As Donald Trump’s Republican Party secures a return to the White House, JD Vance is poised to become one of the youngest vice-presidents in US history. Alongside him, his wife, Usha Vance, is on track to become the first Indian-origin Second Lady of the United States.
This US election results have sparked considerable pride among Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) alumni groups, especially those with ties to IIT Madras. Usha’s family history is deeply rooted in the prestigious institution.
Usha Vance’s grandfather, Rama Sastri, joined IIT Kharagpur in 1954 as a professor of Physics. After his tenure at IIT Kharagpur, he joined IIT Madras, serving as the first Head of the Department of Physics when the institute was established in Chennai.
Her father, Radhakrishnan, is also an alumnus of IIT Madras, who graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the institute in 1977, further cementing the Vance family’s strong connection to one of India’s top technological institutions.
As the Vance family steps into the spotlight, alumni groups around the world are celebrating their ties to IIT Madras, marking a moment of pride for the IIT community.
A report by the Times of India states that Sastri was known not only for his exceptional teaching in Physics but also for his unique and memorable Telugu-accented English.
However, born in a family of IITians, Usha herself has an impressive educational background. She graduated from Yale University, earned a master’s degree from Cambridge, and later returned to Yale to complete her law degree.
