Kurtis Heimerl

Kurtis Heimerl serves as an Associate Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, where his work bridges technology development and global poverty alleviation through innovative Internet access solutions and environmental conservation initiatives.

His research program features two interconnected pillars:

• Community-Centric Connectivity: Pioneering community-owned cellular infrastructure including LTE adaptation for local networks and repair ecosystem studies in the Philippines, with current deployment focus in Washington's Puget Sound region.
• Conservation Technology: Developing human-centered tools for community engagement in environmental protection through active collaboration with Kenyan conservancies.

Accolades highlight exceptional scholarly contributions:

• 2014 MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35
• 2018 University of Washington Diamond Award for Early Career Faculty
• Best Paper Awards at CHI, COMPASS, PETS, and DySPAN conferences
• Two NSDI Community Awards recognizing impactful systems research

Dr. Heimerl mentors students through the Change and ICTD research groups while maintaining industry engagement as Madrona Venture Labs technical advisor and IETF Global Alliance for Internet for All co-chair. His operational research environments include the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) Lab, Change group, and DUB Group (Design. Use. Build.), with ongoing work transitioning community cellular research from academic prototypes to real-world implementation.