Sinha couple’s landmark donation establishes a new college to advance artificial intelligence, data analytics and innovation
Staff Reporter
DENTON, TEXAS — The University of North Texas (UNT) is naming its College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics after Indian-American philanthropists Anuradha and Vikas Sinha, following their $20 million contribution to expand the university’s academic and research capabilities in artificial intelligence, intelligent systems and advanced data analytics.
The new Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics will serve as a university-wide academic center dedicated to developing, applying and responsibly governing emerging technologies. The college is expected to bring together students, faculty and researchers working across artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, health informatics, information science and learning technologies.
The $20 million contribution will establish six permanent endowments supporting college leadership, student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, entrepreneurship and incubation, advanced research and emerging technologies. UNT said the investments will strengthen its priorities in student achievement, research and innovation while helping graduates prepare for an economy increasingly influenced by AI and data.
The university announced the gift on September 8, describing it as an important step in expanding UNT’s presence in fields that are rapidly changing industries, professional practices and society.
“Anu and I see this as an investment in what students will be able to imagine and accomplish in the years ahead,” said Vikas Sinha. He said artificial intelligence will be among the defining technologies of the current generation and that universities have an important role in preparing people who will develop, understand and responsibly apply it.
Sinha said the new college would extend beyond teaching students how to operate AI tools. Its goal, he said, is to prepare students to build, understand, question, govern and responsibly apply intelligent technologies.
Expanding AI and Analytics Education
The new college will combine academic programs and expertise in several closely connected areas, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, advanced analytics, health informatics, information science, library science and learning technologies.
UNT also plans for the college to function as a university-wide center for AI and analytics education and research. Through shared infrastructure, collaborative projects and partnerships with industry, students and faculty from different disciplines will have opportunities to work together on emerging technologies.
The interdisciplinary model is part of UNT’s wider effort to connect education and research with the evolving needs of Texas employers. The university said students will gain opportunities to work with new technologies while businesses and communities can benefit from research and expertise addressing technological change.
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we work, conduct research and solve problems, and universities have an important responsibility to help shape what comes next,” said UNT President Harrison Keller, Ph.D.
Keller said the Sinha gift will support the university’s Look North: UNT 2030 strategic plan by expanding opportunities for students and faculty, encouraging interdisciplinary research and innovation, and strengthening UNT’s contribution to North Texas and the state.
Focus on Students, Faculty and Innovation
Kinshuk, dean of the college, said the breadth of the contribution is significant because it supports several parts of the university’s AI strategy at the same time.
The funding will help UNT recruit and support faculty, expand research, connect students with emerging technologies, encourage entrepreneurship and develop partnerships that can take university research into wider applications.
“Our goal is not simply to teach students how to use new technologies,” Kinshuk said. “We want them to understand them, question them and be prepared to shape what those technologies become.”
UNT is working with the Office of the Provost to organize the college’s academic programs into two complementary divisions and establish a new interdisciplinary institute.
The Division of Applied Intelligence and Informatics will concentrate on creating and implementing intelligent systems. Its areas of work will include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, advanced analytics and health informatics.
The Division of Information and Learning Applications will examine the relationship between information, intelligent technologies, people and institutions. Its academic areas will include information science, library science and learning technologies.
A new Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute will connect AI and analytics research and education across UNT. The institute is intended to encourage interdisciplinary research, provide shared infrastructure, attract external research funding and build stronger relationships with industry.
Strengthening Research Capacity
The institute will also support UNT’s efforts to expand its research enterprise and compete for additional funding.
The university is eligible for support through the Texas University Fund (TUF), providing an opportunity to combine philanthropic resources with state investment in research. UNT said this approach could help accelerate research, attract and retain faculty and create additional opportunities for students to participate in advanced projects.
The Sinha contribution therefore arrives as UNT seeks to strengthen the connection between education, research and the changing workforce requirements of North Texas and Texas more broadly.
A Longstanding Connection With UNT
For Vikas and Anuradha Sinha, the $20 million commitment represents another stage in their longstanding relationship with UNT and reflects their own educational journeys.
The couple came to the United States from India after earning bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University. Both later completed graduate studies at Florida Atlantic University.
Vikas subsequently studied at Northwestern University and earned his Ph.D. from UNT in 2023. He currently serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom and has been a member of the UNT College of Information Leadership Board since 2023.
The couple’s philanthropic involvement with UNT has expanded over the past several years.
In 2024, they established the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, together with endowments supporting scholarships, faculty, research and special initiatives.
In 2025, they made another major contribution to establish the Sinha Innovation Lab for Data Science.
“Education has opened doors for us throughout our lives, and we want to hold those doors open for others,” Vikas Sinha said.
Creating Opportunities for Future Generations
The Sinhas have described their experience as an example of how educational opportunities can help international students build careers and later create opportunities for others.
Keller said international students contribute to universities and communities through ideas, businesses, jobs and leadership, adding that the Sinhas’ experience demonstrates how an educational opportunity can develop into a broader contribution to the university and surrounding community.
With the new college, UNT plans to deepen its investment in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics while expanding opportunities for students, faculty, researchers and industry partners.
The $20 million gift places people, research, infrastructure and innovation at the center of UNT’s expanding AI strategy, as the university prepares students for a labor market increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- $20 million contribution from Anuradha and Vikas Sinha
- UNT’s AI college to carry the Sinha family name
- Six permanent endowments for leadership, scholarships, faculty, entrepreneurship, research and emerging technologies
- Academic focus spanning AI, cybersecurity, data science, analytics and health informatics
- Additional work in information science, library science and learning technologies
- Two planned academic divisions covering applied intelligence and information and learning applications
- New Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute
- Greater opportunities for interdisciplinary research, industry partnerships and student innovation
- Philanthropic investment aligned with UNT’s broader research and workforce-development goals