University of North Texas Establishes New AI College After Alumnus Donates $20 Million

Vikas Sinha is a UNT alumnus who earned a Ph.D. in data science from the university in 2023 and is vice president of Broadcom’s mainframe software division. He also serves as a research adviser and on the leadership board of UNT’s College of Information.
The Sinhas’ $20 million contribution follows earlier support for UNT, including a $3 million gift that helped establish a data science department in 2024 and a $2 million gift that created a data science innovation lab.
UNT President Harrison Keller told students that the college’s benefits will extend beyond its own degree programs, saying AI is reshaping fields ranging from business and health care to education, the arts and engineering.
The college’s applied institute is intended not only to connect research across UNT but also to foster partnerships with industry, according to the university’s announcement.
The University of North Texas will launch a new College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics, powered by a $20 million donation from Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Fox4News. The gift creates permanent endowments for scholarships, research, and leadership roles across the college Yahoo. Vikas Sinha, a UNT alumnus who earned his Ph.D. in data science from the university in 2023, is vice president of Broadcom's mainframe software division Keranews.
The college will span artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, health informatics, and information science Fox4News. UNT President Harrison Keller said the benefits will reach students across all disciplines, as AI reshapes business, health care, education, the arts, and engineering Keranews.
This $20 million gift follows years of the Sinhas' support for UNT. In 2024, they donated $3 million to establish a data science department Yahoo. They also gave $2 million to create a data science innovation lab Inshorts. Together, these gifts show the couple's deep commitment to building AI expertise at their alma mater.
The college will house two main divisions. One focuses on building intelligent systems. The other examines how AI affects people and institutions Fox4News. An applied AI and data science institute will also connect research across UNT and foster industry partnerships Yahoo.
UNT aims to prepare students across all disciplines to develop and responsibly apply AI Keranews. The college's focus extends beyond just AI majors. As AI reshapes the workforce, the university wants graduates in business, health care, education, and engineering to understand and use the technology wisely.
Vikas Sinha's path shows why he and his wife chose to give back. He studied at UNT and earned his Ph.D. in data science there in 2023 Keranews. Now as a tech leader at Broadcom, he serves as a research adviser and sits on UNT's College of Information leadership board Fox4News. His success story makes the $20 million gift a way to help future students follow a similar path.
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