UTA President Vistasp Karbhari Set To Promote Benefits of U.S. Education During India Mission
ARLINGTON, Texas, Sept. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistasp M. Karbhari, a visionary leader and prolific scholar who serves as president of one the fastest growing public universities in the United States, will be traveling to India September 30 through October 2 to promote educational opportunities in the United States and at The University of Texas at Arlington.
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An eminent researcher in composite materials and infrastructure rehabilitation, President Karbhari will be meeting with a number of leading universities in different cities during his visit and will be speaking at the IMFS Global EDUfest in Mumbai.
Based in the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region, UTA serves more than 51,000 students in campus-based and online degree programs. The University is one of the 50 most popular U.S. colleges and universities for international students based on data from the Institute of International Education's Open Doors Report and is located near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport The Chronicle of Higher Education named UTA one of the 20 fastest-growing public research universities in the nation in 2014.
"UTA is the model urban research university, one focused on excellence and access for all students who are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams," President Karbhari said. "We are seeing incredible growth in academic and research programs that support sectors of the economy where college-educated employees are most in demand. Our growth is fueled by a rising reputation of excellence on the global stage built by faculty and staff and by innovative partnerships that are helping identify top scholars and ensure that international students are prepared to meet academic challenges head on and succeed."
President Karbhari earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree with a specialization in structures, both from the University of Poona in India, and a Ph.D. with a dissertation in composite materials from the University of Delaware. During his more than 20 years in higher education, he has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and innovation. Last year, President Karbhari was awarded the Outstanding Leader in the Field of Education Award by the U.S. India Chamber of Commerce.
Since coming to UTA in 2013, President Karbhari has worked to advance the University's national and international profile while strengthening excellence in research, teaching and student success. Dr. Karbhari is guiding the University's implementation of its Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact, increasing the ranks of world-class faculty members at UTA and enhancing the University's reputation on the global stage.
The University is ranked fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity, according to U.S. News and World Report, and has more than 4,700 international students of which students from India make up the largest percentage. International students are pursing degrees in such in-demand fields as computer science, engineering, accounting, business, biological and biomedical sciences, nursing and health science professions among many other areas. A comprehensive public research university, UTA offers more than 180 rigorous degree programs in 10 different schools and colleges within the University.
International students serve in leadership roles in a wide variety of academic and social student organizations, including the UTA Student Congress, the International Student Association, the Formula SAE auto racing program and many others. UTA Graduates are well positioned to take advantage of the robust Texas economy. Top employers of UTA alumni include Lockheed Martin Corp., Texas Health Resources, AT&T, Bank of America and American Airlines, among many other Fortune 500 companies.
"We continue to meet the increasing workforce needs of the North Texas region while simultaneously enhancing the level of scholarship and research, all of which result in our accelerated rise to higher levels of national and international excellence," President Karbhari said.
Research is a cornerstone of the UTA experience, and students enjoy opportunities to work with some of the top academic scholars in the world. Professor Purnendu "Sandy" Dasgupta, for example, holds the Hamish Small Chiar in Ion Analysis of Chemistry and Biochemistry and won the 2015 American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry J. Calvin Giddings Award for Excellence in Education.
Pranesh Aswath, associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Engineering and professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department, is a Fellow of ASM International, the world's largest association of metals-centric materials scientists and engineers.
Ritu Gairola Khanduri, an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and author of the 2014 book "Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History in the Modern World," recently met with India President Shri Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi. Physics Professor Suresh Sharmabwon received the 2014 Distinguished Service Award by the Texas Section of the American Physical Society. His current research focuses on using laser spectroscopy to study the optical and electronic properties of advanced materials.
Indian-born UTA alumni serve in preeminent roles in their fields. For example, Arun Bhikshesvaran, a 2013 UTA Distinguished Alumnus, is head of sales and marketing for telecommunications company Ericsson India Global Services. Kanna Rajan, who earned his master's degree in computer science and engineering from UTA in 1990, led a team of scientists in developing software to control NASA's Mars rovers and is now an internationally recognized researcher in the area of underwater systems and field deployments at sea.
Kalpana Chawla, the first India-born woman in space, earned her master's of science degree in aerospace engineering from UTA in 1984 before becoming an astronaut. She was aboard the Columbia Space Shuttle in February 2003.
UTA has become a second home for current students from India such as Mahesh Biyyala, who is pursuing a graduate degree in engineering, lives on campus and has served in various positions on the Graduate Student Senate.
"UT Arlington has given me a platform for both personal and professional development," he said. "Overall, UTA has captured the best moments of my life and provided me the opportunity to make my dreams come true."
About The University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 51,000 students in campus-based and online degree programs and is the second largest institution in The University of Texas System. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked UT Arlington as one of the 20 fastest-growing public research universities in the nation in 2014. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Arlington fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity.
Visit www.uta.edu to learn more, and find UT Arlington rankings and recognition at www.uta.edu/uta/about/rankings.php. View UTA's its Strategic Plan 2020: Bold Solutions | Global Impact at http://www.uta.edu/strategicplan/
Download a high-resolution image of UT Arlington President Vistasp M. Karbhari at https://uta.box.com/s/1sns9ounajifac1ocbme5yxf5iehbz3v
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