates, and most recently, as committee director of the Council’s Housing Committee. From 2010-2014, he served on the District’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

Ram returned to Oak Ridge in 2022 to take care of his mom, and decided to stay after she died.

Ram is a member of the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, and also serves on the boards of the Oak Ridge Fund for Achieving Community Excellence (ORFACE) and CASA of the Tennessee Heartland. Ram is also a community representative on the Sister City Support Organization and a member of the Scarboro 85 Monument Committee.

The in-person Altrusa meeting, will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a time to socialize. The buffet opens at 11:45 a.m. A short business meeting will begin at noon and the program will follow. Reservations should be made by sending an email to: altrusareservations@gmail.com by noon Monday, May 6.

Altrusa International is a service organization comprised of community members focusing on leadership, partnership and service with an emphasis on literacy and education.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Ram Uppuluri remembers his mother Shigeko at May 8 meeting of Altrusa