My research interest surrounds “Structures as Sensors,” which utilizes the physical properties of devices and structures (e.g., cars, buildings, rooms) as a sensor to discover physical information that surrounds them (e.g., people, roads, animals). As part of this, my work focuses on combining machine learning-based data models, physics models, as well as heuristic models to improve the understanding of the physical systems. This approach is applied to many fields including medicine, eldercare, farming, smart buildings.
I received my PhD in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University and was a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University before joining the University of Michigan in 2021.
While at Princeton University, I developed the ZebraNet system, which is used to track zebras in Kenya. This wireless, ad-hoc, mobile sensor network earned the Test-of-Time award from SenSys 2017. My work has been featured in popular media including CNN, Scientific American, Science Channel, Discovery Channel, CBS News, CNET, Popular Science, and BBC Focus. I am a member of the Department of Defense Computer Science Studies Panel.