Monte Ahuja donates $3.5 million to The Ohio State University
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Gift supports student success and an endowed chair in College of Engineering
from left: Usha Ahuja, Dean David Williams and Monte Ahuja celebrate WilliamsMonte Ahuja, Ohio State alumnus and founder of Transtar Industries in Cleveland, donated $3.5 million to The Ohio State University to support student success and create the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean’s Chair, which will be used to move the College of Engineering toward eminence.
Ahuja, who earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State in 1970, wanted to give back to his alma mater. “I began Ohio State as an international student with a dream, determination and empty pockets,” said Ahuja. “What I learned through my studies and from the university community – the faculty, staff and students – played a significant role in my entrepreneurial journey and accomplishments,” he continued. “My gift to the College of Engineering is an investment in students and success.”
David Williams, dean of the College of Engineering, was installed as the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean’s Chair at a ceremony in June. Williams plans to use the accompanying endowment funds to grow and develop the engineering programs at Ohio State. The College of Engineering has more than 8,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and offers 17 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs through its 10 departments and the Knowlton School of Architecture.
“Monte Ahuja’s gift will help us engineer a better world and will surely help take our college from excellence to eminence,” said Williams. “It will impact every facet of the college, from supporting promising young scholars, to recruiting the best faculty and students, to fueling Ohio State's global leadership in each of the university's Discovery Themes.”
Ahuja’s own success story is a remarkable illustration of the American dream. Born in India and educated at Punjab Engineering College, he came to Columbus in December 1968 for graduate school. While studying at Ohio State, he met his wife, Usha, who is a gold medalist for mathematics in India and earned her PhD from the College of Math and Physical Sciences. Ahuja then went on to complete a MBA at Cleveland State University and establish his internationally successful automotive parts business, Transtar. Today he is chairman and CEO of MURA Holdings, LLC.
