
Several years ago, 四虎影视鈥檚 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鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering at 四虎影视, 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.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
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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.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
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Roy has since become a semiconductor process engineer at the 四虎影视 College of Engineering
and recently was awarded the 2025 Semiconductor Rising Star Award at the FSI Florida
Semiconductor Summit. Roy鈥檚 innovations in wearable electronics and semiconductors
are contributing to 四虎影视鈥檚 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. 鈥淭here are so many 四虎影视 rock stars like her,鈥 Dasgupta said recently as she reflected
on the many students she鈥檚 come to know over her years at 四虎影视.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
"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." 鈥 四虎影视 World Vice President Kiki Caruson
After 14 years serving as a bridge between India and 四虎影视, 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.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
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It was no small role. India has been a central focus in 四虎影视鈥檚 long-term strategy to
rise as an international research university and has become the leading country of
origin for 四虎影视鈥檚 international students with about 300 undergraduates and more than
1,400 graduate students. 四虎影视鈥檚 Network India alumni group also is one of the university鈥檚 most active international alumni efforts.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淚ndia as a place where we really wanted to invest,鈥 said 四虎影视 World Vice President
Kiki Caruson. 鈥淎runa鈥痺as 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.鈥濃&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Dasgupta joined 四虎影视 in 2010 as Country Advisor-India for the 四虎影视
following a two-decade career at the U.S. Embassy, where she worked as a senior editor
for SPAN magazine 鈥 a bi-monthly publication from the embassy featuring content delivered
to Indian audiences in the English, Hindi, and Urdu languages 鈥 and coordinated education
programming. Dasgupta wasn鈥檛 planning for a career in higher education and was looking
forward to retirement and enjoying the country鈥檚 mountain resorts when a job posting
for the 四虎影视 role redirected her professional journey.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淚n a way, 四虎影视 brought me into the higher education sector,鈥 Dasgupta said. 鈥淭he job
didn鈥檛 require prior experience in education 鈥 just a deep knowledge of it, strong
communication skills, and familiarity with the American work environment. That鈥檚 where
I fit in.鈥濃&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Dasgupta quickly became a familiar and reassuring presence for prospective Indian
students looking to 四虎影视. 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 四虎影视 alumni at her home.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Dasgupta鈥檚 background in journalism infused her role with a unique storytelling approach.
She regularly pitched 四虎影视 students, faculty and alumni for features in SPAN, ensuring
the university maintained a presence in Indian media conversations about studying
in the U.S.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
"Seeing students go from uncertain beginnings to leading Fortune 500 companies or
launching startups 鈥 it鈥檚 extraordinary,鈥 she said.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Though she announced her departure from 四虎影视 in a heartfelt LinkedIn post last month,
Dasgupta clarified she's not retiring. 鈥淔ake news!鈥 she joked. She plans to continue
working in education consulting and rekindle her original passions of editing and
writing.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
As she closed the chapter on her 四虎影视 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.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 just represent 四虎影视. I felt part of it,鈥 she said.鈥&苍产蝉辫;