The Dawn of a New Era

Joseph C. Murphy, Satish Gupta, Yasmin Gupta and President Thomas W. Keefe cutting the ribbon to SB Hall.

After months of anticipation, university officials opened the facility on January 15, 2016 during a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony at the $16 million, 45,000-square-foot academic building. SB Hall is the centerpiece of UD’s acclaimed Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, which grants Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science, Doctor of Business Administration and bachelor’s degrees.

The Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business is accredited by AACSB International – a distinction earned by fewer than five percent of business schools worldwide – and was renamed in 2013 to honor the service to the university and community rendered by Dallas-based global steel entrepreneurs Satish and Yasmin Gupta, whose generous gift funded the new building. The Guptas are early 1980s graduates of the university’s MBA program.

“It’s our dream that SB Hall and the college will make a real difference in the lives of students and in the communities those students become a part of after graduation,” said Satish Gupta. “The University of Dallas became our first community in the United States when we moved here from India. We hope the college's new home will play an equally important role in the lives of University of Dallas students, faculty and staff.”

“ It’s our dream that SB Hall and the college will make a real difference in the lives of students and in the communities those students become a part of after graduation ”- Satish Gupta

The Guptas’ $12 million gift to build SB Hall is the single largest donation in the 60-year history of the University of Dallas. The new academic facility was designed by Perkins+Will, a national leader in higher education architecture, and was constructed by The Beck Group, a third-generation, family-owned Dallas firm.

Features of SB Hall

Students in one of three 32 seat classrooms in SB Hall.

Situated amid the rolling hills of the 222-acre University of Dallas campus, SB Hall stands on one of the area’s highest points; the location translates into incredible, panoramic views of the Las Colinas and Dallas skylines. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the facility is in process and, once obtained, will support the university’s commitment to energy efficiency and green architecture.

SB Hall Features Include:

• A full production studio
• Financial markets lab
• Dozens of study nooks, alcoves and lounges
• Catering kitchen
• Six student team rooms and student services suite
• Executive boardroom and more than 6 presentation-ready conference rooms

SB Hall, with its two-story atrium, boasts an abundance of natural light and interactive classrooms and is designed to evolve through the decades, allowing reconfiguration of spaces as the campus population and its needs change.

“We are so thankful to Satish and Yasmin Gupta for their vision and generosity in building this beautiful, state-of-the-art facility,” said Brett Landry, interim dean of the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business. “By giving back to the community, the Guptas are encouraging and inspiring others to follow their example.”

Evolution of the Business Program

The opening of SB Hall is the latest milestone in the half-century evolution of the University of Dallas’ business program.

Since the university opened in 1956, offerings in business and economics have been an important component of the curriculum. In 1966, the Braniff Graduate School was established and began offering an MBA program. UD later launched the Graduate School of Management. Today, the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business enrolls 1,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

In 1981, while a business graduate student at the University of Dallas, Satish Gupta founded SB International Inc. The company and its affiliates and subsidiaries manufacture, supply and distribute high-quality steel products and oil & gas tubular goods, as well as invest in the global supply chain of natural resources for the energy sector. Yasmin Gupta serves as director and executive vice-president at the company.

The Guptas will have active and continuing service to the university as a new chapter begins with SB Hall. In addition to their activity with the University of Dallas, Satish and Yasmin Gupta serve Dallas/Fort Worth through various organizations related to cultural education and outreach, including the Gupta Agarwal Charitable Foundation, which Satish Gupta founded. They also support the Primary Care Clinic of North Texas and the Greater Dallas Arya Samaj Cancer Clinic, a system of nonprofit health care facilities providing medical care to uninsured patients.

“We hope SB Hall and the college will become a global meeting ground for students of all cultures and a beacon for the entire Dallas/Fort Worth community,” said Yasmin Gupta. “We are honored to help the University of Dallas empower tomorrow’s leaders to improve their communities all around the world.”