USF faculty, alumni help orient newly admitted USF students in India

In May, senior faculty from USF’s Muma College of Business facilitated alumni interactions with newly admitted students to USF in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Professor Kaushik Dutta, associate dean at the Muma College of Business and the interim director of the School of Information Systems and Management was accompanied by professor Han Reichgelt, interim associate director of the School of Information Systems and Management and the Graduate Coordinator for the M.S. program in Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics.  They were accompanied by USF alumni in each city.  Nidhi Parashar (M.S-BAIS, 2019) joined them in New Delhi, Aditya Raj Mankani (B.B.A.-Finance and Information Systems, 2003) joined in Hyderabad, and Ojas Rawal (Bio-medical Sciences, 2008) spoke to the new admits in Mumbai.

This was Parashar’s first experience guiding newly admitted students from India. She got involved through USF’s Network India group, USFs largest global network of alumni outside of the U.S. “Joining the alumni network is helping me gain new skills and connections and allows me to give back to community” she said. In Hyderabad, Mankani, who is the founder and CEO of one of the top digital marketing companies in India, was also excited about his first interaction with new students heading to USF. Rawal is an old hand at this kind of work. He has been speaking to Indian students destined for the U.S. for 15 years, with undiminished enthusiasm. All three alumni were eager to share their insights about USF and the Tampa Bay area with the newly admitted students.

Parashar, who describes herself as a “creative problem solver,” works as a senior digital analyst for Datavinci Analytics Agency. Her expertise in Data Visualization and Data Engineering, helps her “translate complex data into easy-to-understand information.”  She is also actively involved with Women in Technology International, which highlights women’s contributions to the tech industry, inspires them to pursue STEM careers and actively works with corporate partners to create a culture of equality. She gave some useful insights to a young couple admitted to USF’s B.A. in Information Science as they were understandably nervous about moving from New Delhi to Tampa. Parashar lived in Tampa for seven years with her husband and children, and not only gave the couple tips about life in the city but also about the academic path. 

Parashar supported professor Dutta’s suggestion that high-aiming students should challenge themselves and learn something new by opting for difficult courses rather than easy ones. She shared her experience about choosing statistics with a challenging professor. She also stressed the role of studying abroad plays in enhancing a student’s personal growth and independence. “Young people learn to navigate unfamiliar situations, overcome challenges, and develop resilience in the face of adversity. Living away from home fosters self-reliance and self-discovery, as they learn to adapt to new environments and embrace diverse perspectives.” 

One piece of advice Parashar would give prospective Bulls – and anyone for that matter– is to go beyond one’s comfort zone. She recently took that path herself by joining a Kathak dance class.  “Exploring and learning the classical dance was always a dream,” she says. “It not only provides an outlet for creative expression but is also a great example of the teacher-disciple tradition.” 

Although he graduated from USF two decades ago, Mankani still has “fond memories” of his days at the College of Business. It was pre-Muma and the campus that looked quite different from what it does today. “We were in what was called the bunker building back then!” He addressed the students from Hyderabad and, told them how his years at USF “helped me grow” and urged them to “get involved” beyond the classroom. “It was truly wonderful to be present at the student induction program,” he says. “It brought back a world of memories from the time I was being inducted and did not know the ropes. I am sure today’s incoming students gain a lot of experience through such sessions, which help them settle in and excel faster.” 

Mankani’s own professional journey is inspirational for students.  After graduating from USF, he worked for Merryll Lynch in Florida. Upon returning to India, he joined Dell Computers before taking over his family-owned distillery where he “incorporated all his six sigma knowledge, [BH1] cost-effective buying and use of technology to help the business grow to the next level.” He then followed his dream and started his own company, Social DNA, a results-driven integrated digital marketing company, ranked among the top 10 Digital Marketing companies in India by The Hindu, Chennai’s leading newspaper. Through it all, he finds time for other interests too. He has won many gold medals as a santoor player, he is an avid skier and has jumped through rings of fire.

Rawal’s message is consistent: going to USF is a tremendous life-changing opportunity and students need to take full advantage of it, not just in the classroom but in the many corners of the campus where you can play, learn, and make friends.

Rawal arrived at the orientation session in Mumbai after wrapping up a shoot for his new television series. He recently returned from the U.S. where he spent two months traveling to more than 40 American cities promoting a new play in the Gujarati language. Rawal’s message is consistent: going to USF is a tremendous life-changing opportunity and students need to take full advantage of it, not just in the classroom but in the many corners of the campus where you can play, learn, and make friends. 

Rawal asked each student what inspired them to join USF and each reply resonated with his own reasons for choosing USF (location, reasonable tuition, top value and course selection). As the orientation program wrapped up, he reminded everyone that for the eighteenth time, he will be leading the speakers' panel at the U.S. Consulate’s annual Pre-Departure Orientation in the coming weeks and hopes to see the USF bound students there. 

Rawal tells USF World that he sees himself in all the prospective students. "I feel a very special joy, a nostalgia of sorts, when these students reach USF and write to me over social media to share how these interactive sessions helped them. During the application process, I faced numerous struggles and anxiety during that fragile phase of transitioning from Mumbai to Tampa. Thereafter, I vowed that I'd help as many students as possible and try to make their journey as seamless as possible." More about Rawal in USF Magazine.

As the USF faculty set off for the airport to return home, Professor Dutta said, “the alumni at our sessions brought the students an authentic experience of the USF campus.  Their stories on how they utilized the opportunities across the campus for their growth was very motivating.” He continued “the students asked them a lot of questions about USF’s value, and I loved the sincerity and honesty in their answers. I was impressed how seriously the alumni took their role as guides and mentors for tomorrow’s Bulls.”