Shwetak N. Patel

Shwetak N. Patel serves as Professor and Associate Director for Development & Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. He holds the Washington Research Foundation Entrepreneurship Endowed Professorship and directs the Ubicomp Lab.

His research spans Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, and Sensor-Enabled Embedded Systems with applications in health and sustainability. Key focus areas include mobile health technologies, energy/water sensing systems, and low-power wireless platforms. His work bridges computing with real-world sustainability challenges through practical sensor applications.

Patel has received numerous prestigious awards including the MacArthur Fellowship, ACM Prize in Computing, and Presidential PECASE Award. His scientific recognition spans foundational computing contributions and impactful commercialization.

• MacArthur Fellowship (2011)
• ACM Prize in Computing (2018)
• Presidential PECASE Award (2016)
• Sloan Fellowship (2012)
• NSF Career Award (2013)

He actively advises students through the Ubicomp Lab and has secured significant research funding supporting health and sustainability projects. His commercial ventures include three successful startups acquired by major corporations. Patel maintains strong community engagement through K-12 STEM outreach and government advisory roles.

His laboratory work focuses on practical sensor systems for home environments, with ongoing projects in mobile health monitoring and resource conservation technologies.