Welcoming the inaugural director of AI Innovation Institute to Stony Brook
June 5, 2025
Dear Stony Brook faculty and staff,
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lav Varshney, the inaugural director of the AI Innovation Institute (AI3), to Stony Brook University. He will also hold the inaugural Della Pietra Infinity chair.
Dr. Varshney comes to Stony Brook from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also held affiliations in computer science, neuroscience, industrial and enterprise systems engineering, digital agriculture, and personalized nutrition, as well as the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. His background blends work in industry, academia, government, think tanks, and national laboratories.
He will start August 1.
As director, Dr. Varshney will build on work begun by a committee of more than 40 faculty and staff who helped develop the initial plans for AI3. He will leverage their work to set the research direction for AI3 and facilitate innovative interdisciplinary collaboration across the university. His leadership will build on SBU’s role as a core partner in Empire AI, New York State’s $250 million investment in AI and computing. He will also support further collaborations with industry and work to identify unexplored research areas.
The AI Innovation Institute is an expansion of the university’s Institute for AI-driven Discovery and Innovation that was established in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2018 by Steve Skiena, SUNY distinguished teaching professor of computer science.
I would like to thank the search committee for their exceptional leadership of the search process. They were incredibly thoughtful throughout their deliberations as they reviewed candidates and their potential to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities at Stony Brook. I would especially like to thank Dr. Skiena, who served as search committee chair.
To Steve, I offer special thanks for his vision in establishing the CEAS Institute for AI-driven Discovery in 2018 and for his service as interim director of AI3. His commitment to this emerging field has helped Stony Brook take an early leadership position in AI research, and his commitment to excellence and innovative thinking has propelled the institute to new and expanded heights. I know he will be an essential colleague for Dr. Varshney as he joins our university.
Sincerely,
Carl
Carl W. Lejuez
Executive Vice President and Provost