Tirthak Patel is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Rice University, where he directs the Positive Technology Lab, conducting systems-focused research at the intersection of quantum computing and high-performance computing (HPC). His group develops compilers, optimization frameworks, and datasets to advance the practical usability of quantum-classical computing, with a strong emphasis on open-source tools and reproducibility-driven impact. Before joining Rice, he received his BASc with Honours in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto and his PhD in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University.

His research has been recognized with the 2025 IEEE Early Career Researcher Award for Excellence in High Performance Computing. He has also been honored with the ACM/IEEE-CS George Michael Memorial HPC Fellowship, the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS D), and Best Paper Finalist honors at the Supercomputing (SC) and ICCAD conferences. His PhD dissertation has received honorable mentions from ACM SIGHPC and IEEE SPEC. At Rice, he has been awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award and the Career Champion Award for his dedication to student mentorship, with his students winning first places at ACM Student Research Competitions (SRC) and receiving multiple awards and fellowships.

As an active research community member, he has served on technical program committees for flagship systems conferences such as SC, ISCA, MICRO, HPCA, SIGMETRICS, and ICS. He has also served as the program vice co-chair for HiPC, served as an invited speaker on panels, and delivered invited tutorials at conferences like SIGMETRICS and IISWC. He frequently participates in workshops and community discussions on quantum and HPC systems.