An Indian-origin couple has made a $20 million donation to the University of North Texas (UNT) to strengthen education and research in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics.
The university has announced that its new academic unit will be named the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics, in recognition of the couple's contribution. The college is intended to become an academic and research hub focused on the development, application and responsible use of AI, intelligent systems and data analytics.
Where will the $20 million go?
According to UNT, the donation will create six permanent endowments supporting college leadership, student scholarships, endowed professorships, entrepreneurship and incubation, advanced research and emerging technologies.
The college will bring together expertise from several areas, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, advanced analytics, health informatics, information science, library science and learning technologies.
The university plans to organise its academic programmes into two broad divisions. The Division of Applied Intelligence and Informatics will focus on building and deploying intelligent systems, while the Division of Information and Learning Applications will examine how information and intelligent systems operate within human and institutional environments.
A new Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute will also connect AI and analytics research across the university and promote interdisciplinary research, shared infrastructure and industry partnerships.
Who are Anuradha and Vikas Sinha?
The Sinhas came to the United States from India to pursue higher education. Both earned bachelor's degrees in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University before continuing their studies in the U.S.
Vikas Sinha later earned a PhD in information science, with a concentration in data science, from UNT in 2023. He currently serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom and has been involved with UNT's College of Information leadership board.
Their relationship with UNT has developed over several years. In 2024, they funded the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, along with support for scholarships, faculty and research. In 2025, they also supported the Sinha Innovation Lab for Data Science.
Why the donation matters
The contribution comes as universities and industries increasingly focus on AI, data science and emerging technologies.
UNT says the new college will not only teach students how to use AI but also prepare them to build, understand, evaluate, govern and responsibly apply intelligent systems. It is expected to create opportunities for students and faculty while strengthening research and connections with industry.
For the Sinhas, the donation is also connected to their own experience as international students. Vikas Sinha said education opened doors for them and that they want to help keep those opportunities available to others, including students who travel to the U.S. from other countries.
The new college therefore represents more than a financial contribution. It is also a long-term investment in AI education, research and innovation, while marking the growing involvement of Indian-origin professionals in U.S. higher education.
