ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Penn State names Vasant Honavar vice provost for AI
Honavar has led major federally funded AI and data science initiatives and helped develop Penn State’s undergraduate programs in AI and data sciences.
-
Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 20, May 2026
- 14:23 EDT
- 35
Vasant Honavar / Penn State
Penn State University appointed Indian American computer scientist Vasant Honavar as its inaugural vice provost for artificial intelligence, a newly created leadership role aimed at advancing the university’s AI strategy.
Honavar, currently Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Biomedical Data Sciences and Artificial Intelligence at Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, will assume the role on June 1.
Also Read: Ashvin Dayal to lead Rockefeller Foundation's global operations
The appointment comes as universities across the United States expand institutional AI initiatives and integrate artificial intelligence into academic and administrative functions.
“Penn State has a unique opportunity, indeed, a responsibility – to lead by reimagining the land-grant mission in a world being transformed by AI,” Honavar said in a statement.
“I look forward to working with University leadership, faculty, staff and students to build a coordinated and impactful AI strategy that advances research and education and delivers tangible benefits to communities across the commonwealth and beyond,” he added.
Penn State executive vice president and provost Fotis Sotiropoulos said Honavar’s experience in artificial intelligence and data sciences positioned him to guide the university’s long-term AI transformation efforts.
“With a distinguished career devoted to leadership, scholarship, research and teaching in AI and data sciences, Vasant brings both deep expertise and a commitment to people,” Sotiropoulos said.
In the new role, Honavar will oversee the university’s AI Transformation initiative in collaboration with academic and administrative leaders across campuses and colleges. He will report to senior vice provost and chief of staff Josh Davis.
Penn State also announced that Crystal Ramsay has been appointed assistant vice provost for AI and will lead the university’s new AI Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning. The center will oversee AI literacy and training programs for students, faculty and staff.
Honavar’s priorities in the role include expanding AI literacy and workforce development initiatives, promoting ethical and responsible AI adoption, strengthening partnerships with industry and government, and advancing AI-enabled research in areas such as healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing.
Honavar has more than three decades of experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, causal inference, bioinformatics and health informatics.
He has authored more than 300 scientific publications and has led or co-led research and training projects supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Defense totaling more than $100 million.
At Penn State, Honavar previously served as director of strategic initiatives at the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences and founded the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Scientific Applications.
Before joining Penn State in 2013, Honavar was a faculty member in computer science at Iowa State University from 1990 to 2013. He also served as program director for the National Science Foundation’s Division of Information and Intelligent Systems, where he led the Big Data Science and Engineering Program between 2010 and 2013.
Honavar received the NSF Director’s Award for Superior Accomplishment in 2013 for his leadership of the Big Data Program and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his contributions to research and leadership in data science.
Born in Pune, India, Honavar studied at M.E.S. College in Bengaluru before earning a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from Bangalore University.
He later obtained a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Drexel University and both a master’s degree and doctorate in computer science from University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Discover more at New India Abroad
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login