Sumi Helal, Ph.D., retired from the department after two and a half decades of service. While on leave from UF, Helal served as professor and chair in Digital Health in the School of Computing and Communication at Lancaster University, U.K. Helal has also founded multiple companies including, Rokoit USA, Pervasa Inc., Phoneomena Inc., and cofounded the Gator Tech Smart House and Spaceify Oy.
“Reflecting on my 25 years at the University of Florida, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to advance the fields of mobile and pervasive computing, the Internet of Things, and digital health. It has been a privilege to teach and mentor so many brilliant undergraduate and graduate students, and to collaborate with esteemed colleagues in pioneering research that has real-world applications. Founding the Gator Tech Smart House and seeing its impact on the lives of older adults has been a highlight of my career,” Helal said.
He has published over 250 journal and conference articles, has nine issued patents, graduated over 20 doctoral students, and published six books during his time as a faculty member at UF.
“I am honored to have contributed to the growth and prestige of the CISE department, and I am proud of the significant research funding my collaborators and I have secured, leading to innovations adopted and licensed by many top tech multinational companies. As I retire, I carry with me cherished memories and a deep appreciation for my UF colleagues, my graduated master’s and Ph.D. students, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. I look forward to seeing the continued success and breakthroughs from the next generation of scholars at CISE and the broader UF scholars community,” Helal said.
By Drew Brown