Lav Varshney

Lav Varshney is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Coordinated Science Laboratory. His roles span academic research, policy engagement, and entrepreneurial ventures. He holds joint appointments in Engineering, Computer Science, and Neuroscience.

Research interests focus on AI, information theory, and their applications in health, creativity, and critical infrastructure. Key areas include generative AI models, ethical AI systems, and white-box AI for transparency. Varshney’s work bridges technical innovation with policy, notably through his White House Fellowship (2022-2023), where he contributed to AI safety and wireless policy frameworks.

Publications emphasize AI ethics, multimodal systems, and computational creativity. His startups, Kocree (AI music co-creation) and Ensaras (AI-driven wastewater treatment), exemplify applied research in socially impactful domains. Varshney also engages in global collaborations, such as U.S.-EU and U.S.-India agreements on AI and 6G wireless.

He teaches courses including Information Theory (ECE 563), Generative AI (ECE 598 LV), and Representation of Information (ECE 598 LV2). His policy contributions include coauthoring the Executive Order on AI Safety and analyzing intellectual property challenges in AI.

Labs/teams: Leads projects at the Coordinated Science Lab and collaborates with industry partners on AI applications in music and infrastructure. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches to address societal challenges through technology.