Alumni
Welcome to the Jacobs School of Engineering alumni page
WELCOME
As a graduate of UC San Diego's Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering, ranked #11 in the top engineering schools nationally, you are a part of our vast network of visionaries, problem solvers, and trailblazers, shaping industries and driving progress worldwide. Our engineering alumni community, now over 48,000 and continuously growing, remains closely knit no matter where life takes you.
If it's been a while since you last connected, this is an ideal place to start. The alumni office at the Jacobs School is here as your gateway to get involved. Whether you are looking to reunite with fellow Tritons, contribute your time and expertise, or access resources, there's a team ready to support you.
NETWORK AND GROW
Tritons Connect
Tritons Connect is an online community of UC San Diego alumni, students, staff and faculty. It's a Triton exclusive network where you can be matched with a mentor, post and apply for job opportunities, join a community group, access a directory of Triton community members, and so much more!
Career Center Alumni Resources
As you think about what's to come in your professional journey, remember the Career Center can be one part of your strategy. Working with thousands of students and alumni every year, the Career Center understands the trends and has likely experienced or helped with whatever challenge you're facing.
Jacobs School Job & Internship Portal
Jacobs School alumni are sought after by industry leaders for their engineering knowledge and abilities. The Corporate Affiliates Program provides you access to career opportunities brought to you by our Corporate Partners. Create a profile on the Jacobs School Job & Internship Portal, and explore current job openings.
Master of Advanced Studies
Offering three highly critical engineering master's programs tailored to the needs of working, engineering professionals and industry needs, the Master of Advanced Studies degree program allows for students to continue working while earning their master's in an in-class academic environment.
GET INVOLVED
All across the globe, Tritons are networking at one of our signature events, or staying involved in our vibrant alumni community through a regional alumni club or an affinity group. Check out our current line-up of events below.
JANUARY | Regional Events
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UC San Diego Mixer at JPM2025
January 12, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM PT
STEM Kitchen + Garden
Gather with alumni and friends in downtown San Francisco before the start of the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
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Los Angeles Regional Club: Lunar New Year Mixer
January 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM PT
Fifty One
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with a happy hour and hosted appetizers.
Closed
FEBRUARY | Online, Local, Regional Events
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New York Regional Club: Lunar New Year Celebration
February 04, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
Pier 57 Oyster Classroom
Learn and play Hong Kong Style Mahjong while enjoying dumplings with fellow alumni.
Closed
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UC San Diego Alumni Board Public Meeting
February 07, 2025 at 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT
Zoom Meeting
Receive an update from the Alumni Board on their activities and initiatives.
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Jacobs School Alumni in Seattle
February 07, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PT
The Nest Rooftop Bar
Meet and mingle with engineering alumni living in Seattle and the Puget Sound.
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Triton Pregame Celebration at UC Irvine
February 08, 2025 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Newkirk Alumni Center
Enjoy food and drinks with fellow Triton alumni before watching the men's basketball team take on UC Irvine.
Closed
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Entrepreneurial Journey Alumni Speaker Series: Navigating Global Entrepreneurial Opportunities with Nathan Klarer
February 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PT
AL21 Suite, Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, Franklin Antonio Hall
Dive into a discussion around the landscape of global trade and investment with alumnus Nathan Klarer '14.
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UC San Diego Alumni and Friends Reception in San Francisco
February 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM PT
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
Join alumni and friends at the 2025 International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) for an evening of networking and insights from distinguished alumnus Chad R. Walsh, '91.
Closed
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The Basement 10 Year Anniversary Celebration
February 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PT
Join us as we kick off a year-long anniversary celebration with tours, prizes, cake, and meaningful connections. Come celebrate a decade of innovation and community.
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CLAC Alumni Day
February 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM PT
Price Center West - Marshall Room
At this event, current UC San Diego undergraduate students will have the opportunity to ask questions and network with alumni.
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UC ALUMNI CAREER NETWORK | Charting a Green Career: Insights from Environmental Industry Leaders
February 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Explore diverse career paths in environmental science, from sustainability to research. UC alumni will share their experiences, strategies for navigating trends, making career pivots, and overcoming challenges.
Closed
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Seattle Regional Club: February Happy Hour Mixer
February 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Dough Zone Dumpling House Harbor Steps
Enjoy a relaxed evening with hosted appetizers while networking with UC San Diego alumni in the area.
Closed
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UC San Diego Men's Basketball vs Hawai'i
February 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PT
Liontree ArenaCelebrate your Triton pride with a King Triton Bobblehead giveaway and cheer on the team as they compete against Hawai’i!
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Los Angeles Regional Club: Basketball Watch Party
February 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PT
Busby's West
Join the Los Angeles Regional Club for a men's basketball watch party as the Tritons take on the Matadors of Cal State Northridge.
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MARCH | Illustrious Alumni Awards, Regional, Virtual Events
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Washington, D.C. Regional Club: Alumni Happy Hour
March 04, 2025 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
Ella's Wood Fired Kitchen
Join us for a fun opportunity to network and build our alumni community in Washington D.C.!
Closed - New York Regional Club: Tritons Take Off-Broadway featuring Cody Sloan
March 04, 2025 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
Pershing Square
Enjoy a night at the theater and support Triton alum Cody Sloan '21.
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- Taiwan Regional Club: Triton 5K Hike
March 08, 2025 at 9:45 AM – 2:00 PM TT
Chili's Dazhi
Join fellow alumni for a 5K hike in Taipei followed by lunch!
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- Seattle Regional Club: Movie Night
March 14, 2025 at 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM PT
Level Seattle - South Lake Union
Get ready for movie night! We'll be watching the Netflix Documentary "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut".
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- Silicon Valley Regional Club: Happy Hour
March 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM PT
Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant
Join fellow Triton's for the first Silicon Valley Club happy hour of 2025!
More Details
- Los Angeles Regional Club: Autry Museum of the American West Museum Tour
March 23, 2025 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PT
Autry Museum of the American West
More Details
- Triton Table Talk | Leadership Principles to Succeed in Business, Sports, and Life
March 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PT
Whether you're an aspiring leader, a seasoned executive, an athlete, or someone committed to personal growth, this conversation will offer actionable strategies to help you lead with confidence and purpose.
More Details
- Illustrious Alumni Awards: New York
March 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET
Current, The Pier Sixty Collection
More Details
APRIL | Illustrious Alumni Awards, Campus, Regional, Virtual Events
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 60th Anniversary
April 11, 2025 at 9:30 PM – 5:15 PM PT
UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering
More Details
- Legal Bootcamp for Startups with Wilson Sonsini
April 11, 2025 at 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM PT
UC San Diego Design and Innovation Building
Join Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a leader in the representation of life science innovation and technology, as we bring an exclusive boot camp to our entrepreneurial ecosystem. This intensive half-day program is designed for those in the process of —or considering—starting a new venture. Learn from our featured speakers as they cover topics ranging from corporate formation and financing to intellectual property and patent strategies.
More Details
- Illustrious Alumni Awards: Bay Area
April 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM PT
Julia Morgan Ballroom
More Details
- Life After Graduation: Choosing Your Path Forward
April 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM PT
Graduation marks an exciting new chapter, but deciding what comes next can feel overwhelming. Should you dive into your career, pursue graduate school, or take time to explore a gap year? Join us for an insightful virtual conversation designed to help you navigate these pivotal decisions with clarity and confidence.
More Details
- 43rd Annual Research Expo
April 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM PT
Atkinson Courtyard, UC San Diego
More Details
- Triton Giving Day
April 30, 2025
Online
More Details
ALUMNI STORIES
Triton engineers are everywhere, and so is their impact. Read stories from fellow alumni, learn what they do and how they are making the world a better place. Read more on the Jacobs School Alumni Stories page.
Shraddha Chaplot ‘08, a UC San Diego alumna and former electrical engineer, has become a transformative leader in education through her innovative approach to learning.
After transitioning from a technology career, Chaplot founded Playful Ponderies and has led partnerships with several California schools, including Drew School in San Francisco, Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, and York School in Monterey.
Her educational philosophy centers on creating real-world, experiential learning opportunities that empower students to discover their potential and purpose. At each institution, Chaplot developed groundbreaking programs that connect students with industry professionals, enabling them to work on meaningful projects across diverse fields like robotics, mental health, sustainability and design. Her signature approach involves personalized learning experiences that challenge students to think beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
Chaplot’s notable achievements include expanding Drew’s engineering enrollment fourfold, establishing the Innovation @ Saint Francis program with numerous multidisciplinary projects, and launching the Plant A Seed AgTech initiative at York School. Chaplot’s impact is evident through the testimonials of her former students and partners, who describe her as an inspirational educator who instills confidence, curiosity and passion for problem-solving.
Her current mission is to scale her educational model across more high schools, emphasizing that every individual can contribute to society. Chaplot continues to champion her vision of empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators through purposeful, hands-on education.
Read more of Shraddha's story
IN THE KNOW

Keep up with Dean Al P. Pisano and the latest research breakthroughs, recognitions and other great stories at the Jacobs School.

See what the campus and fellow Tritons are up to. You'll find stories, accomplishments and more in the UC San Diego Magazine.
GET IN TOUCH
Tritons and friends,
Extending warm greetings to you. It is a privilege to serve UC San Diego and our alumni in my role as the Director of Alumni Relations.
My commitment is to bolster the bond between alumni and UC San Diego long after graduation. I aim to build connections with alumni and find ways to connect them to the campus, provide them with information and news, recognize their accomplishments, and involve them in our community through events and more.
Along with engagement, I also lead efforts to build and sustain philanthropic opportunities that support the Jacobs School of Engineering in ways that are meaningful to our alumni and their families.
I invite you to connect with me by email, LinkedIn or Tritons Connect to share your story and interests. Go Tritons!
Warmly,
Jesse De La Trinidad
Director of Alumni Relations
UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering
SUPPORT A CAUSE
The gifts we receive from our alumni, regardless of size, have an immediate impact on our community. These contributions provide students with access to top-tier education and facilities, accelerate research, and establish scholarships and fellowships. Philanthropy truly makes a difference, and you can be a part of it.
By making a gift to the Jacobs School of Engineering, you can support the department, program or initiative of your choice.
Support scholarships and fellowships for students
Alumni continue to have a lifelong impact and influence on the university. Support students, both undergraduate and graduate, by making a donation to the Dean's Scholars of Excellence Fund. Students who have demonstrated excellent academic merit from all backgrounds, including underserved communities, will be empowered to excel in their pursuit of education.
Support your top-ranked departments
CONTACT US
We are here to help you create a legacy of support. Get in touch with our team to discuss your giving options, including one-time or recurring gifts, estate gifts, and gifts of stock and other assets.
NEWS

Jacobs School alum charges startup to $1 million prize
October 15, 2018
A startup with a Jacobs School alumnus as its CTO won the $1 million grand prize at 43North, the startup pitch competition with the largest prize pool in the U.S. Christopher Ellis, a 2017 electrical and computer engineering graduate, is the CTO of SparkCharge, which is developing a portable electric vehicle charging system that can fit in the trunk of a car, to make distance limitations on electric cars a thing of the past. Full Story

A Q&A with serial entrepreneur and alumnus Sergey Sundukovskiy
September 13, 2018
Sergey Sundukovskiy earned a degree in computer science here at the Jacobs School of Engineering in 2001. He is now the CTO, CPO and co-founder of Carlsbad-based Raken, a start-up that provides an app and software suite for the construction industry. In this Q&A, Sundukovskiy talks about his career, his memories of UC San Diego and gives some career advice for recent computer science graduates. Full Story

Remembering Kenneth Bowles, Creator of UCSD Pascal
September 7, 2018
Kenneth (Ken) Bowles, a computer science pioneer and professor emeritus at the University of California San Diego, passed away on Aug. 15, 2018 in Solana Beach, Calif. He was 89. Bowles gained world renown for initiating and leading a largely student-driven project that culminated in the creation of the UCSD Pascal programming system in the late 1970s, which included a programming language, an operating system and a whole suite of other tools. UCSD Pascal influenced many aspects of computing that are now ubiquitous, including modern PCs and Macs as well as Sun Microsystem’s Java language. Full Story
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Graduating students honored with Awards for Excellence
June 15, 2018
Here are some highlights from the impressive resumes of the 2018 Jacobs School of Engineering student award winners, recognized by the IDEA Engineering Student Center and Dean Albert P. Pisano at the Ring Ceremony. Full Story

Engineering students and alumni sweep Triton Entrepreneur Night
June 7, 2018
Two teams led by students and alumni of the Jacobs School of Engineering won big at Triton Entrepreneur Night, the signature event of The Basement—an undergraduate business incubator founded in 2015 with support from alumni. The teams competitively pitched their ideas, Shark Tank style, to a panel of esteemed investors and entrepreneurs. Full Story

Above all, build trust
May 24, 2018
For Greg Papadopoulos, a UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering alumnus and partner at NEA, one of the largest venture capital firms in the world, engineering leadership is all about trust. Papadopoulos was awarded the Professional Gordon Fellow honor at the 9th annual Engineering Leadership Awards event run by the Gordon Engineering Leadership Center Full Story

New Blood Test Rapidly Detects Signs of Pancreatic Cancer
May 17, 2018
UC San Diego researchers have developed a test that can screen for pancreatic cancer in just a drop of blood. The test, which is at the proof-of-concept stage, provides results in under an hour. It's simple: apply a drop of blood on a small electronic chip, turn the current on, wait several minutes, add fluorescent labels and look at the results under a microscope. If a blood sample tests positive for pancreatic cancer, bright fluorescent circles will appear. Full Story

You Can Eat That Fork
May 17, 2018
Zhicong “Zack” Kong, a 2017 bioengineering alumnus from UC San Diego, created compostable, durable, edible cutlery that is unique for several reasons:the ingredients, a scalable manufacturing process and an innovative mold technology. Full Story
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Growing Computer Science Tutor Community Reunites at UC San Diego
May 16, 2018
More than 170 current and alumni computer science tutors reunited at UC San Diego in April 2018 to celebrate a program that has become a hallmark of the department and a model for the rest of campus. Full Story

Eight Jacobs School alumni recognized at UC San Diego's first 40 Under 40 awards
April 12, 2018
From startup founders to VPs at major technology companies, eight alumni of the Jacobs School of Engineering were recognized in the first 40 Under 40 awards bestowed by the University of California San Diego. Full Story

A wearable system to monitor the stomach's activity throughout the day
March 21, 2018
A team of researchers has developed a wearable, non-invasive system to monitor electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours—essentially an electrocardiogram but for the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Applications include monitoring GI activity for patients outside of a clinical setting, which cuts down costs. Monitoring for longer periods of time also increases the likelihood of capturing abnormal events. Researchers detail their findings in the March 22 issue of Nature’s open access journal Scientific Reports. Full Story

A Campus Hub for Data Science
March 1, 2018
The cross-disciplinary Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, or HDSI, will become the campus hub for data science. It will help train students in the latest data-science techniques and transform the research of scholars who are now increasingly limited in making progress in their disciplines because of the need to make sense of the massive amounts of data generated from their research. Full Story

How Bacteria Steal Antibiotic-Resistant Genes
February 22, 2018
Researchers at the University of California San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation have identified the mechanism by which a clinically relevant bacterium may gain antibiotic resistance, and have come up with a model for predicting the conditions under which it spreads. The findings, which establish a framework for understanding, quantifying and hopefully combating the emergence of superbugs, were published in a recent paper in eLife. Full Story

Using Computer Science and the Humanities to Step Back in Time
February 15, 2018
A collaborative group of researchers from the University of California San Diego traveled to Turin, Italy recently to digitally map an entire portion of the city—complete with historic architecture, expansive murals and stunning works of art. Full Story

UC San Diego innovator in data storage technologies elected to National Academy of Engineering
February 9, 2018
Eric Fullerton, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and nanoengineering at the Jacobs School and Director of the School's Center for Memory and Recording Research, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering “for invention and development of multilayer, high-density magnetic recording media.” His innovations made it possible for hard disk drives and non-volatile memories to store data at unprecedented levels. Full Story

Engineers, Technology Featured in New National Geographic Documentary on Maya 'Megalopolis'
February 6, 2018
Lost Treasures of the Maya Snake Kings," a new one-hour National Geographic special premiering FEb. 6 at 9/8 p.m. central, shows how LiDAR laser imaging technology is revolutionizing archaeology and features the WAVE data visualization technology created by researchers at the University of California San Diego. Albert Yu-Min Lin, who earned a Ph.D. at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, hosts the program. Full Story

From Class to Clinic
January 11, 2018
It’s not every day that an undergraduate class influences the way surgeons prepare for operations. But that’s exactly what happened with a freshman bioengineering class co-taught by then-PhD student Jason Caffrey ’11, MS ’13‚ and professor Robert Sah. Full Story