Gratitude in Motion: Aman Udani, M.S. '96, Turns Lessons Learned Into Opportunities for Others
By Tony Scott

The story of Aman Udani, M.S. ’96, has it all: that trademark Huskie grit, a hefty dose of gratitude for an impactful NIU professor, and tremendous success in the business world on his own terms.
 

Udani’s story begins in his home country of India, where he left in 1990 to pursue his college education in the United States, starting at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
 

At Benedictine, Udani met his undergraduate advisor, Dr. Alfred “Doug” Brothers, ’62, who encouraged him to pursue graduate study at NIU. Though reluctant at first, Udani followed his mentor’s advice after a brief job search out West. He chose NIU for its strong physics program and faculty ties to Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory.
 

“Among all the places, NIU was the best from my perspective,” Udani said.
 

While at NIU, Udani, who had worked at a planetarium in his hometown of Bombay, helped lead the renovation and reopening of the Davis Hall Observatory, which had fallen into disrepair.
 

NIU President Lisa C. Freeman praised the effort, saying, “Aman started giving back to NIU before he even left.”
 

One of the reasons Udani was so enamored with NIU was his graduate school advisor.

“Clyde Kimball, my advisor, was not just a phenomenal physicist and a phenomenal person at NIU,” he said. “Clyde did tremendous things for the students that were under his tutelage. I was fortunate enough to be one of them. He didn’t just teach me about physics, but he taught me a lot about life.”
 

Top: Aman Udani visits with students at the College of Business Experiential Learning Center. Bottom: Aman Udani explores new technology inside the Davis Hall Observatory, which he helped to renovate and reopen. (Photo credits: NIU)

Kimball, who passed away in 2015, was a giant in the world of physics and a pioneering NIU professor who helped forge the university’s early partnerships with Fermilab. He was part of NIU’s first class of Presidential Research Professors.
 

“Dr. Kimball’s students all say the same thing,” said Ray Earl-Jackson, NIU’s vice president of philanthropy and alumni engagement. “He was always there, always accessible. He’d give it to you straight, but in a caring and supportive way.”
 

Kimball gave Udani some much-needed advice when he received an offer in 1995 to join a startup wireless technology firm. Udani’s trusted professor encouraged him to focus on finishing his thesis so he could graduate with his master’s degree before joining the company.
 

Kimball’s message was clear.

“Don’t join them tomorrow,” he told Udani. “You’re this close to your degree. Write your thesis, graduate, and then go.”

That guidance would shape Udani’s next three decades. After earning his master’s degree from NIU, he entered the fast-evolving telecommunications field, applying the analytical skills he gained through physics to real-world innovation. He joined Wireless Facilities, Inc. as one of its earliest employees and helped it grow from a small startup into a global company with several thousand engineers in more than 60 countries.
 

His success there led to new ventures, including pioneering at Global Technology Associates (GTA), where he served as one of the managing partners and guided the firm’s expansion to about 500 employees across more than 30 countries before its 2019 sale.
 

When Udani’s wife found out she was expecting a baby the following year, he began to reimagine his purpose.

“I realized my life was about to change,” he said. “You have to define who you are and what makes you happy, then go do that. The accolades and success will follow.”

The pandemic soon reinforced that choice, prompting him to leave corporate life and dedicate his energy to mentoring and investing in early-stage companies.
 

Those who work with him say he finds equal joy in developing people and ideas. Whether advising young founders or supporting NIU students, his leadership reflects generosity, curiosity, and a belief that progress is a shared endeavor.
 

Throughout his career, Udani has continued to broaden his expertise in business, finance, operations and leadership. The discipline he learned at NIU still guides his approach: focus on what matters, see the patterns and decide with reason.
 

Aman Udani shakes hands with Vice President of the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships Richard Mocarski while visiting 71 North, a collaborative studio-like space bringing together the entire NIU campus in innovation activities, entrepreneurship and professional skills development. (Photo credit: NIU)

While thriving in his telecommunications career, Udani learned that Kimball was being honored by fellow NIU researchers and faculty. At the banquet celebrating his mentor, Udani had a quiet moment to thank him privately.
 

“He was in a wheelchair by that time,” Udani recalled. “I knelt next to him and we talked, just the two of us. Inside the room, everyone wanted a moment with him, but in that quiet hallway, I finally had the chance to thank him and tell him why he meant so much to me.”
 

Not long after that meeting, Kimball passed away.
 

“I’m so grateful I had that moment,” he said.
 

Udani realized there were many others who had shaped his life and deserved his gratitude.
 

“I made a list of all the people I needed to thank before it was too late,” he said. “All of us have a few individuals who touch our lives. I had maybe half a dozen on that list and made it a point to thank them in person, even flying halfway around the world. The last thing Clyde taught me was the importance of saying thanks.”
 

Udani said his training in physics shaped how he approaches business, focusing on the questions that matter and learning to filter out the noise.
 

NIU President Lisa C. Freeman and NIU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Brinkmann welcome Aman Udani to campus. (Photo credit: NIU)

Professor Vishnu Zutshi, chair of NIU’s Department of Physics, noted that Udani remains endlessly curious.
 

“Curiosity is what made us who we are as a species,” he said. “You have to foster it, channel it.”
 

When Udani visited NIU in October 2024, his focus was on the students. He remembered what it felt like to be in their shoes, seeking guidance, building connections and finding direction.
 

“It was a full day,” recalled Earl-Jackson. “At every stop, Aman had an idea or suggestion, a way to help. He represents the DNA of NIU. The pride is in the pack. When you meet a Huskie, you know they’ve worked hard, and you know they care.”
 

For Udani, his motivation is simple: “Somebody helped me when I was a student. Now it’s my turn.”
 

To support faculty and help inspire discovery at NIU, visit niuforward.com.