Govindaraju Venu

Venu Govindaraju is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University at Buffalo. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, and biometrics, with notable contributions to handwriting recognition, cybersecurity, and educational technology.

Govindaraju leads the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education (funded by a $20M NSF grant), developing AI tools to screen children for dyslexia and dysgraphia. He also founded the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS) and co-leads the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD) at UB. His work has revolutionized postal automation, digital libraries, and cybersecurity through CAPTCHA innovations. He has advised 47 doctoral students and holds key leadership roles in SUNY's AI initiatives and Empire AI, a $400M state consortium.

Research Interests: AI for social good, handwriting analysis, biometric systems, educational AI applications, and cross-modal data fusion. His work bridges technical innovation with societal impact, addressing challenges in healthcare, education, and security.

• Awards: IEEE Technical Achievement Award (2010), ACM Fellow (2009), IEEE Fellow (2006), National Academy of Inventors (2015), SUNY's Person of the Year (2024).
• Labs/Initiatives: CUBS, IAD, National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, Empire AI.
• Grants: $20M NSF grant (2023), USPS-funded handwriting recognition projects, Lockheed Martin licensing agreements.