
Three Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ faculty membersÌýhave been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Their work spans environmental science,ÌýcomputingÌýand engineering, addressing challenges ranging from climate resilience and ecosystem sustainability to artificial intelligence and accessible healthcare technologies.Ìý
Founded in 1780, theÌýÌýrecognizes leaders across disciplines whose work advances research, public policyÌýand the common good. The Academy electsÌýroughly 250Ìýmembers each year.Ìý
,ÌýÄ¢¹½ÊÓÆµÌýprofessorÌýinÌýthe School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, wasÌýelectedÌýfor research on how climate change,Ìýurbanization, andÌýland use affect freshwater ecosystems and fisheries.Ìý
Schindler’s work focuses on salmon habitats, watershed healthÌýand ecosystem resilience in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, helping scientists better understand how environmental change affects ecosystems, wildlifeÌýand communities that rely on fisheries.Ìý
“I’m deeply honored by the recognition,â€� Schindler said. “I’m also grateful for the colleagues and students at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ whoseÌýcuriosityÌýand camaraderie have made our science impactful and genuinely fun.â€�Ìý
,Ìýprofessor of computer science and engineering andÌýdirector of the AllenÌýSchool,Ìýwas electedÌýforÌýcontributions to data management and data science,Ìýas well as her leadership roles at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ and nationally.Ìý
BalazinskaÌýdevelops data management systems and techniquesÌýto help users across domains process complex and large datasets more efficiently and more easily, including tabular data, images and videos,ÌýcontentÌýgenerated byÌýartificial intelligence,Ìýand scientific datasets. Her work has included systems for cloud analytics, streamÌýprocessing, and videoÌýanalysisÌýamong others.ÌýÌýÌý
BalazinskaÌýsaid joining the AcademyÌýshowsÌýhow far science and engineering have come, while alsoÌýhighlighting futureÌýopportunities that willÌýarise as AI reshapes research and discovery.Ìý
“AI has the potential to accelerate progress in ways I couldn’t have imagined at the start of my career,â€� she said.Ìý
, professor in theÌýAllen SchoolÌýand theÌýDepartment of Electrical & Computer Engineering, wasÌýelectedÌýfor research in ubiquitous computing, human-computerÌýinteractionÌýand sensor-enabled systems.Ìý
Patel develops technologies that use smartphones,ÌýsensorsÌýand machine learning to expand access to healthcare and improve sustainability. His work includes smartphone-based health screening tools designed to improve access to care, as well as technologies that help householdsÌýmonitorÌýenergy and water use more efficiently.Ìý
Several technologies developed by Patel and his students have been commercialized through startups and later adopted by major companies, including Google.Ìý
Patel said he was “humbled and honoredâ€� by the recognition andÌýwants it to encourageÌýbroader thinking about the role of applied computing research.Ìý
“I hope this serves as a catalyst for others to embrace a broader, more practical perspective on what computing can achieve for society,â€� he said.Ìý