What is Vasant Honavar's current role?

Vasant Honavar is currently working as Professor of Informatics and Intelligent Systems at 11 yrs 11 mos.

Where did Vasant Honavar study?

Vasant Honavar studied Ph.D. in Computer Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison. They have 5 education entries on their profile.

Where is Vasant Honavar based?

Vasant Honavar is based in United States.

Vasant Honavar

Q: What skills does Vasant Honavar have?

Vasant Honavar's top skills include Artificial Intelligence, Research, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science. They have 21 skills listed on their profile.

Artificial Intelligence Researcher, Educator, and Leader | Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Scientific Applications | Huck Chair in Biomedical AI and Data Sciences @ Penn State

United States500+ connectionsLinkedInUpdated 11 months ago

About Vasant

I currently hold the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Biomedical Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence at Penn State University. I have extensive research, curriculum and program development, and leadership in Artificial Intelligence, Data Sciences, and Informatics.

My research has resulted in scalable methods for learning predictive models from (distributed, heterogeneous, multi-modal, longitudinal, and very high-dimensional) data; representation learning from complex data; eliciting causal effects from observational and experimental data; selective sharing of knowledge across disparate knowledge bases; and applications in bioinformatics and health informatics (predictive and causal modeling of health risks and health outcomes from clinical, socio-demographic, and behavioral data). I have published over 300 research articles that have been cited more than 19000 times (h-index = 63). I have mentored 39 PhD students, 10 postdoctoral researchers and scores of masters and undergraduate researchers and junior faculty who have gone on to establish successful careers. I have co-founded and led innovative interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate programs.

I have received multiple awards and honors including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director’s Award for Superior Accomplishment for my leadership of the NSF Big Data Program, Iowa Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence and numerous other awards from Iowa State University and Pennsylvania State University. I have been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the European Association for Innovation, and Distinguished member of the Association for Computing Machinery.

As the Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Scientific Applications, I lead new research initiatives that leverage AI and data sciences to advance scientific knowledge and innovation across diverse domains, such as life sciences, biomedical and health sciences, material sciences, and more. As Associate Director of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, I lead strategic faculty co-hire initiatives, multi-institutional partnerships, and interdisciplinary research collaborations. My key focus is to develop and apply cutting-edge AI and data sciences methods to address complex scientific challenges and societal problems, as well as to create and disseminate interdisciplinary curricula that integrate AI and data sciences across all disciplines.

Experience

11 yrs 11 mos
- Professor of Informatics and Intelligent Systems
  Apr 2025 - Present · 4 mosCurrent
  Co-led the development of an AI Bachelors Degree Program. Developed AI undergraduate and graduate curricula and courses, designed and taught graduate and undergraduate AI courses - on machine learning, causal inference, deep learning, knowledge representation, and related topics, including first-year undergraduate general education course on AI; initiated and led AI research projects. Skills: Artificial Intelligence · Causal Inference · Deep Learning · Knowledge Representation · Machine Learning · Research · University Teaching · Leadership
- Associate Director for AI and Strategic Initiatives, NSF NCEMS
  May 2024 - Present · 1 yr 3 mosCurrent
  Leadership in artificial intelligence and data sciences for advancing discovery in molecular and cellular sciences, research initiatives in AI for science, and education and training initiatives for preparing the next generation of scientists at the intersection of AI and life sciences. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Science · Academic Administration
- Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Biomedical Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence
  Oct 2021 - Present · 3 yrs 10 mosCurrent
  Research and education in Artificial Intelligence (Knowledge Representation, Machine Learning, Causal Inference) and Data Sciences, with applications to Predictive and Causal Modeling in Biological, Biomedical, Behavioral, Cognitive, Social and Physical Sciences Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Professor of Public Health Sciences
  Oct 2021 - Present · 3 yrs 10 mosCurrent
  Research in biomedical data sciences and artificial intelligence, with emphasis on predictive and causal modeling of health risks and outcomes from biomedical, behavioral, environmental and sociodemographic data Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Deep Learning · Big Data · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Scientific Applications
  Apr 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 4 mosCurrent
  Developed new research initiatives focused on accelerating science through advances in artificial intelligence; with initial emphasis on life sciences; biomedical and health sciences; material sciences leading to several large externally funded research projects. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Fundraising · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration
Eastern Regional Network
- Steering Committee Member
  Aug 2017 - Present · 8 yrsUnited StatesCurrent
  Envisioning, developing and deploying federated data and computing infrastructure for data and computation Intensive collaborative research across disciplinary and organizational boundaries. Initial scientific foci are structural biology and materials discovery. Skills: Higher Education · Computer Science · Big Data · Research · Science · Informatics
11 yrs 11 mos
- Professor of Computer Science (Graduate Program)
  Oct 2015 - Present · 9 yrs 10 mosCurrent
  Research, graduate (PhD) student training and teaching in Computer Science (especially artificial intelligence, big data analytics, machine learning, and related topics). Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Director, Center for Big Data Analytics and Discovery Informatics
  Nov 2014 - Present · 10 yrs 9 mosCurrent
  Fostered fundamental research in algorithms, methods, and software for big data analytics and discovery informatics; catalyzed interdisciplinary collaborations that leverage large-scale data analytics and predictive modeling to advance sciences, engineering, and humanities, with particular emphasis on biomedical, behavioral, brain, and cognitive sciences, leading to campus-wide collaborations, multi-institutional partnerships e.g., Northeast Big Data Hub, and several large funded projects. Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics
- Professor of Neuroscience (Graduate Program)
  Sep 2014 - Present · 10 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Research and graduate training in neuroinformatics, computational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, computational models of learning, perception, and action. Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Deep Learning · Big Data · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Associate Director, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
  Sep 2014 - Present · 10 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Co-developed and co-led the institute's strategic research initiatives in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; developed the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Scientific Applications; Led strategic faculty co-hire initiatives with several departments and colleges; developed multi-institutional partnerships e.g., virtual data collaboratory, Institute for AI-enabled materials discovery, design, and synthesis, northeast big data hub, eastern regional network. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Causal Inference · Computer Science · Fundraising · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration · Biomedical Informatics
- Faculty Member, Operations Research (Graduate Program)
  Aug 2014 - Present · 11 yrsCurrent
  Research and graduate training in machine learning, optimization, and related topics. Skills: Higher Education · Curriculum Development · Big Data · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Director, Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Led research projects, and training graduate and postdoctoral students artificial intelligence, machine learning from large, federated, multimodal, longitudinal, richly structured data, causal inference from observational and experimental data, representing and reasoning about preferences, knowledge, and arguments, algorithmic fairness; applications in bioinformatics (analysis and prediction of protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-DNA interactions, interfaces, and complexes), brain informatics (analysis and modeling of network biomarkers), biomedical and health informatics (predictive and causal modeling of health risks and outcomes from clinical, sociodemographic, behavioral, genomic, and environmental data), materials informatics, security informatics, and social informatics; artificial intelligence enabled scientific discovery; federated data and computing infrastructure for data and compute intensive collaborative science. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Fundraising · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration · University Teaching Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory
- Faculty Member, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Research and graduate training in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Professor of Data Sciences
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Established and led research programs in Artificial intelligence, Data Sciences, and related areas; Co-led the development of an inter college Data Sciences undergraduate degree program; developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in artificial intelligence, machine learning, causal inference, knowledge representation, foundations of informatics, and related topics; served on college, university, and national committees in leadership or advisory roles (e.g., CRA Computing Community Consortium; AAAS Section on Computing, Information and Communication Nominating Committee, Eastern Regional Network Steering Committee, Northeast Big Data Hub Executive Committee); Served as program chair for the 36th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Skills: Higher Education · Curriculum Development · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics (Graduate Program)
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Research and graduate training in bioinformatics and computational biology. Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Professor of Informatics (Graduate Program)
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Faculty Member, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences
  Sep 2013 - Present · 11 yrs 11 mosCurrent
  Research on data analytics applied to scientific discovery. Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)
- Program Chair, Thirty-Sixth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence
  Apr 2021 - Feb 2022 · 11 mosUnited States
  Program Chair for AAAI-22, responsible for organizing the scientific peer review of approximately 10,000 research articles and selection of a subset to be presented at AAAI-22. Skills: Leadership · Artificial Intelligence · Data Mining · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Research
Indian Institute of Science
- Sudha Murty Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor in Neurocomputing and Data Science
  Oct 2016 - Sep 2022 · 6 yrsBangalore, India
  Collaborative research in Data Sciences and Brain Sciences with faculty and students of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (including in particular, the Department of Computer Science and Automation, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Centre for Neuroscience, Centre for Infectious Disease Research, the Molecular Biosciences Unit, the Department of Electrical Engineering, and the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering). Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub
- Executive Committee Member
  Oct 2015 - Dec 2019 · 4 yrs 3 mosUnited States
  The North East Big Data Innovation Hub aims to create partnerships that bring together academia, industry, government, and non-profits to foster innovation in big data management, analytics, and applications. It will facilitate sharing of data, tools, infrastructure, techniques, and knowledge to address challenges using big data. Initial areas of focus include Health, Energy, Finance, Cities/Regions, Discovery Science, and Data Science in Education with Data Sharing, Privacy & Security, Ethics & Policy, and Education as cross-cutting themes. The Hub will create an ecosystem to bridge across government, private and public organizations. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Big Data · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration The North East Big Data Innovation Hub
Computing Research Association
- Computing Community Consortium Council Member
  Jul 2014 - Jun 2017 · 3 yrsWashington D.C. Metro Area
  In my role as a member of Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council, I worked with the broader computing research community to identify, articulate, and communicate computing research opportunities and challenges, with particular emphasis on Data Sciences, Artificial Intelligence, and applications to enhancing and accelerating science and addressing societal needs, e.g., health, social justice and civil rights, and education. Skills: Leadership · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Research · Informatics
11 yrs 11 mos
- Professor and Edward Frymoyer Chair of Information Science and Technology
  Sep 2013 - Oct 2021 · 8 yrs 2 mos
  Research, graduate (PhD, MS) student training and teaching in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, bioinformatics, security informatics and related topics; Leading a new research initiative in Discovery Informatics. Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Fundraising · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
National Science Foundation
- Program Director, Information Integration and Informatics; Big Data Science and Engineering
  Sep 2010 - Sep 2013 · 3 yrs 1 moArlington, VA
  Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Appointment. Led the NSF-NIH Big Data Science and Engineering Program (as a lead program director), Contributed to the NSF Information Integration & Informatics (especially Data Mining and Machine Learning, Semantic Web, Social Networks and Media, and Bioinformatics), Smart and Connected Health, Expeditions in Computing, Science of Learning Centers, Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT), and Computing Research Infrastructure Programs; Research planning workshops in Discovery Informatics, Population Health Informatics, Knowledge Representation, and related topics. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics
23 yrs 2 mos
- Director of Research, Department of Computer Science
  Aug 2005 - Aug 2010 · 5 yrs 1 mo
  Developed strategic interdisciplinary research initiatives in data science, bioinformatics, and related areas; worked with the department and the university to improve research infrastructure for computer and information sciences; fostered interdisciplinary research partnerships with other units on campus. Skills: Leadership · Higher Education · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Research · Science · Academic Administration
- Director, Center for Computational Intelligence, Learning, & Discovery
  Jul 2005 - Sep 2013 · 8 yrs 3 mos
  Led interdisciplinary research initiatives in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Big Data Analytics, Knowledge Representation and Inference, Semantic web, Discovery Informatics, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Health Informatics, Energy Informatics, Immune Informatics, Social Informatics, Security Informatics, Computational Systems Biology and related areas. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Strategic Planning · Deep Learning · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration
- Chair, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program
  Aug 2003 - Jul 2005 · 2 yrs
  Leading the interdepartmental PhD program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology with approximately 40 core and 40 affiliate faculty (drawn from 12 academic departments in 4 colleges) during its formative stages; Leading a major curriculum development effort focused on required core courses for the graduate program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, culminating in the creation of a Bioinformatics graduate core curriculum comprising of 4 core courses covering Genomics to Systems Biology. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Fundraising · Strategic Planning · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Visiting Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Biological Statistics
  Aug 2001 - May 2002 · 10 mosMadison, Wisconsin
  Sabbatical. Skills: Data Science · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics
23 yrs 2 mos
- Professor of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  Aug 2001 - Sep 2013 · 12 yrs 2 mos
  Developing with colleagues in Biological, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences) the establishment of a new interdepartmental PhD program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, which is one of the first and largest PhD programs of its kind in the US, with support from an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) award in 2000, renewed for a second 5-year period in 2005, and served as associate chair of the program during 2001-2003 and chair during 2003-2005; Designing and teaching graduate courses in Bioinformatics; Computational Functional Genomics and Systems Biology; leading interdisciplinary research programs in algorithms and software for analysis and prediction of macromolecular (protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-RNA) interfaces, comparative analysis of macromolecular interaction networks. Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Professor of Computer Science
  Aug 2001 - Sep 2013 · 12 yrs 2 mos
  Developed scalable algorithms for learning predictive models from large, distributed, semantically disparate data; machine learning algorithms for learning from partially specified data, richly structured (sequence, relational, graph-structured) data; logics for selective knowledge sharing across federated knowledge bases; algorithms for secrecy-preserving query answering; algorithms for representing and reasoning about qualitative preferences; algorithms for service composition, substitution, and adaptation; algorithms and software for comparative analysis of gene expression and protein interaction networks; machine learning approaches to predicting protein-protein, protein-RNA, protein-RNA interfaces, B-cell and T-cell epitopes, and other functionally important sites of proteins. Authored or co-authored over 240 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers including two receiving best paper awards, 20 book chapters, and 1 research monograph during 1990-2013; Secured approximately $30 million in research and training grants from NSF, NIH, and USDA as PI or co-PI during 1990-2013; Mentored 31 Ph.D. graduates (8 employed as tenure-track or tenured faculty in academia, 12 employed in academic research, and 11 employed in industrial research and development), 25 MS graduates (24 employed in industry, one in academic research); Designed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Semantic web, Bioinformatics, and Computational Functional Genomics and Systems Biology; Served in various capacities in the department (director of research, chair of graduate admissions, member of graduate curriculum committee, undergraduate curriculum committee, chair of promotion and tenure committee); Served on editorial board of several journals and program committees of conferences (AAAI, ISMB, ICML, SDM, ACM-BCB, among others). Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · University Teaching
Carnegie Mellon University
- Visiting Professor
  Sep 1998 - Dec 1998 · 4 mosGreater Pittsburgh Area
  Sabbatical Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Computational Biology · Research · Science
23 yrs 2 mos
- Associate Professor of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
  Aug 1998 - Jul 2001 · 3 yrs
  Research, graduate student supervision, curriculum development, and teaching in bioinformatics and computational biology. Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · University Teaching
- Associate Professor of Computer Science
  Aug 1996 - Jul 2001 · 5 yrs
  Research, graduate student supervision, curriculum development, and teaching in Computer Science (especially Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Knowledge Representation, Informatics and related areas) Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Computational Biology · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Assistant Professor of Computer Science
  Aug 1990 - Jul 1996 · 6 yrs
  Research, graduate student supervision, curriculum development, and teaching in Computer Science (especially Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Neural Computation, and related areas). Skills: Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Curriculum Development · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Computational Biology · Research · Science · University Teaching
- Director of Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratory
  Aug 1990 - Sep 2013 · 23 yrs 2 mos
  Established a research program in Artificial Intelligence; Developed graduate and undergraduate curricula in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Knowledge Representation and Inference; Developed and led interdisciplinary research programs in Bioinformatics, Security Informatics, and Energy Informatics. Skills: Leadership · Data Science · Artificial Intelligence · Higher Education · Data Mining · Bioinformatics · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Fundraising · Big Data · Computational Biology · Research · Science · Informatics · Academic Administration · University Teaching

Education

University of Wisconsin-MadisonPh.D., Computer Science1985 - 1990
Skills: Research · Informatics · Artificial Intelligence · Data Mining · University Teaching · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Data Science
Drexel UniversityMS, Electrical and Computer Engineering1983 - 1984
Skills: Research · University Teaching · Image Processing
Bangalore UniversityBE, Electronics Engineering1977 - 1982
B. M. S. College of EngineeringB.E., Electronics Engineering1977 - 1982
Skills: Mathematics · Physics · Electronics Engineering
University of Wisconsin-MadisonMaster’s Degree, Computer Science1989
Skills: Research · Informatics · Artificial Intelligence · Data Mining · Machine Learning · Computer Science · Data Science

Skills

Other

Artificial IntelligenceResearchComputational BiologyBioinformaticsComputer ScienceAlgorithmsScienceData ScienceDataHubFundraisingAcademic AdministrationLeadershipMathematicsUniversity TeachingStrategic PlanningCurriculum DevelopmentBig DataData MiningDeep LearningMachine LearningHigher Education

Experience35 years

Currently at11 yrs 11 mos

Based inUnited States

Studied atUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Roles34

Skills21

LanguagesKannada · Konkani · English · Hindi

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