Andrew Begel

Andrew Begel is an Associate Professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. Previously, he was a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research from 2006 to 2022. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley and holds a Master of Engineering from MIT.

Dr. Begel is internationally recognized for his pioneering research on cooperative and human aspects of software engineering, combining empirical studies of professional software engineers with organizational behavior. His work focuses on accessibility, neurodiversity, and human-computer interaction, with particular emphasis on creating more inclusive technology workplaces. He was the first to study emotions in software engineering and conducted groundbreaking research on autistic software developers, identifying their unique strengths and challenges.

His research portfolio shows a clear trajectory toward understanding human factors in software development, with increasing focus on neurodiversity and accessibility. Early work examined code comprehension through eye tracking and fMRI studies, while recent publications focus on creating inclusive environments for autistic software engineers and developing tools that support mixed-ability collaboration. His work spans empirical software engineering, human-computer interaction, and accessibility research, often bridging these domains to address real-world challenges in software development environments.

• Best Paper Award — SIGCSE (2021)
• ACM Distinguished Member (2019)
• Best Paper Honorable Mention Award — CSCW (2019)
• Best Paper Award — ICSE, Software Engineering In Practice (2019)
• Most Influential Paper Award (10 Years) — ICER (2019)
• Best Paper Honorable Mention Award — CHI (2017)

Dr. Begel has been deeply involved in academic service, organizing and serving on program committees for top software engineering conferences. He has run FSE and ICSE's ACM Student Research Competitions and ICSME's Doctoral Symposium. He created the Autism at Work Research Workshop series, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and autism self-advocates to help autistic engineers find and keep jobs. As a member of Microsoft's AI Ethics Board, he contributed to disseminating best practices for responsible AI engineering. His teaching includes courses at the University of Washington's iSchool and coding camps for autistic youth.

Dr. Begel leads the Autism at Work Research Workshop series and has established himself as a prominent figure in creating more inclusive environments for neurodiverse software engineers. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in industry settings, particularly through his collaborations with Microsoft and other technology companies.