The Naveen Jindal School of Management has announced the establishment of the Dallas Indian Lions Club Fellowship, a permanent graduate‐level endowment designed to support students who demonstrate both academic excellence and community engagement. This new fellowship builds on a long-standing relationship between the Jindal School and the Dallas Indian Lions Club.
The Dallas Indian Lions Club Fellowship is now endowed with $200,000, combining generous direct gifts from the Lions Club.
Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, described the fellowship as a powerful example of partnership in action.
“Through this fellowship, JSOM and the Dallas Indian Lions Club are sending a clear message: service and scholarship go hand in hand,” he said. “This endowment will help talented students pursue their goals without financial worry.”
Ashok (A.K.) Mago (EMBA’99), a JSOM alumnus currently on the Dallas Indian Lions Club board of directors and past president, framed the fellowship as mission‑driven.
“We founded this fellowship because we believe in the combined power of leadership, service and education,” he said. “By investing in graduate students, we’re advancing both individual potential and community impact. UT Dallas has shown lasting commitment, and this endowment is a result of shared values.”
The fellowship builds on earlier efforts by the Lions Club, which previously supported JSOM financially with gifts that included a $7,500 grocery drive for student food pantry Comet Cupboard that benefited roughly 400 students. Mago’s ongoing engagement with The University of Texas at Dallas during the pandemic was a catalyst for deeper support structures, including scholarship collaboration and student‑wellness initiatives.
Pirkul noted the significance of the matched funding design.
“A.K. Mago’s vision combined with JSOM’s ability to match contributions turned individual generosity into institutional strength,” he said. “It’s a strategy that not only boosts funding but amplifies impact.”
The fellowship is open to incoming and continuing JSOM graduate students — master’s, MBA and doctoral students — who demonstrate financial need, academic achievement and leadership or service credentials. Preference will be given to students engaged with community service, student organizations or initiatives aligned with the Lions Club’s ethos of “We serve.”
The Jindal School will select recipients through its standard scholarship review process, with the inaugural cohort expected in the 2025‑26 academic year. This fellowship adds a new dimension to JSOM’s growing landscape of external support. Over the years, alumni and community partners have contributed scholarships, sponsored competitions and enabled research, entrepreneurship, and leadership programs aligned with the school’s mission of real‑world impact.
“Beyond the financial boost, the endowment represents a shared belief: that investing in diverse graduate students — many of whom are international, first‑generation, or balancing complex outside responsibilities — is essential to future leadership and innovation,” said Dr. Gaurav Shekhar, senior assistant dean for graduate programs and graduate student experience. “With the Dallas Indian Lions Club Fellowship now in place, JSOM will now be able to award the endowment annually in perpetuity,” he said. “As more alumni and partners see this model in action, the synergy of service and scholarship promises to become a hallmark of JSOM’s impact — and a legacy that transcends dollars.”
