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UNT Receives $20 Million Gift to Launch New College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics
A generous $20 million donation from alumni Anuradha and Vikas Sinha will give birth to the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics at the University of North Texas (UNT). The gift, announced on Tuesday, September 9, 2026, is described by UNT officials as “transformational” and is aimed at elevating the university’s research profile while expanding educational opportunities in a field that scholars and investors say will reshape industry and consumer behavior.
The new college will rest on six permanent endowments that will fund leadership, scholarships, endowed professorships, market and business incubation, research, and emerging technologies. According to the university, these endowments will sustain the depth and breadth of UNT’s Tier 1 research and help recruit STEM talent while enhancing the reputation of its faculty.
Vikas Sinha, who earned a doctorate from UNT in 2023 and serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom, has sat on the UNT College of Information Leadership Board since 2023. He and his wife, Anuradha, both hold bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University in southern India. Their philanthropic relationship with UNT began in 2024, when they donated $3 million to create the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, and an additional $2 million to launch the Sinha Data Science Innovation Lab, a research facility focused on data science theory, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
UNT President Harrison Keller said the new college aligns with the campus’s Look North: UNT 2030 strategic plan. “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,” Keller said in a statement.
The college will house the Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute, an entity that will connect AI and analytics research and education across UNT. The institute is expected to create interdisciplinary research opportunities, shared infrastructure, external funding, and industry partnerships.
The gift arrives amid a broader debate in Texas over immigration and the role of international students. In August, Governor Greg Abbott announced proposals to extend the state’s restrictions on visas for international students and to limit H‑1B visas for critical bilingual teaching positions. The Sinha couple emphasized the benefits that international students bring to Texas and the United States. Vikas Sinha said, “Both of us came as international students. We have lived what one might call the American dream. It’s not just about immigrants living the dream. It’s about immigrants coming and creating the dream.”
UNT officials highlighted the donors’ commitment to education as a force for change. Brandon Buzbee, UNT’s vice president for university advancement, said the gift “invests in the future of public universities and industry in North Texas and beyond.” He added that the Sinha legacy will continue to create opportunities for generations.
The new college is expected to position UNT as a leader in AI education and research. By offering programs that train students to build, govern, and apply AI responsibly, the college aims to produce graduates who will shape both the job market and the industries of the future.
At present, the college’s inaugural programs and faculty appointments are in development. UNT has not announced specific launch dates for new degrees or research initiatives, but the university plans to leverage the endowments to attract top scholars and industry partners.
In summary, UNT’s $20 million gift from Anuradha and Vikas Sinha establishes a new college focused on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, backed by six permanent endowments. The initiative is part of a broader philanthropic effort by the couple, who previously funded a data science department and innovation lab. The college will support research, education, and industry collaboration in AI, while also addressing the state’s immigration debate by highlighting the contributions of international students.
The university will continue to develop the college’s academic programs and research agenda, with the goal of enhancing UNT’s standing in AI research and preparing students for careers in a rapidly evolving field.
The new college will rest on six permanent endowments that will fund leadership, scholarships, endowed professorships, market and business incubation, research, and emerging technologies. According to the university, these endowments will sustain the depth and breadth of UNT’s Tier 1 research and help recruit STEM talent while enhancing the reputation of its faculty.
Vikas Sinha, who earned a doctorate from UNT in 2023 and serves as vice president of the Mainframe Software Division at Broadcom, has sat on the UNT College of Information Leadership Board since 2023. He and his wife, Anuradha, both hold bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from Sri Venkateswara University in southern India. Their philanthropic relationship with UNT began in 2024, when they donated $3 million to create the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, and an additional $2 million to launch the Sinha Data Science Innovation Lab, a research facility focused on data science theory, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
UNT President Harrison Keller said the new college aligns with the campus’s Look North: UNT 2030 strategic plan. “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,” Keller said in a statement.
The college will house the Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute, an entity that will connect AI and analytics research and education across UNT. The institute is expected to create interdisciplinary research opportunities, shared infrastructure, external funding, and industry partnerships.
The gift arrives amid a broader debate in Texas over immigration and the role of international students. In August, Governor Greg Abbott announced proposals to extend the state’s restrictions on visas for international students and to limit H‑1B visas for critical bilingual teaching positions. The Sinha couple emphasized the benefits that international students bring to Texas and the United States. Vikas Sinha said, “Both of us came as international students. We have lived what one might call the American dream. It’s not just about immigrants living the dream. It’s about immigrants coming and creating the dream.”
UNT officials highlighted the donors’ commitment to education as a force for change. Brandon Buzbee, UNT’s vice president for university advancement, said the gift “invests in the future of public universities and industry in North Texas and beyond.” He added that the Sinha legacy will continue to create opportunities for generations.
The new college is expected to position UNT as a leader in AI education and research. By offering programs that train students to build, govern, and apply AI responsibly, the college aims to produce graduates who will shape both the job market and the industries of the future.
At present, the college’s inaugural programs and faculty appointments are in development. UNT has not announced specific launch dates for new degrees or research initiatives, but the university plans to leverage the endowments to attract top scholars and industry partners.
In summary, UNT’s $20 million gift from Anuradha and Vikas Sinha establishes a new college focused on artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, backed by six permanent endowments. The initiative is part of a broader philanthropic effort by the couple, who previously funded a data science department and innovation lab. The college will support research, education, and industry collaboration in AI, while also addressing the state’s immigration debate by highlighting the contributions of international students.
The university will continue to develop the college’s academic programs and research agenda, with the goal of enhancing UNT’s standing in AI research and preparing students for careers in a rapidly evolving field.
