USF adviser Aruna Dasgupta bids farewell after 14 years in key India role

Several years ago, USF’s advisor in India Aruna Dasgupta received a panicky phone call from a prospective PhD student whose visa application was being denied. Having earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering at USF, the student returned to India to work in industry for several years but now wanted to come back to the university for her doctoral degree and to conduct more research on nanotechnology. But the visa denial threatened all her plans.  
  
Dasgupta had seen this scenario before, calming the student down and assuring her she could apply for the visa again. The second time was the charm, and a few years later Dasgupta tuned into a livestream to watch Nirmita Roy earn her PhD in electrical and electronics engineering.   
  
Roy has since become a semiconductor process engineer at the USF College of Engineering and recently was awarded the 2025 Semiconductor Rising Star Award at the FSI Florida Semiconductor Summit. Roy’s innovations in wearable electronics and semiconductors are contributing to USF’s rising prominence in the field. And in return for the gentle guidance she received from Dasgupta, Roy also now counsels potential students from India, sharing her experience and answering questions about the university. “There are so many USF rock stars like her,” Dasgupta said recently as she reflected on the many students she’s come to know over her years at USF.  
  

"Aruna helped us build our international student portfolio and today India is one of the most important countries in terms of student representation, especially among our graduate students." — USF World Vice President Kiki Caruson

After 14 years serving as a bridge between India and USF, Dasgupta is stepping away from her role, leaving behind a legacy of cross-cultural connections that was celebrated during recent commencement events at the Tampa campus.  
  
It was no small role. India has been a central focus in USF’s long-term strategy to rise as an international research university and has become the leading country of origin for USF’s international students with about 300 undergraduates and more than 1,400 graduate students. USF’s Network India alumni group also is one of the university’s most active international alumni efforts.  
  
“India as a place where we really wanted to invest,” said USF World Vice President Kiki Caruson. “Aruna was a wonderful guide, ambassador and teacher in helping us understand the country and understand parents and students and what families we're looking for in terms of undergraduate and graduate education. (She) helped us build our international student portfolio and today India is one of the most important countries in terms of student representation, especially among our graduate students.”  
  
Dasgupta joined USF in 2010 as Country Advisor-India for the University of South Florida following a two-decade career at the U.S. Embassy, where she worked as a senior editor for SPAN magazine — a bi-monthly publication from the embassy featuring content delivered to Indian audiences in the English, Hindi, and Urdu languages — and coordinated education programming. Dasgupta wasn’t planning for a career in higher education and was looking forward to retirement and enjoying the country’s mountain resorts when a job posting for the USF role redirected her professional journey.  
  

“In a way, USF brought me into the higher education sector,” Dasgupta said. “The job didn’t require prior experience in education — just a deep knowledge of it, strong communication skills, and familiarity with the American work environment. That’s where I fit in.”  
  
Dasgupta quickly became a familiar and reassuring presence for prospective Indian students looking to USF. From organizing pre-departure orientations to offering guidance through visa hurdles, she has impacted the academic journeys of hundreds of students. Some of those students later would grow to become friends, with Dasgupta hosting dinners for USF alumni at her home.  
  
Dasgupta’s background in journalism infused her role with a unique storytelling approach. She regularly pitched USF students, faculty and alumni for features in SPAN, ensuring the university maintained a presence in Indian media conversations about studying in the U.S.  

"Seeing students go from uncertain beginnings to leading Fortune 500 companies or launching startups — it’s extraordinary,” she said.  
  
Though she announced her departure from USF in a heartfelt LinkedIn post last month, Dasgupta clarified she's not retiring. “Fake news!” she joked. She plans to continue working in education consulting and rekindle her original passions of editing and writing.  
As she closed the chapter on her USF tenure, Dasgupta said she remains proud of her contribution to building a trusted channel between Indian students and an American university she came to call her own.  
  
“I didn’t just represent USF. I felt part of it,” she said.