Varun Shankar

Varun Shankar is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) at the Kahlert School of Computing (KSoC), University of Utah, and currently serves as Associate Director of the Master of Software Development (MSD) program. His research focuses on developing efficient machine learning models for scientific applications, blending scientific computing, machine learning, and high-performance computing. Previously, he held a non-tenure-track role as an Assistant Professor Lecturer in KSoC, emphasizing teaching and curriculum development for the MSD program.

Varun earned his PhD in Computing (Scientific Computing) from the University of Utah and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Math Biology group at the Department of Mathematics, University of Utah.

His research interests span scientific machine learning, numerical analysis, and computational methods for complex systems. Recent work emphasizes physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), hybrid models for PDE solving, and meshless discretization techniques. His publications reflect contributions to operator learning, RBF-FD methods, and computational biomechanics.

In teaching, Varun has instructed courses in software development, mobile programming, and numerical analysis, emphasizing practical skills for software professionals. He has co-advised MS and PhD students across KSoC and Mathematics departments.