Indian-origin doctoral student at the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, Anandghan Waghmare has received the 2024 Gaetano Borriello Outstanding Student Award.
The recognition, named after the late Allen School professor Gaetano Borriello, who was a pioneer in applying mobile technologies for social equity and justice, celebrates Anandghan Waghmare’s contributions to ubiquitous computing, impactful societal research, and extensive community service. It was awarded at the ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) and International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC), held in Melbourne, Australia, in October 2024.
“This award is a significant honor in the UbiComp community,” Waghmare said. “I always looked up to and respected each year’s winners for their good work and research.”
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna, Waghmare came to the United States to pursue his master’s degree in interactive intelligence at the Georgia Institute of Technology before pursuing his Ph.D. at the Allen School. His research focuses on enhancing existing devices with innovative, cost-effective hardware.
Notable among his projects is GlucoScreen, a smartphone-based tool for at-home glucose and prediabetes screening. By leveraging built-in smartphone technology, GlucoScreen aims to address accessibility issues in healthcare, particularly in developing countries.
“A lot of technology is already built into these devices like smartphones,” Waghmare explained. “I try to leverage everything in existing devices and add what’s missing.”
Waghmare also developed WatchLink, which augments smartwatches with sensors for UV light, body temperature, and alcohol levels, and the Z-Ring, a wearable enabling context-aware hand interactions. His advisor, Shwetak Patel, praised his innovative work: “Anand’s efforts would make Gaetano so proud given the focus on solving socially meaningful problems in a practical way.”
Beyond his research, Waghmare actively mentors students, promotes STEM education, and contributes to academic conferences. Patel described him as a “great citizen of the research community.”
Reflecting on the honor, Waghmare said, “I am excited to join the ranks of amazing researchers who have won this award before me and hope to encourage other Ph.D. students to apply.”
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