Institute for Computational and Data Sciences

AI Hub names new director

Mehrdad Mahdavi said he hopes to 'elevate Penn State in the national and global conversations about artificial intelligence'

Mehrdad Mahdavi, associate professor of computer science and engineering and associate director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Engineered Systems (CAFÉ), has been named the new director of the AI Hub. Credit: Mehrdad Mahdavi. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The AI Hub, an inclusive forum for promoting and informing various sets of audiences on artificial intelligence (AI), its use and impact, and AI activities as well as organizing across the University community, has named a new director. 

Mehrdad Mahdavi, associate professor of computer science and engineering and associate director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Foundations and Engineered Systems (CAFÉ), started the position as of July 1.  

“He [Mahdavi] is truly an expert in AI and has been very actively involved in the AI Hub,” said Guido Cervone, Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) interim director. “He was highly endorsed by the previous director, David Hunter, and by the other members of the AI Hub. With Mehrdad at the helm, we will further catalyze the various AI activities occurring across campus.  AI is really revolutionizing the entire enterprise of science and ICDS will play a major role enabling and supporting AI research.” 

“This is a really exciting moment,” Mahdavi said. “We can take AI to the next level, and the Hub and ICDS are in the position to take on this endeavor, bringing people with different disciplines together to push the boundaries. A unifying strategy is essential to elevate our collective efforts and achieve greater success.” 

In this role, he said he hopes to effectively harness AI in scientific discoveries and accelerate science by tackling complex scientific challenges more efficiently. 

“As AI becomes more prevalent in scientific fields, it promises to seamlessly blend traditional scientific inquiry with novel approaches — ranging from hypothesis generation, data analysis, simulation to experimental evaluation,” Mahdavi said. “This integration could dramatically enhance our ability to tackle scientific challenges that currently seem daunting.” 

Cervone said, “ICDS has been investing heavily in AI for several years through co-hires, research initiatives, seed grants and students funding. The AI Hub, which is sponsored by ICDS, has been a grassroots organization for community organizing and we are trying to keep those origins but also providing a new overall strategy. Mehrdad will be crucial in promoting the AI Hub, and actively engaging in the conversations with colleagues, within and beyond ICDS.” 

Mahdavi's original interest for AI emerged while studying computer science in Iran and after exploring the fascinating intersection of machine learning, theoretical computer science, and algorithmic game theory, he said.

“It was really rewarding to me. AI offers transformative possibilities to tackle incredibly complex problems, all while being grounded in rigorous mathematical and statistical principles. This combination of practical impact and theoretical depth is what truly excites me about AI and machine learning,” Mahdavi said. 

Under his leadership, the interdisciplinary mission remains of high importance, he added.

“Our goal [with the hub] is to create a collaborative ecosystem that promotes AI research so we can have more synergy across Penn State. We need to foster collaboration among researchers with expertise in diverse domains ranging from health care to material science, medicine and drug discovery to smart manufacturing, to climate, astronomy and cosmology, robotics and automation, and agriculture,” Mahdavi said. “This interdisciplinary approach should unite AI specialists, domain scientists, data experts and methodologists which the AI Hub is trying to accomplish.” 

Cervone added that, under Mehrdad's leadership, “We will be able to increase visibility and the AI footprint across the University. We have a lot of expertise across different campuses, colleges and institutes, but the AI Hub is the central unit that brings it all together. Mehrdad has proposed many new ideas to bring us together.” 

Throughout Mahdavi’s years of experience, he has had a passion for the growth of data science and machine learning, he said, not just with science and technology, but also with education and outreach. 

“They [science, education and outreach] have to go together, and that is what we are trying to do at Penn State,” Mahdavi said. “AI and machine learning is changing our society and impacting our lives. Technology has its own risks and strengths, but we can educate and be aware of those. We are heading in a promising direction. We are making progress at solving traditional problems with technology, smart algorithms, big data ... the excitement is more AI-enabled scientific discovery.” 

Mahdavi first came to Penn State in 2018 after obtaining his doctorate from Michigan State University and being a research assistant professor at Toyota Technological Institute at the University of Chicago where he conducted research of theoretical aspects of machine learning. At Penn State, he leads the Machine Learning and Optimization Lab and is a member of the data science committee. He has published widely on computational and statistical foundations of machine learning and received several awards and recognition for his research including: NSF CAREER Award, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Assistant Professorship, Mark Fulk Best Student Paper Award from Conference on Learning Theory (COLT), and Top Cited Paper Award from Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computation.   

Mahdavi has been heavily involved in data sciences across multiple colleges in the University community and has been involved in the development of an AI major at Penn State in two of the colleges at University Park. Through the work of CAFÉ, engagement in industry, AI education and outreach has flourished, he said.

“This can shape the way AI is at Penn State and I am really excited about it,” Mahdavi said. “I am hopeful the AI Hub will continue to elevate Penn State in the national and global conversations about AI.” 

Last Updated July 8, 2024