By Kelly Peters,
Special to Rice News
The Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University has named David Pynadath as its new executive director for research initiatives, effective Nov. 6.
Pynadath’s role will focus largely on supporting the current research efforts of the institute’s core faculty dedicated to responsible AI and computing. His activities will consist of identifying and supporting research funding, including developing proposals in line with the interests and ambitions of the institute’s members; building internal and external collaborations with state and federal agencies, industry, foundations, philanthropic entities, universities, the Texas Medical Center and other relevant organizations; and supporting the member, community and outreach activities of the institute.
The introduction of this position reflects the institute’s commitment to research excellence in support of Rice’s strategic plan, said Lydia Kavraki, director of the Ken Kennedy Institute.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Pynadath to our team as he brings extensive expertise in AI and human-machine teaming, which will be instrumental in expanding our research and outreach activities,” Kavraki said. “This is a pivotal moment for the institute as we deepen our commitment to advancing AI with ethical responsibility, rigor and an unwavering focus on addressing society’s most pressing challenges in line with Rice’s focus on premier research for global impact.”
Pynadath comes to Rice from the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), a Department of Defense University Affiliated Research Center sponsored by the U.S. Army. Since 2014, he was the director for social simulation research at ICT. He also served as a research assistant professor at USC’s Viterbi Department of Computer Science, where he taught classes in applied machine learning, data mining and foundations of AI.
Pynadath completed his undergraduate degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He has extensive research in computing, AI, human-machine teaming and social simulation with a proven track record of funding from federal funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation and DOD.
“The Ken Kennedy Institute is well-positioned to take advantage of the current landscape of research and funding in AI, where there is a lot of excitement about its potential but also concern about its pitfalls,” Pynadath said. “I am excited to draw upon the institute’s world-class researchers to push the envelope of what can be achieved across the broad spectrum of their expertise.”
The Ken Kennedy Institute, established in 1986, is an interdisciplinary group committed to addressing critical global challenges through foundational research in AI and computing. The institute fosters collaborative efforts to drive AI-powered discoveries across diverse scientific disciplines and champions ethical and responsible AI innovation.
Rice faculty and staff with an interest in responsible AI and computing are invited to learn about available membership opportunities here.