UArizona Alumni Chapter in India Lays Foundation for Growth and Engagement in the Region

On Saturday, March 6, 2021, University of Arizona Alumni in and from India gathered virtually to launch a new Alumni Chapter in the region. More than 50 Indian alumni registered for the event, and 21 participated from USA, India, and Canada. The Zoom platform provided an enjoyable and memorable opportunity for alumni to meet, and in one case to reconnect after many years.

University of Arizona Alumni are some of our most loyal supporters and the best ambassadors an institution can have, offering invaluable connections and support across their personal and professional networks. An engaged alumni chapter allows the University to benefit from the skills and experience of their graduates, by offering support to students, to the institution, and to each other.

The main objective of the India Alumni Chapter is to strengthen the University of Arizona brand in India and involve alumni volunteers in various support activities so that they feel valued. Some proposed activities are listed below:

• Mentoring current and prospective students
• Career talks during student fairs and sessions
• Offering internships and work placement opportunities to graduates
• Sharing video and written testimonials about their UArizona experience

The evening started with introductions all around and a walk down memory lane. Alumni shared interesting stories about their experiences on campus, talked about their favorite professors, buildings, hangout joints and restaurants, and all of the fun things they remember about the city of Tucson.

It was a proud moment for UArizona team to hear about the personal and professional successes of the alumni present. They are leading interesting lives, and pursuing careers with such corporate giants as PWC, Citibank, Amazon, Yelp, Schneider Electric, IBM, Google and Zomato, to name a few.

A highlight of the evening was listening to alumni Akash Jain and Neha Krishna tell the story of how they met each other while pursuing their MBA degree at Eller (2010) and are happily married for years now.

Another interesting story was shared by Vishal Rupani (MBA 2008), who had noticed a familiar name amongst the participants. When he arrived in Tucson and was looking for a place to live, Vishal he met Srivatsa Rajagopal (PhD 2007), who offered him a couch on his very first day in Tucson until he found a place to live. The two had not seen each another since then, and both were very happy to say hello and reconnect after so many years.

The launch meeting of the India Chapter was a huge success. That we have more than 40 members on the LinkedIn group within a span of one week is a testimony to how enthusiastic #GlobalWildcats are to connect, and to contribute back to their alma mater in every possible way.

A first step towards making the India Alumni Chapter functional will be forming a core committee that will provide direction going forward. In the near future, we also plan to announce Alumni of the year award, Business Connect opportunities, Master classes and donations. The group plans to meet quarterly and to engage everyone in their activities.

Those who were not able to attend the session were sent a video recording and an invitation to formally register themselves in the India Alumni Chapter and WA group.

For information and to join the University of Arizona India Alumni Chapter, please contact:

Anju Singh
Regional Director - India
Arizona Global Operations
anjusingh@arizona.edu
+9198114 98884
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-singh-94462440/