Indian-Origin Couple Donates $20 Million to US University, Gets AI College Named After Them

An Indian-origin couple who moved to the United States from India as students has made a major contribution to artificial intelligence education, donating $20 million to the University of North Texas (UNT).

The gift from Anuradha and Vikas Sinha will support the creation of a new academic institution focused on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics. In recognition of their contribution, UNT will name the new college the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. 

A major investment in AI education

According to UNT, the $20 million contribution is among the university's significant gifts aimed at expanding its work in AI and advanced analytics.

The new college will bring together academic programmes and research spanning artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, health informatics, information science, library science and learning technologies. 

The university said the initiative is designed not only to expand AI education but also to encourage the responsible development and application of artificial intelligence and intelligent systems.

Where will the $20 million go?

The donation will establish six permanent endowments. These funds will support several areas, including:

• Student scholarships

• Endowed professorships

• College leadership

• Entrepreneurship and incubation

• Advanced research

• Emerging technologies

The investment is expected to create more opportunities for students and faculty while strengthening UNT's research capabilities in rapidly developing technology fields. 

From civil engineering students in India to US university benefactors

The story of the Sinhas is closely connected to education.

Both Anuradha and Vikas Sinha earned bachelor's degrees in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University in India before moving to the United States for higher education. They subsequently studied at Florida Atlantic University, while Vikas later continued his academic journey at Northwestern University and eventually earned a PhD in information science from UNT in 2023. 

Vikas Sinha currently serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom and has been involved with UNT's College of Information Leadership Board since 2023. 

Their support for UNT goes beyond the latest donation

The $20 million contribution is not the couple's first major investment in their alma mater.

In 2024, the Sinhas supported the establishment of the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, along with funding for scholarships, faculty, research and other initiatives.

A year later, they made another major contribution that created the Sinha Innovation Lab for Data Science. 

The latest donation takes that involvement to another level by creating a dedicated college focused on technologies expected to reshape industries and the future workforce.

‘Education has opened doors for us’

Explaining the motivation behind their philanthropy, Vikas Sinha said that education had opened doors for the couple throughout their lives and that they wanted to help keep those opportunities available to others. 

The university's announcement also highlights the couple's journey as immigrants who came to the US for education and later returned as major supporters of the institution.

With artificial intelligence rapidly transforming industries ranging from technology and healthcare to education and cybersecurity, the new Sinha College is expected to give UNT a stronger platform for AI research, student training and responsible innovation.