“We have many more leaders to shape, many more research breakthroughs to discover and many more lives to change — this is only the beginning for Texas ECE,” Sanjay Chandra said. “This is a pivotal time for the department, school, and university, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to help propel the Texas ECE community to new heights.”

The work of ECE researchers is propelling the next generation of computing. Several researchers are focused on the idea of neuromorphic computing, the fundamental reimaging of how computers think. This research discipline aims to recalibrate computers to process information more like people, as computing tasks continue to grow in complexity, reaching the limits of processing capabilities.

AI and related disciplines like machine learning are a major part of the department’s research, with nearly a dozen faculty members focusing on the topic, and numerous research centers focused on its development. ECE researcher Alex Dimakis is the co-director of the National Science Foundation-supported Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning. This $20 million research institute allows researchers to develop entirely new classes of algorithms that will lead to more sophisticated and beneficial AI technologies. As part of this project, UT Austin is leading a larger team of researchers that includes the University of Washington, Wichita State University and Microsoft Research.

The Chandra family’s gift will help to provide critical resources for graduate and undergraduate student programs and significant investments in faculty teaching and research. And it will help advance recent technological breakthroughs in these areas and many more.

“The impact of Sanjay’s support will be felt and amplified for decades as the students and faculty who benefit from it change truly the world through their academic achievements and research breakthroughs,” said Diana Marculescu, chair of the department.

Sanjay and his wife, Manisha, have three adult children, Deepak, Shivani and Malini. Deepak received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UT Austin in 2018. For the past 16 years, Sanjay Chandra has served as managing partner for Trinity Investors, a private equity firm based in Southlake, Texas, that invests in real estate and operating companies in a variety of sectors.

“As a dedicated advocate for the value of higher education, Sanjay chose to give back to this department because of the powerful impact that his academic experiences had on his life and career,” said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. “Sanjay and his family have been a fixture within the Cockrell School community for many years. Through the resources and educational experiences made possible by his gift, Sanjay and his family will have a significant impact on our community and leave a lasting legacy in our school.”

Sanjay Chandra insisted on the use of “Chandra Family” as the name of the department because family is a core value of his.

“I wouldn’t be here today without my parents, Sanjay said. “I’m a first-generation immigrant, and it is because of my parents’ incredible support that we were set up with an opportunity for success. I’m very thankful for their sacrifices, for it is largely because of their foresight to imagine a greater future for my brother and me that this gift is possible.”