Varun Chandola

Varun Chandola is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), affiliated with the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS). He holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota and a B.Tech from IIT Madras. His research focuses on scalable anomaly detection, data mining for big graphs, and spatiotemporal data. He leads the UB Data Science Research Group and directs the ICDS/CDSE PhD program. Currently on temporary leave as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, he will resume academic advising post-leave. Key contributions include the 'Anomaly Detection: A Survey' paper, which ranked among the top-cited in computer science.

Awards include the UB Teaching Innovation Award (2020), SEAS Early Career Teacher of the Year (2016), and NASA WorldWind Europa Challenge recognition (2014). Research spans healthcare informatics, energy-water nexus analysis, and applications in civil engineering. Collaborations include the Center for Hybrid Rocket Exascale Simulation Technology (CHREST) and the CS4G group for socially impactful projects.