Wenrui Hao named 2025-26 Huck Leadership Fellow

Wenrui Hao, professor of mathematics, along with two other faculty members have been selected to participate in the yearlong professional development program, which involves faculty members in high-level decision-making at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and encourages them to develop projects that contribute to the broader institutional mission.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how the Huck Leadership Fellows program continues to grow and evolve,” said Camelia Kantor, research professor and the Huck associate director overseeing the program. “This year’s cohort brings together faculty from three different colleges, each working at the frontiers of their fields. Their selection reflects our continued commitment to fostering interdisciplinary leadership and amplifying the diverse scientific excellence found across Penn State.”

Hao plans to establish a multidisciplinary working group that advances the mathematical foundations of artificial intelligence in the life sciences to make Penn State a leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biomedical research.

“What excites us most about these fellows is the ambition and diversity of their proposed projects,” Kantor said. “They exemplify Huck’s broad research scope, reflecting the visionary thinking and strategic engagement this program was created to support. Each project is a powerful example of how faculty can shape not only their personal research trajectories but the future of life sciences at Penn State.”

The Huck Leadership Fellows initiative began in 2022-23 and is now in its fourth year. For more information about the Huck Leadership Fellows program, visit the Huck Institutes website.