Chandrakant Patel, HP Senior Fellow and Chief Engineer
Chandrakant Patel, HP Senior Fellow and the company’s Chief Engineer, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), joining a distinguished group of leaders in the field.
Among the highest professional honors awarded in engineering, NAE membership recognizes outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education," and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."
Patel was honored in particular for his “contributions in thermal and energy management of information technology systems.” He played a key role in establishing HP's leadership in energy-efficient computing by founding HP Labs' thermal technology research program in the early 1990s, and subsequently led the company’s data-center architecture program. In the mid 2000s, he built the sustainability research agenda at HP labs based on thermodynamics fundamentals and drove the creation of a Net Zero Data Center as well as a framework for resource management at city scales. As a technical contributor, and a leader in HP Labs, Patel has led the development of numerous innovations in chips, systems, data centers, storage, networking, print engines, and software platforms.
In addition to his work at HP, Patel has served as an adjunct faculty member in engineering at Chabot College, U.C. Berkeley Extension, San Jose State University, and Santa Clara University. He is an ASME and an IEEE Fellow, and has been granted 151 patents and published more than 150 papers. In 2014, Patel was elected to the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.
“I am truly humbled to be in the company of giants and to be recognized at the national level,” said Patel on receiving the honor. “I also want to recognize my good fortune with respect to the camaraderie I have enjoyed in the company of selfless colleagues I have had at HP.”
Academy members are invited to participate in National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshops and to co-write national reports on engineering issues of importance.
“I very much value the opportunity to serve the nation through participation in the National Academies,” Patel said. “I feel a sense of great obligation to give back in recognition of opportunities I received.”
After moving to the United States from India at age 18, Patel first worked in an Oregon lumber mill while saving money for college. He then studied at the City College of San Francisco before transferring to U.C. Berkeley, where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. “I want to run this playbook for thousands of Chandrakants in our nation’s community college system” said Patel.
Patel will be formally inducted in the Academy at the NAE's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2018.
