A $20 million contribution from Indian-origin couple Anuradha and Vikas Sinha is set to expand artificial intelligence education and research at the University of North Texas (UNT).
In recognition of the gift, UNT will establish the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. The new college will focus on AI education, research and innovation, while bringing together programmes in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, advanced analytics, health informatics, information science, library science and learning technologies.
UNT said the initiative will connect researchers and students across disciplines as AI continues to reshape workplaces and research.
The $20 million commitment will create 6 permanent endowments supporting college leadership, student scholarships, endowed professorships, entrepreneurship and incubation, advanced research, and emerging technologies.
The college will have 2 academic divisions. One will focus on developing and deploying intelligent systems, while the other will study the relationship between information, intelligent systems, people and institutions.
UNT will also establish an Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute within the college. It will connect AI and analytics research across the university and support interdisciplinary projects, shared research infrastructure, external funding and industry partnerships.
“Artificial intelligence will be one of the defining technologies of our generation,” Sinha said. He added that the couple wanted UNT to go beyond teaching students to use existing AI tools and prepare them to “build it, understand it, question it, govern it and apply it responsibly”.
Sinha earned his PhD from UNT in 2023. He is currently vice president of Broadcom’s Mainframe Software Division and has served on UNT’s College of Information Leadership Board since 2023.
The latest gift follows earlier contributions from the couple. In 2024, they funded the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, along with scholarships, faculty and research endowments. In 2025, another gift led to the creation of the Sinha Innovation Lab for Data Science.
The couple moved to the US for higher education after studying civil engineering in India and earned graduate degrees from Florida Atlantic University. Sinha later studied at Northwestern University before completing his doctorate at UNT.
“Education has opened doors for us throughout our lives, and we want to hold those doors open for others,” Sinha said. He said the gift would also support international students pursuing ambitions similar to those the couple had when they first arrived in the US.
“For us, this gift is about paying that opportunity forward and recognising that immigrants don’t simply participate in the American dream, they help build it,” he said.
UNT President Harrison Keller said, “The Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics positions UNT to lead in that work.”
Founded in 1890, UNT is a public research university with campuses in Denton and Frisco, Texas. It serves nearly 44,000 students across more than 230 degree programmes and awarded over 13,000 degrees last year.
UNT said a campus event will be held later this year to formally celebrate the new college.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.