Paul Torrens

Paul M. Torrens is Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Center for Urban Science + Progress at NYU Tandon. He directs the Simspace motion capture facility, developing engineered systems for human-centered and urban computing. His research focuses on simulation-based engineering (VR/AR fundamentals), agent-based modeling, and next-generation location-aware technologies for autonomous systems and spatial computing.

Torrens received the Presidential Early Career Award (2008) and NSF CAREER Award (2007). As NSF Engineering Research Centers Program Director (2023-2025), he shapes national research priorities. Current projects include pandemic behavior modeling, pedestrian-aware autonomous driving, and edge computing for community streetscape analysis.