Garud Iyengar Appointed Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute
Garud Iyengar has been appointed as the next Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute. He will begin as DSI Director on July 1.As the Data Science Institute builds on its decade-plus record of remarkable success in advancing the frontiers of the field, developing collaborations across Columbia’s many schools, and training the next generation of data science leaders, it is in exceptionally capable hands. Garud brings a wealth of experience in academic leadership and a long record of success in convening faculty from disparate fields to tackle pressing interdisciplinary challenges.President Shafik has identified artificial intelligence as one of the key priorities for the University in the coming years. Under Garud’s direction, DSI will partner with EVP for Research Jeannette Wing and Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang in leading Columbia’s AI initiative.Garud, the Tang Family Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, has been a member of the Columbia Engineering faculty since 1998. He is currently the Senior Vice Dean for Research and Academic Programs, overseeing educational programs and large-scale interdisciplinary research at the school.
Garud has played central roles at DSI since its founding. He was the Associate Director for Research from 2017-19 and helped launch the Institute’s PhD concentration, seed fund program, and postdoc program. His own research has brought significant advances to the study of information, control, and optimization. His current work addresses a broad range of domains, including cellular signaling, labor platforms, power networks, supply chains, and causal inference