Dr. Parekh is Vice President, Research, and Director of United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), responsible for advancing the corporation's commitment to growth through technology and innovation. Prior to joining UTRC in 2007, Dr. Parekh was deputy director of Georgia Tech Research Institute. While at GTRI, he had primary responsibility for research operations, business development, commercialization, and the institute's internal research portfolio. He also served as president of Georgia Tech Ireland, the university's non-profit corporation, which he founded in 2006 to conduct basic and applied research programs with multinational corporations and universities in Europe. Early in his career, he held several positions at Boeing Phantom Works and the McDonnell Douglas Research Laboratories.
Dr. Parekh holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and master's degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering from Stanford University, as well as a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the board of the Connecticut Technology Council.