Amita Shetty to Lead University of Illinois Chicago’s Data+AI Program to Launch Next Academic Year

She is currently director of UIC’s Break Through Tech Chicago, a national initiative to achieve gender equality in technology fields.

Amita Shetty, director of University of Illinois Chicago’s Break Through Tech Chicago, will transition from her current role to lead a Data + AI program, scheduled to launch in a pilot phase during the 2025-26 academic year. Break Through Tech Chicago is a national initiative to achieve gender equality in technology fields. According to a UIC announcement, the Data + AI program is made possible by a $1 million award from Google.org. It will “equip undergraduate students with the critical skills they need to succeed in an increasingly AI-driven world and enable more students from diverse backgrounds to be part of the next generation of innovators,” UIC said.

“AI is transforming industries, and when guided by diverse talent, it can drive meaningful societal change,” Shetty said. “UIC is uniquely positioned through its scale, diverse disciplines and strong ties to Chicago’s organizations to prepare students for responsible leadership in this transformative era.”

Shetty has more than 20 years of strategic experience in corporations and startups. Before joining Break Through Tech Chicago, she was senior vice president of business development at GATX Corporation, where she pursued investments in support of the company’s growth and diversification and led the North American strategy, marketing, and commercial technology functions. Earlier in her career, she worked for General Electric, holding positions in GE Capital, GE Corporate, and GE Transportation

A champion for socioeconomic and gender equity, Shetty advocates for leadership roles for women in the workplace and advancing economic outcomes for women globally, according to her UIC profile. She is active in Social Venture Partners Chicago, supports women-led socially conscious entrepreneurial ventures via SheEO, and is a long-term advocate of Reading in Motion‘s literacy programs. In addition to her work at Break Through Tech, she teaches courses at UIC and Loyola University Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Lafayette College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.