Three UW faculty members elected American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Three University of Washington faculty members have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Their work spans environmental science, computing and engineering, addressing challenges ranging from climate resilience and ecosystem sustainability to artificial intelligence and accessible healthcare technologies. 

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences recognizes leaders across disciplines whose work advances research, public policy and the common good. The Academy elects roughly 250 members each year. 

Daniel Schindler, UW professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, was elected for research on how climate change, urbanization, and land use affect freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. 

Schindler’s work focuses on salmon habitats, watershed health and ecosystem resilience in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, helping scientists better understand how environmental change affects ecosystems, wildlife and communities that rely on fisheries. 

“I’m deeply honored by the recognition,” Schindler said. “I’m also grateful for the colleagues and students at the UW whose curiosity and camaraderie have made our science impactful and genuinely fun.” 

Magdalena Balazinska, professor of computer science and engineering and director of the Allen School, was elected for contributions to data management and data science, as well as her leadership roles at UW and nationally. 

Balazinska develops data management systems and techniques to help users across domains process complex and large datasets more efficiently and more easily, including tabular data, images and videos, content generated by artificial intelligence, and scientific datasets. Her work has included systems for cloud analytics, stream processing, and video analysis among others.   

Balazinska said joining the Academy shows how far science and engineering have come, while also highlighting future opportunities that will arise as AI reshapes research and discovery. 

“AI has the potential to accelerate progress in ways I couldn’t have imagined at the start of my career,” she said. 

Shwetak Patel, professor in the Allen School and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, was elected for research in ubiquitous computing, human-computer interaction and sensor-enabled systems. 

Patel develops technologies that use smartphones, sensors and 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 households monitor energy and water use more efficiently. 

Several technologies developed by Patel and his students have been commercialized through startups and later adopted by major companies, including Google. 

Patel said he was “humbled and honored” by the recognition and wants it to encourage broader thinking about the role of applied computing research. 

“I hope this serves as a catalyst for others to embrace a broader, more practical perspective on what computing can achieve for society,” he said.