Shefali V. Patil, Ph.D.
I am an Associate Professor of Management and William R. Spriegel Centennial Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.
Accountability structures are never neutral. What they appear to do and what they actually do are different—and the gap between appearance and reality is where organizations are most exposed. For over fifteen years, my research has examined that gap: how accountability systems, public scrutiny, and competing demands reshape expert judgment inside high-stakes organizations, from military and special operations to law enforcement, healthcare, and cybersecurity.
My current work—spanning management, national security, and law—develops the research foundations, diagnostic tools, and design frameworks for what I call Accountability Engineering: helping critical infrastructure organizations build governance architectures that sustain both procedural rigor and discretionary judgment as they integrate advancing technologies.
I direct the McCombs Management PhD Program, serve on the editorial review board of Organization Science, and was a Visiting Associate Professor of Management & Organizations at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Affiliations:
Senior Fellow, Wharton Accountable AI Lab, University of Pennsylvania
Affiliate, Johns Hopkins University Center for Innovative Leadership (AI & Leadership)
Education:
Ph.D., Managerial Science & Applied Economics, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
B.S., summa cum laude, Management & Organizations, Stern School of Business, New York University
Awards and Honors
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Awarded to faculty who achieve an instructor rating of 4.5+.
Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024
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Student-selected award for creating a highly-inclusive classroom environment that encouraged students from diverse backgrounds to voice their unique perspectives.
Spring 2023
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Awarded to one assistant professor across all departments of the business school each year.
Spring 2021
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Departmental nominee for highest UT system-wide award for extraordinary classroom performance and innovation.
Spring 2021
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Awarded to one assistant professor across all departments of the business school each year.
Spring 2020
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Awarded by the Undergraduate Business Council for exemplary student ratings across several dimensions.
Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020
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Fellowship of selected junior faculty who have demonstrated an early commitment to teaching.
2018-2019