This fund was established in 2013 by donors Vasudha and Ranga Narayanan and Ganga Srinivas to support the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions.

Vasudha and the University of Florida created the nation’s first Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions (CHiTra) to encourage the research, teaching and public understanding of Hindu culture and traditions. Vasudha, who joined the UF faculty in 1982, is a distinguished professor in the Department of Religion. She was named University of Florida’s Teacher Scholar of the Year in 2010.

Ranga is director of the UF Center for Surface Science and Engineering, and has been a member of the Chemical Engineering faculty since 1981.

Ganga was a UF clinical assistant professor of general pediatrics from 1999 to 2008. She is actively involved with the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions.