Pratish Patel

Pratish Patel is a Professor in the Finance department at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), where he has served on the faculty since 2013. He teaches core courses including Futures and Options and Real Estate Investments.

His educational background:

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech
• M.S. in Financial Engineering from UC Berkeley
• Ph.D. in Business from UC Berkeley

Dr. Patel's research spans real estate economics, financial markets, and asset valuation with emphasis on geographical technology adoption patterns and skyscraper development dynamics. His work intersects urban economics and capital market theory, notably exploring how financial conditions influence architectural decisions as demonstrated in his co-authored paper "Form Follows Finance" with Robert Helsley.

Professional activities include energy trading experience in power, natural gas, and coal markets, plus founding OptiOpt Inc.—a retirement portfolio advisory startup that ultimately ceased operations.