Shekhar Bhansali: Challenge and support for the AI innovators of tomorrow

Shekhar Bhansali, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Vanderbilt University)

Shekhar Bhansali sees artificial intelligence as a "technological tsunami" that's pouring into almost every part of our lives. For him, this is inspiring. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a major societal shift is what he and other engineers dream about. As a new faculty member at Vanderbilt and the new chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bhansali is excited to prepare Vanderbilt engineering students to drive this rapidly evolving innovation.

"Every CEO is asking the question, 'How are we using applied AI?' and they have middle management with domain expertise but no idea how to infuse AI into their specific industries," said Bhansali, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "My vision is for our students to innovate ways to use AI and lead businesses of all kinds with the newest AI capabilities as true innovation experts."

Bhansali stresses that artificial intelligence is a tool and that AI alone stalls without humans working together, which is why collaborative, forward-thinking universities like Vanderbilt are so vital.

ADAPTIVE THINKING

Students work together in an electrical engineering class in 2024. (Vanderbilt University)

Bhansali and fellow faculty are reexamining the electrical engineering curriculum to integrate AI into each class, so students can advance their learning with this innovation in mind. They're also launching AI-specific programs that allow students to tackle societal challenges of tomorrow.

While they're using AI as a valuable tool, Bhansali believes students must adapt their thinking to master engineering fundamentals and ask the right questions to meet rapidly evolving engineering needs.

"The rate of disruption and the rate of transformation have become so fast, we all agree on one thing: None of us know what this time next year will look like from a technology standpoint," said Bhansali, who came to Vanderbilt after holding major leadership roles at Florida International University and as division director for the Division of Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems at the National Science Foundation.

PERSONAL RESEARCH

Beyond his work leading the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bhansali is building out his Vanderbilt lab and designing and integrating nanoscale sensors and microdevices into systems for application in health, energy and environmental monitoring.

"I'm interested in using AI with sensor platforms for applications ranging from real-time diagnostics to process control. I plan to build collaborative projects bridging science, engineering, environment, medicine and data science to create translational technologies that contribute to human health and national security," he said.

WHY VANDERBILT

Bhansali was drawn to Vanderbilt because of the university's top-notch research infrastructure and culture of collaboration.

"Working alongside an exceptional group of faculty who are committed to pursuing collaborative and interdisciplinary research was the big draw," he said.

"I saw firsthand examples of extensive and seamless collaborations among different schools and Vanderbilt University Medical Center-and the close interactions between faculty and students. It is obvious that Vanderbilt has the ideal environment to push boundaries in research and education."

Dr. Sanket Goe, fourth from left, was guest speaker at a seminar at Vanderbilt on Aug. 20, 2025. Philippe Fauchet, left, Shekhar Bhansali, Steven Kosier, Ron Schrimpf and three students who attended his talk stopped for a group photo afterward. (Submitted photo)

BEST JOB IN THE WORLD

Bhansali calls being a professor the "best job in the world." He believes passionately in mentoring and so far has advised 35 postdocs, 34 Ph.D.'s, 48 master's students and more than 200 undergraduate and high school students.

"To see your students who graduated 20 years ago now run companies is very gratifying," he said. "It's not that we made that happen, but we were part of a journey of somebody who is changing the world, and that's immensely gratifying."

And he's ready to challenge and prepare the next generation to lead in the evolving AI-enabled space.

"When changes are disruptive, leading the change is where the fun is," he said. "You know change is happening; you can't stop it. So you can either resist it and be threatened by it, or lead."

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