We are pleased to announce that Dr. Omprakash Gnawali has accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the UH Department of Computer Science. He joins the department as an assistant professor at the start of fall semester 2011.

Omprakash, who prefers to go by Om, is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Om's addition enhances the department's growing research strength in experimental computer systems. His recent research focused on low-power wireless and sensor networks and their use in monitoring transportation infrastructures and energy systems in buildings. His work has also influenced the Internet Engineering Task Force on standardization of network protocols for low-power wireless networks.

“Our ability to improve and leverage the integration of sensors, actuators, communication, and computation in our living and working spaces will be the key driver that will improve our well-being – from being able to better relate and connect with each other, to living a healthier life and improving the energy footprint of our civilization,” Om said. “I’m excited to be at UH and look forward to working with undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students on projects that span wireless and sensor networks, network protocols and architecture, mobile sensing and computing, social networks, and distributed systems.”