UNT Frisco hauls in $3 million donation to launch a career center

Dallas businessman Satish Gupta and his wife Yasmin are helping the University of North Texas establish a career center at its new Frisco campus with a $3 million donation to the college.

It’s the first endowed gift for the Collin County branch campus that opened this year for classes. The donation also will support campus scholarships.

Satish Gupta is founder, president and CEO of SB International Inc., a privately-held steel company based in Dallas. After earning an economics degree from India’s Loyola College, he came to the United States and completed an MBA in international trade from the University of Dallas. His wife also is a University of Dallas alum.

In 2005, the couple formed the Gupta Agarwal Charitable Foundation to support education, public health, medical research and cultural initiatives such as Dallas’ annual Diwali Mela festival of lights. Its donations include a $12 million gift in 2013 to the University of Dallas for construction of a new business school building that carries their names and a $5 million donation in 2019 to Baylor Scott and White’s heart hospital in Plano to fund research and education.

“Yasmin and I are honored to contribute to UNT at Frisco’s vision of fostering student success,” Satish Gupta said in a statement “We believe that education should go beyond classrooms, and we’re proud that the Satish and Yasmin Gupta Career Center will represent our commitment to UNT students and help equip them with the necessary tools and experiences to excel in their chosen fields. ... We know that when you believe in yourself, your dreams will come true.”

UNT President Neal Smatresk said the career center will help the Frisco campus form connections between higher education and industry.

“With this visionary support, we can provide even more scholarships, cutting-edge programs and immersive learning opportunities for our students,” Smatresk said.

The Frisco campus sits on 100 acres of land donated by the city. A dedication ceremony is planned for Sept. 15 for the new career center.