TRANSFORMING HOW WE SOLVE THE WORLD’S MOST COMPLEX PROBLEMS
OUR LEADERSHIP
The year 2025 was a landmark year for the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD), marked by continued growth and impactful achievements. A key milestone was the successful launch of a new Distinguished Speaker Series on AI and Health Science, along with a three-day AI and Data Science Symposium, both centered on advancing interdisciplinary dialogue at the intersection of artificial intelligence and health. These initiatives further strengthened IAD’s role as a convener of thought leadership across research, education, and real-world application.
IAD played a pivotal role in major institutional successes, building on prior momentum in high-impact areas such as AI and Health Science and AI for Social Good. IAD faculty and affiliates led and contributed to research initiatives across the university, supported interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced strategic priorities aligned with SUNY’s broader research vision. These efforts reinforced the Institute’s position as a central hub for responsible, mission-driven AI research at the University at Buffalo.
The momentum is enduring, and the possibilities ahead remain vast. As we move forward, we look to build on this strong foundation and continue advancing artificial intelligence in ways that deliver meaningful scientific progress and societal benefit.
Jinjun Xiong, PhD
IAD Director 2023-2025
SUNY Empire Innovation Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
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The Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD) brings together leading researchers, labs and centers across the University at Buffalo and beyond, connecting affiliates from a wide range of disciplines.
Our mission is to transform how we solve the world’s most complex challenges through cutting-edge AI, data science and collaborative innovation.
*AFFILIATE NUMBERS
Our vision is to foster interdisciplinary research to continue to move the community in new and interesting directions. Bringing together university, industry, government and community partners to advance core technologies and techniques, applying them in ways to optimize humanmachine partnerships and develop the necessary tools and skills to have a positive societal impact.
840+ SUBSCRIBERS: INSIGHTS NEWSLETTER
2,086 TOTAL IAD GRADUATE ALUMNI COLLABORATIONS
+Affiliates: Interdisciplinary faculty and staff within University at Buffalo working with AI and Data Science.
SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION
$570,240 | $50,000: UB AT THE FOREFRONT OF IDENTITY AND BIOMETRIC RESEARCH
The work of UB’s Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS) advances identity science and biometric recognition research in collaboration with the Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR).
$92,738: ONGOING ENHANCEMENTS FOR US POSTAL SERVICE
UB researchers continue to build on groundbreaking work in optical character recognition (OCR) and handwriting analysis that transformed the global postal industry.
Funding Source: Multiple Sponsors
PI: Venu Govindaraju
Senior Vice President, Research Innovation and Economic Development
$246,550: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF IOT SECURITY EDUCATION
An inclusive, student centered IoT CTF platform is being developed to enhance cybersecurity education and pedagogy.
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
PI: Jinjun Xiong
Director, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Funding Source: United States Postal Service
PI: Srirangaraj Setlur
Associate Director for Community Engagement, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
$15,000: IMPROVING TREATMENTS FOR EPILEPSY
Breakthroughs in genetic testing are helping reduce or even eliminate epilepsy-related seizures.
Funding Source: Louis Sklarow Memorial Trust.
PI: Dheeraj Roy
Assistant Professor Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
INTRODUCING THE 2026 APPOINTED DIRECTOR– SIWEI LYU
I’m excited to lead IAD at a time when AI and data science are transforming nearly every field. As AI becomes increasingly woven into every part of society, UB has a unique opportunity to lead not only in innovation, but also in responsibility...Our goal is for AI to do social good — and to only do social good.
Siwei Lyu, Ph.D., FIEEE, FIAPR, FAIAA SUNY Distinguished Professor • SUNY Empire Innovation Professor Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
2025 RESEARCH LEADERSHIP
JOHN BEVERLEY, PHD
Associate Director of AI and Ontological Science
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy College of Arts and Sciences
Co-Director, National Center for Ontological Research (NCOR)
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
Autonomy & Robotics
Biotech, Genomics & Pharmaceuticals
KENNETH JOSEPH, PHD
Associate Director of AI & Society
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Computational Research & Modeling
Computer Vision & Machine Learning
Education and Special Education
SRIRANGARAJ (RANGA) SETLUR
Associate Director of Community Engagement
Managing Director, National AI Institute for Exceptional Education
Co-Director and Principal Research Scientist, Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS)
Finance, Business & Management
Chemistry & Materials
Foundational Research
Health Sciences
Legal, Ethics & Fairness
YIJUN SUN, PHD
Associate Director of AI & Health Science
Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Natural Language Processing
Ontology
Privacy, Trust & Information Security
Social Science
SHAOJIE TANG, PHD
Associate Director of AI and Management Science Professor, Management Science and Systems School of Management
Curious About AI and Data Science?
Let’s explore the future together, visit: Buffalo.edu/iad
SARA METCALF, PHD
Initiative Lead of Benchmarking and Evaluating AI for Modeling and Simulation (BEAMS)
Professor, Department of Geography College of Arts and Sciences
IAD’S DEGREE PROGRAMS
IAD provides educational programs to train students and professionals at different levels and provide learners with the skills to thrive in the rapidly evolving fields of AI, information technology and data science.
IAD FACULTY
Computational and Data-Enabled Sciences (CDES) PhD
The Computational and Data Enabled Sciences PhD addresses research challenges in a variety of fields by integrating large-scale computing and big data analysis, training scientists to effectively analyze big data and multisource datasets. By combining expertise in computing, data sciences and domain sciences, students are equipped with the skills to tackle complex problems and solve grand challenges in their respective fields.
Justin Del Vecchio, PhD Assistant Professor of Teaching
Data Sciences and Applications MPS
Leonid Khinkis, PhD Professor of Teaching
The Master of Professional Studies in Data Sciences and Applications program focuses on equipping students with the necessary skills in analytics to derive valuable insights from large and diverse datasets. Students receive training in various data mining and machine learning techniques, enabling them to analyze and extract meaningful information from complex data.
Jianzhen (Jason) Liu, PhD Assistant Professor of Teaching
Engineering Science (Artificial Intelligence) MS
Vochita Mihai, PhD Professor of Teaching
This Engineering Sciences MS with a course focus on AI is a multidisciplinary program designed to train students in the areas of machine learning, programming languages, deep learning algorithms and advanced artificial neural networks that use predictive analytics to solve real-world problems.
Engineering Science (Data Science) MS
Adithya Narayanan, PhD Assistant Professor of Teaching
The Engineering Science MS with a course focus in data science offers a comprehensive education in big data and analysis. Students gain knowledge, expertise and practical training in data collection and management, data analytics, scalable data-driven discovery and fundamental concepts.
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GRADUATE PROGRAMS
MICRO-CREDENTIALS
EDUCATE IAD’S EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
2025 ENROLLMENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
400+ companies from all over the world have sponsored IAD masters students as interns, including:
Rachael Hageman Blair, PhD
Associate Director of Education, Program Director of Data Sciences and Applications MPS
Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Sarah Muldoon, PhD
Program Director of Computational and Data Enabled Sciences (CDES) PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
Johannes Hachmann, PhD
Program Director of Engineering Sciences (Data Science, AI & Data Innovation) MS
Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
My experience in the IAD’s CDES program has been defined by the pursuit of real-world impact. I gained transferable skills alongside conducting research that matters to improve human life. The program provided me the opportunity to evolve as a scholar, teaching me not just to find solutions, but to think about problems critically and creatively.”
Raktim Mukhopadhyay 2025, CDES PhD Candidate
Mingchen Gao, PhD
Program Director of Engineering Sciences (AI, AI & Data Innovation) MS
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
OUR SIGNATURE EVENTS AND KEY VISITS
THE AI AND DATA SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM 2025
UB’s IAD Days is an annual celebration of big data, HPC and AI, featuring leading scholars who host workshops, lectures, and networking for students and faculty.
IAD TECH EXCHANGE SEMINAR SERIES
Throughout the academic year, the UB community and guest scholars come together weekly to explore diverse AI and data science topics, from child development to robotics, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and sparking new research collaborations.
SUNY AI SYMPOSIUM
Bringing together AI thought leaders, SUNY researchers, students and companies of all sizes who leverage AI to produce positive outcomes with scientific discovery, business innovation and economic impact.
GOVERNOR HOCHUL EXPLORES AI AT UB
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul received an update on the university’s programs to advance artificial intelligence for the public good. While at UB, Hochul met with UB leadership, faculty and students while touring the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education and the UB Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.
INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON RETHINKING CHILDREN’S AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION (ASR) FOR EDUCATION
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) is increasingly used in K–12 education to support learning, engagement and accessibility. This invitation-only workshop convened educators, researchers, policymakers and technologists to assess, share best practices, advance evaluation standards, define research priorities and collectively shape inclusive, privacy-respecting children’s ASR for educational settings.
IBM WORKSHOP: RESPONSIBLE AI IN ACTION
IBM and the University at Buffalo collaborated on a two-part workshop designed to build AI literacy and prepare participants for an AI-driven future. IBM presented their AI Point of View, demonstrating how AI supports internal operations and software development, with an emphasis on Responsible AI. During an applied learning experience, attendees explored IBM’s AI Pillars of Trust and ethical guidelines through real-world use-case discussions.
IAD DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES
Each year, we bring some of the nation’s most prominent researchers and innovators in the areas of artificial intelligence, computational science and data science from academia, government and industry to speak on topics of interest to the UB community.
Deming Chen, PhD
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
A3C3 – AI Algorithm & Accelerator Co-design, Co-search, and Co-generation
DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES ON AI & HEALTH SCIENCE
To nominate a Distinguished Speaker, please email: ub-iad@buffalo.edu
Mausam, PhD
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Traditional AI/ML meets LLMs for Reasoning & Knowledge Tasks
OUTREACH
2025 was the inaugural year for the Distinguished Speaker Series on AI & Health Science, bringing together leading experts from top universities to share knowledge and foster collaboration at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. This series offers a unique opportunity to engage with pioneering researchers and innovators shaping the future of AI-driven health solutions.
Brian Athey, PhD
University of Michigan Medical School
The Dawn of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the Future of the Academic Health Center (AHC)
Yuan Luo, PhD
Northwestern University Medical School
Ethical, Proactive, Industrial and Collaborative (EPIC) Multi-modal AI for Health Care
Jeffrey P. Townsend, PhD
Yale University
Dismantling the Coarse Paradigm of Cancer ‘Drivers’ and ‘Passengers’
Zhongming Zhao, PhD
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The Road to Precision Health: Harnessing Big Genomic Data
NEW IN 2025: DEPARTMENT OF AI & SOCIETY
UB’s new Department of AI and Society (AIS), led by inaugural Chair Atri Rudra, PhD (IAD Affiliate), focuses on transdisciplinary research, training and community outreach with the goal of shaping the next generation of visionaries who take tools from society to build AI systems. Supported by $5 million from New York State, AIS offers interdisciplinary degrees across health, policy, arts and more. Housed jointly in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences, the department emphasizes ethical AI and complements UB’s wider AI efforts including IAD.
JANUARY
AI
FOR GOOD HISTORY
ub-iad@buffalo.edu
buffalo.edu/ai-data-science