Jacobs School News Archive
2019 News Releases
2019 research highlights from the Jacobs School of Engineering
December 28, 2019
From building drones for early wildfire detection to studying plant viruses for treating plant and human health, researchers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are continually hard at work innovating solutions for today's global challenges. This year was no exception. Here's a look back at just a few of the ways our engineers made an impact in 2019. Full Story
News Obituary: Y.C. Bert Fung
December 20, 2019
Yuan-Cheng “Bert” Fung, known as “the father of biomechanics” and one of the founders of the discipline of bioengineering at the University of California San Diego, passed away Dec. 15, 2019 of natural causes. He was 100. Full Story
2019 Jacobs School of Engineering highlights
December 19, 2019
A lot happened at the Jacobs School of Engineering in 2019. Here's a look back at just a few of the ways we made bold possible. Full Story
2019 Jacobs School student highlights
December 19, 2019
Our students continually bring fresh approaches to solving our world's most pressing challenges, and 2019 was no different. Here are just a few of the ways Jacobs School of Engineering students made an impact this year. Full Story
Thin hair is stronger than thick hair, study shows
December 13, 2019
Despite being four times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is only half as strong -- that's just one finding from researchers studying the hair strength of many different mammals. Their work shows that thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair because of the way that it breaks. Full Story
UC San Diego launches Institute for Materials Discovery and Design
December 13, 2019
We are pleased to announce the formation of the San Diego Institute for Materials Discovery and Design, a joint initiative of the Jacobs School of Engineering and Division of Physical Sciences at the University of California San Diego. Our goal is to position UC San Diego as the recognized global academic leader in nanoscale and quantum materials design and discovery. The Institute’s unique approach will be to apply data analytics and machine learning together with rapid materials synthesis and multi-scale characterization in order to accelerate the discovery, design, synthesis and evaluation of novel functional materials. Full Story
News Obituary: Professor Joanna McKittrick
December 12, 2019
Joanna McKittrick, a pioneering engineer at the University of California San Diego and a renowned expert in materials science, passed away Nov. 15, 2019. She was 65. McKittrick was one of the first women to join the engineering faculty at UC San Diego in 1988, in what is now the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and was then Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences (AMES). She is remembered by her colleagues as a generous collaborator and by students and alumni as an inspiring and caring mentor. McKittrick was a great advocate for under-represented students in science and engineering and served as research advisor for many undergraduate students through the years. Full Story
UC San Diego undergraduates design Birch Aquarium's first virtual reality exhibit
December 5, 2019
Birch Aquarium at Scripps is breaking a barrier this spring. Instead of allowing visitors to just watch local marine life from behind glass, the aquarium is making it possible for visitors to experience life as fish do—thanks to a 360-degree virtual reality exhibit built by UC San Diego undergraduates. Full Story
UC San Diego Engineering Dean Albert P. Pisano inducted into National Academy of Inventors
December 5, 2019
Albert P. Pisano, professor and dean of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, has been named a 2019 fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). UC San Diego bioengineering faculty affiliate Paul Citron and electrical engineering alumna Mihri Ozkan (Ph.D. ECE ‘01) are also among the 168 new fellows inducted into National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows in 2019. Full Story
Machine learning provides new paradigm in understanding microbial gene regulation
December 4, 2019
UC San Diego bioengineers developed a method that would enable them to understand how E. coli coordinate their expression of thousands of genes. The method uses a machine learning algorithm to automatically interpret gene expression datasets. Full Story
New record set for cracking encryption keys
December 4, 2019
An international team of computer scientists had set a new record for two of the most important computational problems that are the basis for nearly all of the public-key cryptography that is currently used in the real world. Full Story
Understanding and Combating the Economic Pull of Cybercrime
November 27, 2019
Neha Chachra works as an Engineering Manager at Facebook, where she has been employed since 2016, leading a team that protects Facebook against abusive links, protecting the platform from harmful URLs that expose users to phishing, spamming and malware. The work is a natural progression of her research and interests at UC San Diego, where she received her Ph.D. in 2015. Full Story
How diversity of respiratory quinones affects microbial physiology
November 25, 2019
A new study provides a fundamental understanding of the diversification of small molecules called respiratory quinones and its adaptive consequences in bacterial species. Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego specifically examined how respiration is affected by different types of quinones present in bacteria growing in aerobic environments. Full Story
UC San Diego Bioengineering Department Makes Strong Showing in List of Highly Cited Researchers Around the World
November 25, 2019
Eleven faculty members and affiliates of the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California San Diego are among the world’s most influential in their fields, according to a new research citation report from the Web of Science Group. UC San Diego played key roles in launching the discipline of bioengineering over 50 years ago, and the new report is yet another indicator that the Department of Bioengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering continues to shape the future of bioengineering. Full Story
San Diego Union Tribune covers Franklin Antonio Hall
November 25, 2019
San Diego Union Tribune covers Franklin Antonio Hall groundbreaking celebration. Full Story
UC San Diego Institute for the Global Entrepreneur launches Medtech Accelerator, Shah Family Fellowships, and Founders Fund
November 21, 2019
During its inaugural showcase, the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur announced it’s launching a new MedTech Accelerator, as well as the Shah Family Entrepreneur Fellowship, and a new IGE Founders Fund, seeded with an initial $1 million philanthropic gift from the Legler Benbough Foundation. Full Story
Franklin Antonio Hall Groundbreaking Celebration
November 21, 2019
The University of California San Diego celebrated the groundbreaking of its newest engineering building, Franklin Antonio Hall, on Friday. The building is designed for active learning, collaborative research and the transfer of innovation to society. Full Story
I Sit in the Red Chair Because...
November 21, 2019
They came in droves to sit in the Red Chair–graduate students, undergrads, faculty, staff, deans, the chancellor. They came to express their thoughts on diversity—and the results were powerful.“I sit so that one day every student can look at their classroom and see people who are like them,” said undergrad Joyaan Bhesania."I sit for my ancestors who could not,” said Becky Petitt, Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “And I'm grateful that they opened doors for me to be able to sit here.” Full Story
Vicious Circles: Ring-shaped DNA Provides Cancer Cells with a Malignant Twist
November 20, 2019
Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA encodes information, not only in its sequence but also in its shape. Building upon previous revelatory work, a team of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego, the UC San Diego branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, report that in cancer, distinct doughnut-shaped circles of extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) are found abundantly in human tumor cells; change how cancer-related oncogenes are expressed; promote aggressive malignant behavior; and play a key role in the ability of tumors to evolve quickly and resist threats, such as chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments. Full Story
This App Teaches Sketching Skills to Improve Graduation Rates in Science and Engineering
November 19, 2019
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a touchscreen app to teach students how to sketch 2D projections and 3D views freehand. This teaches students spatial visualization--the ability to think in 3D. This skill is important in many STEM fields, from Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) in engineering to using ultrasound for medical procedures. The Spatial Vis Engineering app is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for phones and tablets, and can also run on newer Chromebooks. Full Story
Thermodynamics could be the future of computing, researchers say
November 18, 2019
As Moore’s Law reaches its limits, thermodynamic computing might prove to be the future of the field, says a new report from an international team of 38 researchers led by UC San Diego professor of practice Todd Hylton, released this month. Full Story
UC San Diego to celebrate Franklin Antonio Hall Groundbreaking
November 15, 2019
The University of California San Diego will celebrate the groundbreaking of its newest engineering building, Franklin Antonio Hall, on November 15, 2019. The building is designed for collaborative research, active learning and transfer of innovation to society. Full Story
UC San Diego Alumni Power San Diego Robotics Ecosystem
November 14, 2019
From companies worth billions of dollars to startups employing a small number of people, UC San Diego engineering alumni are at the core of the robotics ecosystem here in San Diego County.This was clearly evident at the sixth annual robotics forum organized by the UC San Diego Contextual Robotics Institute Nov. 7. The forum focused exclusively on local companies this year and was dubbed the San Diego Robotics Forum for the occasion. The goal was to showcase the breadth and depth of the region’s robotics strengths, and solidify San Diego’s reputation as Robot Beach. Full Story
New chip for waking up small wireless devices could extend battery life
November 12, 2019
A new power saving chip could significantly reduce or eliminate the need to replace batteries in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wearables. The so-called wake-up receiver wakes up a device only when it needs to communicate and perform its function, saving on power use. Full Story
Self-Driving Mail Delivery Begins on Campus
November 12, 2019
Harry Potter had his magical owl, Hedwig, to bring him mail. UC San Diego has driverless cars. If you’ve seen carts that look like they’re driving themselves on the road around Warren and Sixth College this quarter, you have not been imagining things. Two self-driving vehicles have been delivering mail to the two colleges since September. Full Story
From jungle huts to city apartments: how do chemicals and microbes differ?
November 7, 2019
Researchers at University of California San Diego, Rutgers and other universities compared microscopic materials in homes and people’s bodies, spanning the spectrum of urbanization in the Amazon basin. They found that the diversity of chemicals clinging to indoor surfaces increases dramatically with urbanization. Most notably, they found more fungi, industrial chemicals, cleaning agents and molecules derived from medications in city homes but not in rural or jungle homes. Full Story
The Race to Stay Ahead of Wildfires
November 7, 2019
As if to keep up with the growing frequency and intensity of wildfires throughout California, a network of wildfire-spotting cameras grew from 35 stations last year to more than 300 as of late October. The ALERTWildfire system co-developed by UC San Diego is one of several products created by the university that are improving the technological capability of western states to deal with wildfires now that the once-rare catastrophic events are becoming commonplace. Jacobs School researchers are also working on this effort, developing drones to spot wildfires before they get out of control. Full Story
Researchers receive $2.3M in NSF grants to investigate how robots can be used to provide personalized healthcare
November 6, 2019
Computer science professor Laurel Riek is the lead researcher on $2.3 million in new grants from the National Science Foundation to investigate how intelligent, personalized robots can be used to support neurorehabilitation for adults with mild cognitive impairment and adults recuperating from a stroke. Full Story
Cubic Strengthens Private-Academia Partnership with UC San Diego
November 6, 2019
Cubic Corporation has announced its philanthropic support of the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. In acknowledgement of this support, Cubic is the first corporate partner to be slated for recognition within UC San Diego’s planned new engineering building project, Franklin Antonio Hall. Full Story
Measuring cell-cell forces using snapshots from time-lapse videos of cells
November 5, 2019
A new computational method can measure the forces cells exert on each other by analyzing time-lapse videos of cell colonies. It could enable researchers to gain fundamental insights into what role intercellular forces play in cellular biology and how they differ in healthy and diseased states. Full Story
Hard to study mutations implicated in the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia and more
November 5, 2019
Hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats, known as STRs or microsatellites, are implicated in the expression of genes associated with complex traits including schizophrenia, inflammatory bowel disease and even height and intelligence. That’s the conclusion of a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of Nature Genetics by a team of researchers at the University of California San Diego. They were led by Melissa Gymrek, a UC San Diego professor of computer science and medicine, and Alon Goren, a UC San Diego professor of medicine. Full Story
Researchers Receive $2.8 Million Grant to Study Hidden Biases in Healthcare
November 4, 2019
Nadir Weibel, an associate professor in UC San Diego’s Computer Science and Engineering Department and head of the Human-Centered and Ubiquitous Computing Lab, and collaborators Andrea Hartzler, Wanda Pratt and Janice Sabin at the University of Washington (UW) have received a $2.8 million grant from the National Library of Medicine to launch UnBIASED, a project to study hidden biases in healthcare and develop methods to help rectify them. Full Story
UC San Diego Scientists Awarded Nearly $5 Million to Study Triggers of Deadly, Toxic Algal Blooms
October 29, 2019
Researchers from the University of California San Diego want to know what causes an oceanic algal bloom to turn deadly. To find out, researchers are gearing up to hunt for blooms along California’s coast using a suite of technologies that can target and sample ocean microbes and sift through genetic code in real time. All of this is made possible by a new $4.9 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The multidimensional effort will build upon recent discoveries about these temperamental microscopic algae under a project funded by NOAA’s Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB), a nationally competitive research funding program. Full Story
Robotics Forum will showcase San Diego region's expertise
October 28, 2019
The UC San Diego Contextual Robotics Institute is organizing its sixth annual robotics forum on Thursday, November 7, showcasing the breadth and depth of the San Diego region’s expertise in robotics. Full Story
Micromotors push around single cells and particles
October 25, 2019
A new type of micromotor—powered by ultrasound and steered by magnets—can move around individual cells and microscopic particles in crowded environments without damaging them. In one demonstration, the micromotor manipulated silica particles to spell out letters. Researchers also controlled the micromotors to climb up microsized blocks and stairs, demonstrating their ability to move over three dimensional obstacles. Full Story
Study provides framework for 1 billion years of green plant evolution
October 23, 2019
An international consortium of nearly 200 plant scientists, including engineers at UC San Diego, has released gene sequences for more than 1100 plant species, the culmination of a nine-year research project. The advance was made possible in large part thanks to the development of new computational tools for sequence assembly and phylogenetic analysis. Full Story
UC San Diego at Epicenter of Earthquake Research
October 21, 2019
From the world’s largest outdoor earthquake simulator to an international network of seismic stations, UC San Diego is a living laboratory for seismic safety. Researchers across campus are trying to improve the understanding and detection of earthquakes; provide immediate information about damages sustained after an event; and improve the safety of structures to better withstand major earthquakes. Full Story
Pioneering bioengineer Shu Chien retires after 31 years at UC San Diego
October 17, 2019
UC San Diego bioengineering professor Shu Chien made many foundational scientific discoveries over the course of his 62-year academic career, ranging from uncovering a key reason why sedentary lifestyles can be unhealthy to how to more efficiently screen for adverse effects of small molecule drugs in patients. He taught hundreds of students, colleagues and collaborators not only how to do good science, but how to be a better person. Full Story
Piranha-proof fish scales offer inspiration for better armor
October 16, 2019
Material scientists have discovered what makes the scales of the massive Amazonian freshwater fish, Arapaima gigas, resistant to breaking when a piranha bites. The answer could serve as inspiration for stronger, lightweight and flexible synthetic armors. Full Story
Drug-light combo could offer control over CAR T-cell therapy
October 15, 2019
UC San Diego bioengineers are a step closer to making CAR T-cell therapy safer, more precise and easy to control. They developed a system that allows them to select where and when CAR T cells get turned on so that they destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells. Full Story
Clingfish biology inspires better suction cup
October 15, 2019
A team of engineers and marine biologists built a better suction cup inspired by the mechanism that allows the clingfish to adhere to both smooth and rough surfaces, such as rocks in the area where the tide comes and goes. Researchers reverse engineered the clingfish’s suction disk and developed devices that cling well to wet and dry objects both in an out of water. The devices can hold up to hundreds of times their own weight. They could be used in a wide range of applications from handling and packaging for produce, to robotic grippers in manufacturing, to the recovery of archaeological artifacts. Full Story
These new soft actuators could make soft robots less bulky
October 11, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed a way to build soft robots that are compact, portable and multifunctional. The advance was made possible by creating soft, tubular actuators whose movements are electrically controlled, which makes them easy to integrate with small electronic components. Full Story
Building binational bridges through STEM
October 10, 2019
For seven weeks this summer, 120 high school and college students called UC San Diego’s campus home as they conducted groundbreaking research on how the human brain works, how to design materials to withstand earthquakes, how to build safer batteries, and 57 equally challenging topics. These students hailed from both the United States and Mexico, and were here to use science as a means of developing friendships that will last a lifetime, and maybe even trickle down to more positive binational relations. Full Story
18 New Faculty Hires at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering in Fall 2019
October 9, 2019
The Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego welcomes 18 new faculty in 2019. The Jacobs School of Engineering hires faculty with clear-eyed determination, technical smarts, creativity, and the openness to collaborate across disciplines and industries. Full Story
Bioengineering Pioneer Y.C. Bert Fung Turns 100
October 3, 2019
Thousands of professors, engineers, scientists and students around the world work in the field of biomechanics, the study of physics and mechanics applied to living tissues. But they are all somehow connected to Professor Y.C. “Bert” Fung at the University of California San Diego. Some use Fung’s findings in their work. Others were trained by or worked with Fung’s students. A core group studied directly under him. Fung realized that physics and mechanics apply to living tissues just as they do to manmade structures. He is often referred to as “the father of biomechanics.” Full Story
Three UC San Diego Researchers Receive Top Honors with NIH Director's Awards
October 1, 2019
Three UC San Diego researchers have received prestigious awards through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, including the Pioneer Award and the New Innovator Award. Full Story
Five UC San Diego Bioengineering graduate students honored as Siebel Scholars
September 25, 2019
Five UC San Diego bioengineering graduate students working at the interface of biology, engineering and health have been honored as 2020 Siebel Scholars. They are working to deepen our understanding of the gut microbiome; more accurately diagnose diseases like stroke; develop biomarkers for metastasis; innovate to repair the heart after a heart attack; and engineer T cells to suppress tumor growth. Full Story
Adding Code to High School STEM Classes
September 23, 2019
Bootstrap seeks to change that. Based at Brown University, the nationwide program gives teachers better tools to integrate computing into their classrooms. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering has been part of the program for nearly a decade. In early August, assistant teaching professor Joseph Politz led a group of San Diego Unified School District math and science teachers through a three-day seminar. Full Story
Strip Steak: Bacterial Enzyme Removes Inflammation-Causing Meat Carbohydrates
September 23, 2019
When we eat red meat, the animal carbohydrate Neu5Gc is incorporated in our tissues, where it generates inflammation. UC San Diego researchers discovered how gut bacteria enzymes strip our cells of Neu5Gc, introducing the possibility of using the enzymes to reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases. Full Story
Perturbed Genes Regulating White Blood Cells Linked to Autism Genetics and Severity
September 23, 2019
Researchers at UC San Diego say they are getting closer to identifying the mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder, revealing a critical gene network that is disrupted and which helps predict severity of symptoms. Full Story
Research Reveals Self-sharpening Mechanism in Sea Urchin Teeth
September 19, 2019
Even millions of chewing cycles and regular contact with rocks and hard shells can’t dull sea urchins’ teeth. New research from Northwestern Engineering researchers, in collaboration with the University of California San Diego, reveals that the chemical composition and microstructure of sea urchin teeth are optimized for sharpness preservation – findings with the potential to influence the design of tools for mining, boring, and machining operations. Full Story
Undergraduate engineers advance shock wave mitigation research
September 13, 2019
A team of undergraduate engineers at UC San Diego has discovered a method that could make materials more resilient against massive shocks such as earthquakes or explosions. The students, conducting research in the structural engineering lab of Professor Veronica Eliasson, used a shock tube to generate powerful explosions within the tube—at Mach 1.2 to be exact, meaning faster than the speed of sound. They then used an ultra high-speed camera to capture and analyze how materials with certain patterns fared. Full Story
Phase 1 trial shows hydrogel to repair heart is safe to inject in humans--a first
September 11, 2019
Ventrix, a University of California San Diego spin-off company, has successfully conducted a first-in-human, FDA-approved Phase 1 clinical trial of an injectable hydrogel that aims to repair damage and restore cardiac function in heart failure patients who previously suffered a heart attack. Full Story
Study uncovers metabolic cause for rare eye disease
September 11, 2019
An international team of researchers has discovered a cause for a rare eye disease affecting the macula that leads to loss of central vision, called macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). Using genetic and metabolic data from patients with MacTel, researchers found that the disease is driven by reduced levels of the amino acid serine and accumulation of toxic lipids called deoxysphingolipids. Full Story
Synthetic Biologists Extend Functional Life of Cancer Fighting Circuitry in Microbes
September 5, 2019
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a method to significantly extend the life of gene circuits used to instruct microbes to do things such as produce and deliver drugs, break down chemicals and serve as environmental sensors. Most of the circuits that synthetic biologists insert into microbes break or vanish entirely from the microbes after a certain period of time—typically days to weeks—because of various mutations. But in the September 6, 2019 issue of the journal Science, the UC San Diego researchers demonstrated that they can keep genetic circuits going for much longer. Full Story
How to simulate softness
August 30, 2019
UC San Diego researchers discovered clever tricks to design materials that replicate different levels of perceived softness. The findings provide fundamental insights into designing tactile materials and haptic interfaces that can recreate realistic touch sensations. Full Story
NIH awards researchers $3.1 million grant to improve treatment of common pediatric heart condition
August 26, 2019
An international team of researchers received a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to discover new and better ways to treat a pediatric congenital heart condition known as tetralogy of Fallot, which affects a total of 85,000 individuals in the United States. Full Story
Lasers enable engineers to weld ceramics, no furnace required
August 22, 2019
Using lasers, engineers have developed a new ceramic welding technology that works in ambient conditions, making it more practical than traditional methods that require melting the parts in a furnace at extremely high temperatures. This could make it possible to build ceramic-encased electronics. Full Story
Study identifies main culprit behind lithium metal battery failure
August 21, 2019
UC San Diego researchers have discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail, challenging a long-held belief in the field. The study presents new ways to boost battery performance and brings research a step closer to incorporating lithium anodes into rechargeable batteries. Full Story
Triton RoboSub makes its debut at international competition
August 21, 2019
The UC San Diego Triton RoboSub team may be new, but they are already making a big splash. The team of 12 students was formed in 2019 and entered the International RoboSub Competition in July, qualifying for semifinals at their autonomous submarine competition debut. Full Story
Researchers Adopting Global Approach to Studying Microplastics and Microfibers
August 20, 2019
Scientists at UC San Diego are working to understand plastic degradation in the ocean, particularly smaller particles called microplastics and related microfibers. They are monitoring microfibers around the world to better understand how these fibers enter and spread in the environment, while also partnering with industry to identify possible avenues to limit plastic pollution and develop remediation strategies. Full Story
New bioengineering master's degree bridges engineering and medicine
August 19, 2019
The University of California San Diego Department of Bioengineering is launching a new master’s degree meant to provide engineering students with exposure to the practice of medicine. The Master of Science in Bioengineering; Medical Specialization is a one-year program at the Jacobs School of Engineering that will prepare engineering students for careers in the biomedical industry, or bolster students’ clinical exposure in preparation for medical school. Full Story
From Star to Sun: The Qualcomm Institute's CAVE Expands
August 15, 2019
Tucked into a cozy-feeling room on the first floor of the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute’s Atkinson Hall are 70 screens, bundles of cables and 35 computer nodes that make up a powerful system that can process massive amounts of data transmitted over the Internet from researchers all over the US or even Antarctica. It's the SunCAVE—the world’s highest resolution walk-in virtual reality (VR) environment. It’s one that doctors, archaeologists, musicians, computer scientists and students are using to create new means for discovery, healing and understanding. Full Story
App allows inspectors to find gas pump skimmers faster
August 14, 2019
A team of computer scientists at UC San Diego and the University of Illinois has developed an app that allows state and federal inspectors to detect devices that steal consumer credit and debit card data at gas pumps. The devices, known as skimmers, use Bluetooth to transmit the data they steal. Full Story
Thinnest optical waveguide channels light within just three layers of atoms
August 12, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed the thinnest optical device in the world—a waveguide that is three layers of atoms thin. The work is a proof of concept for scaling down optical devices to sizes that are orders of magnitude smaller than today’s devices. It could lead to the development of higher density, higher capacity photonic chips. Full Story
Forum heralds arrival of first stage of commercial 5G
August 8, 2019
“It is here.” That was the message from Sanyogita Shamsunder, vice president of Technology Development at Verizon, and the overall theme of the 2019 5G and Beyond Forum hosted by the Center for Wireless Communications at UC San Diego. After years of planning, testing and innovating, 5G has arrived, though there are still challenges to overcome before it’s ubiquitous. Full Story
Eye-controlled soft lens paves way to soft human-machine interfaces
August 2, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed a soft robotic lens whose movements are controlled by the eyes—blink twice and the lens zooms in and out; look left, right, up or down and the lens will follow. The lens is the first example of an interface between humans and soft machines. Full Story
Graeve selected by HACU as inaugural leadership fellow
August 1, 2019
Jacobs School of Engineering professor Olivia Graeve has been selected by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as a fellow in its inaugural Presidential Leadership Academy. The program, also known as La Academia de Liderazgo, is designed to increase Hispanic representation in top leadership positions in higher education. Full Story
Y. Shirley Meng Named Editor-in-Chief of MRS Energy & Sustainability
July 29, 2019
UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Y. Shirley Meng has been named Editor-in-Chief of the journal MRS Energy & Sustainability. Full Story
New Award and Symposium Commemorate Professor Emeritus H. H. Wieder
July 23, 2019
A new award and symposium established through the UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering honor the late Herman “Harry” Wieder, professor emeritus of Applied Physics at UC San Diego. An expert in solid-state electronics, quantum wells and superlattice materials and devices, Wieder was a leader in his field and created a lasting legacy by mentoring the next generation of scientists. Full Story
IEEE Honors Daniel Sievenpiper with Prestigious John Kraus Antenna Award
July 15, 2019
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recognized Daniel Sievenpiper, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego, with the 2019 John Kraus Antenna Award. The award is granted to those whose research contributes to significant advances in antenna technology. Full Story
Get up and go bots getting closer, study says
July 15, 2019
Robotics researchers at the University of California San Diego have for the first time used a commercial 3D printer to embed complex sensors inside robotic limbs and grippers. But they found that materials commercially available for 3D printing still need to be improved before the robots can be fully functional. Full Story
Hate spoilers? This AI tool spots them for you
July 8, 2019
Did social media spoil the Avengers’ Endgame movie for you? Or maybe one of the Game of Thrones books? A team of researchers from the University of California San Diego is working to make sure that doesn’t happen again. They have developed an AI-based system that can flag spoilers in online reviews of books and TV shows. Full Story
Three UC San Diego Engineering Professors Receive Presidential Early Career Awards
July 3, 2019
Three faculty members at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. Full Story
NSF funds UC San Diego plan to generate, and study, the world's first high-intensity laser pulses shaped like a corkscrew
July 2, 2019
UC San Diego mechanical engineers have calculations for how to create high-intensity twisted laser beams – a flavor of laser pulse the world has likely never seen. These researchers also have done the math on how to use these corkscrew shaped laser pulses to do cutting-edge research. Finally, they have predictions on how the materials that they plan to “drill” into with corkscrew light pulses will respond. Full Story
A cold-tolerant electrolyte for lithium-metal batteries emerges in San Diego
July 1, 2019
Improvements to a class of battery electrolyte first introduced in 2017 – liquefied gas electrolytes – could pave the way to a high-impact and long-sought advance for rechargeable batteries: replacing the graphite anode with a lithium-metal anode. The research, published July 1, 2019 by the journal Joule, builds on innovations first reported in Science in 2017 by the same research group at the University of California San Diego and the university spinout South 8 Technologies. Full Story
In memory of Robert Hecht-Nielsen, an influential neuroscientist, entrepreneur and UC San Diego professor
July 1, 2019
Robert Hecht-Nielsen was an influential neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and electrical engineering professor at the University of California San Diego. He passed away in his sleep on May 26, 2019 in Del Mar, Calif. He was 71 years old. A pioneer in the development of neural networks, Hecht-Nielsen authored the first textbook on the subject, Neurocomputing, in 1989. Full Story
Students recognized for smart wheelchair research at CHI
June 27, 2019
A team of undergraduates from UC San Diego won third place in the student research competition at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in Glasgow, Scotland. Their research aimed to understand the needs of wheelchair users, and develop an affordable, smart wheelchair kit with multiple levels of autonomy. Full Story
Graduating IDEA Scholars embrace new challenges
June 27, 2019
Among the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering’s class of about 1,600 students that graduated with baccalaureate degrees on June 15 were 41 IDEA Scholars. These students from first generation or underrepresented backgrounds in engineering chose to go above and beyond the already taxing coursework required to earn an engineering degree, and participate in mentoring programs, technical workshops, serve as peer education leaders, and push and support each other through to graduation. Full Story
Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute Welcomes New Partnership with Viasat
June 26, 2019
A new partnership was announced today aiming to strengthen data science educational resources delivered through the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI), the data science hub at the University of California San Diego, as the year-old Institute welcomed the global communications company Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) as one of its first Founding Industry Partners. Full Story
UC San Diego engineering students help 5-year-old move arms again
June 25, 2019
Five-year-old Max Ng was a perfectly healthy boy until, at the age of two, he contracted a rare virus called acute flaccid myelitis. Similar to polio, the virus attacked the nerves in his spinal cord, leaving his arms limp at his sides. Max hasn’t been able to lift or lower his arms on his own to use his fully-functioning hands for the three years since.Now, thanks to a lightweight motorized exoskeleton built by four UC San Diego undergraduate engineering students, Max is moving his arms to feed himself and play with his parents. Full Story
Which Climates Are Best for Passive Cooling Technologies?
June 25, 2019
A group of University of California San Diego researchers set out to gain a better understanding of the thermal balance of power plants and surfaces, like heliostat mirrors or solar panels, when exposed to both solar and atmospheric radiation. They quickly realized that they would first need to determine what roles cloud cover and relative humidity play in the transparency of the atmosphere to radiation at temperatures common on Earth. Full Story
UC San Diego undergraduates awarded Strauss Scholarship for biology, music outreach
June 17, 2019
Two UC San Diego undergraduate students were named Donald A. Strauss Foundation Public Service Scholars, and were awarded a $15,000 prize to pursue their social change and public service projects. Full Story
Supercomputers aid in novel simulations of gamma ray generation research
June 17, 2019
UC San Diego mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate student Tao Wang recently demonstrated how an extremely strong magnetic field, similar to that on the surface of a neutron star, can be not only generated but also detected using an x-ray laser inside a solid material. Full Story
Graduating students honored at Ring Ceremony
June 14, 2019
On June 15, about 1,600 students will earn baccalaureate degrees in engineering, making the Jacobs School the third largest engineering school in the country, and second in the number of women earning engineering baccalaureates. All of these students are exceptional and have made a positive impact on our community, but 11 students were selected from among their peers as particularly outstanding. Full Story
Educational Vision Technologies Scales Up with Seed Round
June 13, 2019
After winning just about every entrepreneur and startup pitch challenge on UC San Diego’s campus, raising $100,000 in a friends and family investment round, being accepted into the local Connect Springboard incubator program and securing paid pilot programs with two universities, Educational Vision Technologies is ready to scale up. Full Story
Changing the World One Startup at a Time
June 13, 2019
UC San Diego celebrates a year of innovation, including several engineering startups and technology license deals. Full Story
Engineers use graph networks to accurately predict properties of molecules and crystals
June 10, 2019
Nanoengineers at UC San Diego have developed new deep learning models that can accurately predict the properties of molecules and crystals. The models can enable researchers to rapidly scan the nearly-infinite universe of compounds to discover potentially transformative materials for various applications, such as high-energy density Li-ion batteries, warm-white LEDs, and better photovoltaics. Full Story
How UCSD changed my life and might change your life too: A Q&A with ECE alumnus Dan Chang
June 10, 2019
Dan Chang feels that he left the world a better place after his 30 years in industry and credits his time at UC San Diego with putting him on that path. He is passionate about ensuring that our current engineering students know that they are capable of doing more than making a lot of money with their degree. Full Story
Making Art with AI
June 10, 2019
In Machine Learning for the Arts, Robert Twomey, a postdoctoral researcher, teaches students how to use tools commonly associated with artificial intelligence applications in computer science and engineering--to create and modify text, images, drawings, videos and more. Full Story
Smart, sustainable, safe transportation effort expands
June 7, 2019
The Smart Transportation Innovation Program, a UC San Diego-based global collaboration of academic, industry and community partners, celebrated its first year with a workshop highlighting the progress the program has made toward its goal of smart, sustainable and safe transportation solutions, and offering ideas of what the consortium will focus on in the future. Full Story
Gordon Center Celebrates 10 years, honors Engineering Leadership Award recipients
June 7, 2019
On Thursday, May 23rd the Gordon Engineering Leadership Center at UC San Diego held its annual awards ceremony, recognizing six outstanding student engineering leaders and three industry professionals who exemplify the qualities of an engineering leader. This year’s celebration marked a particularly special occasion: the Gordon Center’s 10th year of developing strong and effective engineering leaders through its leadership programs and workshops. Full Story
Project in a Box: Dream it. Build it.
June 6, 2019
An Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department program at UC San Diego designed to motivate and empower undergraduate students has found a creative way to challenge young people to think outside the box by first asking them to dive into one. Project in a Box is a student-led organization at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering that originated in 2016 with a mission to make experiential learning more accessible to undergraduate students on campus. Full Story
Putting Earth Science Skills to Use.....on Mars
June 6, 2019
Hannah Munguia, a UC San Diego environmental engineering student with an earth science minor, had a revelation when she worked on the MARS 2020 Rover as an intern at NASA: there’s a place for environmental science and engineering in the aerospace world. That’s because aerospace technology is critical to shedding light on phenomena happening here on Earth. Full Story
Researchers discover what makes deep-sea dragonfish teeth transparent
June 5, 2019
Researchers discovered what makes the teeth of the deep-sea dragonfish transparent. This unique adaptation, which helps camouflage the dragonfish from their prey, results from their teeth having an unusually crystalline nanostructure mixed with amorphous regions. The findings could provide “bioinspiration” for transparent ceramics. Full Story
SIGGRAPH Awards Recognize Computer Science Researchers
May 29, 2019
Ravi Ramoorthi has been inducted into the SIGGRAPH Academy for his groundbreaking theoretical work in mathematical representations of visual appearance, and for translating these into computational methods with wide practical impact. Two additional VisComp-affiliated researchers also received SIGGRAPH Awards recognition. Full Story
Passion Project
May 28, 2019
Will Tanaka, a nanoengineering sophomore at UC San Diego, is growing mushrooms from food waste. He first discovered what is called “environmental farming” from a pair of UC Berkeley graduates, who founded a startup for sustainable planters that allow people to grow mushrooms, herbs and more right on their windows. Tanaka took this knowledge to Roger’s Community Garden, a student-run space in Revelle College, where he began to grow his own fungi. “My project involves collecting coffee and tea waste from on-campus vendors like Tapioca Express, Starbucks, Art of Espresso and Sunshine Market to grow edible oyster mushrooms,” said Tanaka. “That way we can directly convert food waste biomass to food.” Full Story
Fast-Food Breakfast Combo May Feature Digestive Enzymes on the Prowl and Diabetes
May 28, 2019
In a paper recently published online in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, physicians and bioengineers at the University of California San Diego used a new set of fluorescent peptides to illuminate a molecular digestive enzyme mechanism that occurs after consumption of a typical fast-food chain American-style breakfast, one that may be contributing to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Full Story
Engineering Students Find New, Unexpected Careers in Biomedicine
May 28, 2019
Two years ago, as fourth-year undergraduate students majoring in engineering, Yan Gong and Lu Xu had no idea they were about to enter the world of biomedicine. They were in a circuits class when their professor recommended them for positions in Imanuel Lerman’s lab, which was searching for students to help with developing a treatment for chronic pain. One of their first meetings with Lerman was at a hospital where Lerman, associate professor with UC San Diego’s Department of Anesthesiology, asked the two students to solve an issue with interference that was jamming his medical research neurotechnology devices. Without his tools, he couldn’t accurately measure his patients’ physiological responses to a novel neurotechnology he hoped would dampen their responses to pain. Full Story
Power Prof
May 23, 2019
Nicholas Abi-Samra brings his expertise and experience to the University of California San Diego, where he is offering a series of classes on power systems in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. This quarter, he is teaching a class on power grid resilience for adverse conditions, a one-of-a-kind-course based on the textbook he authored, which was endorsed by North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the watchdog for utilities in the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. To Abi-Samra’s knowledge, it’s the only class of its kind to be offered in the United States. Full Story
Two Jacobs School alumni to be recognized at UC San Diego Alumni Awards Celebration
May 23, 2019
Taner Halicioglu, a computer science alumnus, will be recognized as Outstanding Alumnus during the 2019 Alumni Awards Celebration Weekend, May 31 to June 2. True Xiong, an electrical and computer engineering alumnus, will be recognized as a Changemaker. Full Story
Data science helps engineers discover new materials for solar cells and LEDs
May 22, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed a high-throughput computational method to design new materials for next generation solar cells and LEDs. Their approach generated 13 new material candidates for solar cells and 23 new candidates for LEDs. Calculations predicted that these materials, called hybrid halide semiconductors, would be stable and exhibit excellent optoelectronic properties. Full Story
Two engineers win Excellence in Stewardship awards
May 22, 2019
Shu Chien, a professor of bioengineering and the department’s founding chair, and Jesse DeWald, staff director of the Envision Arts and Engineering Maker Studio, were both recognized with Excellence in Stewardship awards this year. Full Story
Jesse Jokerst Wins National Science Foundation CAREER Award
May 21, 2019
Jesse Jokerst, an assistant professor at the University of California San Diego Department of NanoEngineering, has been awarded a five-year, $550,000 grant through the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. Full Story
NSF grant connects UC San Diego engineers and plasma physics researchers in Czech Republic
May 21, 2019
A new grant from the National Science Foundation is providing a University of California San Diego team with a unique opportunity to study – experimentally – how large-scale flows emerge and organize themselves from small-scale random turbulent fluctuations in magnetized laboratory plasmas. Full Story
How plant viruses can be used to ward off pests and keep plants healthy
May 20, 2019
Imagine a technology that could target pesticides to treat specific spots deep within the soil, making them more effective at controlling infestations while limiting their toxicity to the environment. Researchers at UC San Diego and Case Western Reserve University have taken a step toward that goal. Full Story
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Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy
May 17, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go. The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user’s skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes. It is powered by a flexible, stretchable battery pack and can be embedded in clothing. Researchers say wearing it could help save energy on air conditioning and heating. Full Story
Announcing the launch of the Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative
May 17, 2019
At UC San Diego, we believe education should be accessible to all ambitious and talented students. Therefore, we are proud to announce the launch of the Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative, a campus-wide program designed to reflect and serve California’s fastest growing demographic. This means attracting and supporting a diverse faculty, staff and student community—making UC San Diego a place where generations rise. Full Story
UC San Diego Ranked Ninth in World in Biomedical Sciences
May 16, 2019
In its first-ever assessment of biomedical institutions around the world, based upon published research in a targeted set of high-quality scientific journals, the 2019 Nature Index ranked University of California San Diego ninth among the top 200 institutions in biomedical sciences worldwide. Among the top 200 academic institutions in biomedical sciences in the United States, UC San Diego ranked sixth. Full Story
UC San Diego Giving Day
May 15, 2019
The challenge is on! UC San Diego is hosting its inaugural Giving Day for 1,960 minutes on Thursday, May 16 with a goal of bringing the university community together to create collective impact. To make Giving Day a bit more fun, several generous donors have created matching gift challenges for Jacobs School of Engineering projects. Full Story
Like A Lot of Things, Women's Gut Microbiomes Appear to Mature Earlier than Men's
May 15, 2019
A recent study by researchers at University of California San Diego, San Diego State University and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology found that the age and sex of an individual strongly influences the bacterial diversity of the gut microbiome. Full Story
ICRA 2019 preview: bots, drones and neural nets
May 13, 2019
From ways to improve long-distance surgery techniques to better ways to get robots to work with humans in manufacturing settings and to a testing platform for UAVs, engineers at the University of California San Diego will make strong showing at the 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation May 20 to 24 in Montreal, Canada. Full Story
Helmsley Charitable Trust Grants UC San Diego $4.7M to Study Crohn's Disease
May 9, 2019
Researchers in diverse disciplines at the University of California San Diego will aim to improve surgical outcomes and therapeutics for Crohn’s disease patients through $4.7 million in new grants from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The organization's goal is to find a cure for Crohn’s disease, a long-term pursuit in parallel with improving patients’ lives today. Full Story
Triton Entrepreneur Night Helps Students Promote Their Startups
May 9, 2019
For students at the University of California San Diego, ideas are nurtured through the campus-wide innovation ecosystem. Ideas turn into products, products turn into startups and startups take the stage at pitch competitions like the upcoming Triton Entrepreneur Night (TEN). TEN takes place on May 16 at Atkinson Hall and is sponsored by The Basement. A part of UC San Diego’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization, The Basement provides innovation space, mentorship and entrepreneurship programming to the campus community. Full Story
Putting a Dent in Food Waste
May 9, 2019
Environmental chemistry student Enid Partika and nanoengineering student Will Tanaka built an anaerobic digestion and biogas production system they named the BioEnergy Project. The goal was to design a system that would turn food waste destined for landfills into usable products—including fertilizer for organic produce and biogas for electricity.Partika and Tanaka were recognized recently with a prestigious 2019 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for their work on the BioEnergy Project. Full Story
UC San Diego StarCraft team heads to ESPN Collegiate Esports Championship
May 9, 2019
On May 11, a team of three UC San Diego students—including two computer science students— who are among the very best StarCraft players in the world, will compete in the final four of ESPN’s first Collegiate Esports Championship. The esports tournament covers five of the most popular video games, including StarCraft, and takes place in Houston in conjunction with Comicpalooza, Texas’ largest pop culture festival. The tournament is hosted by ESPN—yes, the same ESPN that broadcasts football, basketball and baseball. Full Story
Mihir Bellare Named Inaugural Holder of S. Gill Williamson Endowed Chair in Computer Science
May 9, 2019
Professor Mihir Bellare, an internationally renowned cryptographer and a pioneer in data security and privacy, has been appointed the S. Gill Williamson Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Computer Science at the University of California San Diego. The chair was established by a $1 million gift from alumni benefactors Steven R. Hart ’80 and Susan O. Hart ’86 in honor of Stanley Gill Williamson, the former chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and a professor emeritus. Full Story
Q&A with UC San Diego Electrical Engineering Professor Pam Cosman
May 7, 2019
Following a string of awards and honors, University of California San Diego electrical engineering professor Pamela Cosman spent some time on a Q&A for the general public that touches on her research; diversity, equity and inclusion; and advice for students. Full Story
Robots to the Rhino Rescue
May 2, 2019
Researchers at UC San Diego and San Diego Zoo Global have joined forces to save the critically endangered northern white rhino from extinction. They are developing flexible robotic catheters that could aid in artificial insemination and embryo transfer on rhinos. Full Story
New Partnership Explores Future Treatments Using Breast Milk and Microbiome
April 29, 2019
Two renowned research centers at University of California San Diego are joining forces to take a deeper look at how components of human milk and the microbiome can change the course of therapeutics for infant and adult diseases. MOMI Biome will be comprised of the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence (MOMI CORE) in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) in the Jacobs School of Engineering. Full Story
Diving in to teaching at Splash
April 25, 2019
Data Analysis with Mario Kart. Learning Rhetoric through The Office. Having Fun with Kitchen Chemistry. More than 300 high school students came to campus Saturday to sample some of these courses taught by UC San Diego students. Full Story
Exposing Cancer's Metabolic Addictions
April 24, 2019
In a new paper, publishing April 24, 2019 in Nature, a team of researchers headed by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UC San Diego, describe a new set of “rules” that predict how the tissue of origin influences critical aspects of the genetic makeup of tumors, with potentially important therapeutic implications. Full Story
Blood substitute made from nanoparticles wins top prize at Research Expo 2019
April 24, 2019
Research Expo 2019 got some new blood this year, thanks to UC San Diego nanoengineering PhD student Jia Zhuang. He won the grand prize at Research Expo for his work to develop nanoparticles that could serve as a more stable and easy way to store and mimic red blood cells for transfusions. Full Story
Fixing a broken heart: Exploring new ways to heal damage after a heart attack
April 24, 2019
For people who survive a heart attack, the days immediately following the event are critical for their longevity and long-term healing of the heart's tissue. Now researchers at Northwestern University and University of California, San Diego have designed a minimally invasive platform to deliver a nanomaterial that turns the body's inflammatory response into a signal to heal rather than a means of scarring following a heart attack. Full Story
This deep learning powered tool creates better personalized workout recommendations from fitness tracking data
April 22, 2019
Computer scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed FitRec, a recommendation tool powered by deep learning, that is able to better estimate runners’ heart rates during a workout and predict and recommend routes. The team will present their work at the WWW 19 conference May 13 to 17 in San Francisco. Full Story
Computer Science PhD student earns 2019 Google PhD Fellowship
April 19, 2019
Congratulations to UC San Diego computer science PhD student Tiancheng (Kevin) Sun, who has been awarded a 2019 Google PhD Fellowship. Full Story
Researchers improve method to recycle and renew used cathodes from lithium-ion batteries
April 17, 2019
UC San Diego researchers have improved their recycling process that regenerates degraded cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries. The new process is safer and uses less energy than their previous method in restoring cathodes to their original capacity and cycle performance. Full Story
Unearthing Mysteries of the Maya
April 11, 2019
UC San Diego computer science students are venturing into Maya tunnels in Guatemala, and at home in San Diego, to bring these ancient buried sites to virtual life. Part of the Engineers for Exploration (E4E) group, the students are guided by Computer Science and Engineering Professor Ryan Kastner and Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Curt Schurgers. Full Story
Engineering touch
April 11, 2019
A tool to help the visually impaired navigate crowded spaces; an interface to assist surgeons during a complex procedure; and a display that can change shape when heat is applied. These were all projects developed by students in the first-ever haptic interfaces class to be offered at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. Full Story
Welcome, new Tritons!
April 11, 2019
Congratulations on your acceptance into the University of California San Diego, and the Jacobs School of Engineering. We hope you’re joining us for Triton Day to get a better sense of what your life as a Triton would look like. Full Story
Enjoy the Ride
April 11, 2019
When it comes to creating an aerodynamic, race-worthy car that successfully competes in a field of more than 100 teams from around the world, it takes not only a solid racing crew, but also a crew of dedicated scientists and engineers. Luckily, the Triton Racing Program at UC San Diego isn’t short on such crew members. Full Story
UC San Diego electrical engineer Massimo Franceschetti named a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow
April 11, 2019
Massimo Franceschetti, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California San Diego, has been awarded a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship. His work focuses on the mathematical foundations of engineering systems, with applications to networks, control, computation, communication, and sensing. Full Story
Advanced VR Technology Gives Coral Reefs a Voice
April 11, 2019
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and engineers at UC San Diego have used new imaging software to detect dramatic recovery after a bleaching event on the reefs surrounding remote Palmyra Atoll in the tropical Pacific. The research was published April 5 in Coral Reefs. Full Story
UC San Diego engineer Andrew Kahng awarded Ho-Am Prize
April 5, 2019
University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering Professor Andrew B. Kahng has been awarded the 2019 Ho-Am Prize for Engineering, the highest award for engineering in Korea. Full Story
Faculty celebrated for extraordinary teaching, research and service
April 4, 2019
Three Jacobs School of Engineering faculty are among the six UC San Diego faculty members who will be honored at the 45th annual Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Awards for innovative research, extraordinary teaching and making a difference in the community. Full Story
What are those hooks and claws in the Research Expo image?
April 3, 2019
The image above is a close-up of a 3D-printed model that shows the mechanism which allows bird feathers to zip and unzip. It’s the artwork for the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Research Expo 2019, a showcase of the top engineering and computer science research underway at UC San Diego. Full Story
UC San Diego computer science professor Rajesh Gupta receives one of the most prestigious honors in computing
April 1, 2019
Rajesh Gupta, a professor of computer science and engineering at University of California San Diego, has been awarded the IEEE Computer Society 2019 W. Wallace McDowell Award for his “seminal contributions in design and implementation of microelectronic systems-on-chip and cyberphysical systems.” Full Story
Bioengineers are inducted into renowned biomedical engineering institute
March 25, 2019
Two researchers at Jacobs School of Engineering were inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the organization announced. Professors Pedro Cabrales and Todd Coleman from the Department of Bioengineering were recognized during a ceremony at the National Academy of Sciences Great Hall in Washington, DC, on March 25. Full Story
UC San Diego Announces Border Innovation Challenge
March 25, 2019
The University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management and Jacobs School of Engineering, in partnership with the Smart Border Coalition, are hosting a Border Innovation Challenge to address difficulties facing the ports of entry in the San Diego- Tijuana binational region. The aim of the challenge is to develop new solutions and technologies that will improve security and efficiency at border crossings. The challenge will award cash prizes totaling $20,000 to competition winners. Full Story
Working to Change the Future of Prosthetics
March 21, 2019
Taylor Henderson, an electrical and computer engineering master’s student, is working to lower the barriers to entry for fabricating artificial muscle actuators. She’s developing an algorithm that uses supervised learning to model actuator configurations and return the necessary specifications. Full Story
Sink or Swim: Concrete Canoe Team Aims to Reach the Podium at National Race
March 21, 2019
The engineering challenge sounds like a nearly impossible task: making a canoe out of concrete that can float—and race—on water. But ask anyone on the UC San Diego Concrete Canoe team, and they’ll tell you it’s not only possible but also a highlight of their engineering experience at UC San Diego. The team is hoping to reach the podium at this year's national race. Full Story
Printed sensors provide on the spot fentanyl detection
March 21, 2019
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed screen-printed sensors that could offer a faster, convenient and low-cost method to detect the drug fentanyl. The sensors can detect micromolar concentrations of fentanyl in just one minute. They are easy to produce, cost only a few cents apiece, and are disposable. Full Story
UC San Diego Engineering Rises to #11 in the Nation in US News and World Report Best Graduate Schools Rankings
March 15, 2019
The Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California San Diego has jumped to #11 in the nation in the new US News and World Report Ranking of Best Engineering Schools. This ranking is up from #12 last year and #17 just three years ago. Full Story
UC San Diego Researchers Find Strong Performance, Complexities, and Puzzles in Intel's Optane DIMMs
March 15, 2019
University of California San Diego computer scientists have completed the first comprehensive evaluation of Intel’s new Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory Modules (Optane NVDIMMs). They found that Optane DIMMs can make key storage applications 17 times faster, especially if system designers adapt their hardware and software to make the best use of the new technology. They also found that the DIMMs can significantly expand main memory capacity without sacrificing much performance and that they exhibit complex performance characteristics that designers must accommodate to fully exploit them. Full Story
Anticancer vaccines, natural language for computers, and multifunctional materials take center stage at UC San Diego Research Expo
March 14, 2019
The University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering was just ranked the #11 graduate engineering program in the country by US News. Hear from more than 200 of these talented graduate students as they present their research at the 38th annual Jacobs School Research Expo, a showcase of the top engineering and computer science work underway at UC San Diego. Full Story
The robots that dementia caregivers want: robots for joy, robots for sorrow
March 13, 2019
Building robots that can help people with dementia has been a longtime goal for roboticists. Yet until now, no one has sought to survey informal caregivers, such as family members, about what characteristics and roles these robots should have. A team of scientists at the University of California San Diego sought to address this by spending six months co-designing robots with family members, social workers, and other caregivers who care for people with dementia. They are presenting their findings at the Human Robot Interaction conference March 11 to 14 in South Korea. Full Story
International Research Collaboration: Cybersecurity Meets Artificial Intelligence
March 8, 2019
Researchers from different areas of expertise are collaborating and joining forces to provide all-embracing solutions for current global cybersecurity threats. Two renowned cybersecurity and machine learning research institutions have come together to form the new CYSMICS center, which is a joint effort between the Cybersecurity Research Centre (CYSEC) at Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, and the Center for Machine-Integrated Computing & Security (MICS) at the University of California San Diego. Full Story
Gojoya Announces Investment From Intel Capital
March 8, 2019
Gojoya, Inc, a startup company built on technology developed by Professor Joseph Ford’s group at the University of California San Diego, is developing next generation imaging systems with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) for multiple markets including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robots, autonomous driving, and mobile phones. Gojoya announced that it has received an investment from Intel Capital. Full Story
Computer Scientist Hadi Esmaeilzadeh Named Inaugural Holder of the Halıcıoğlu Chair in Computer Architecture at UC San Diego
March 5, 2019
Hadi Esmaeilzadeh, a professor of computer science at the University of California San Diego, is building the computer architecture that will enable the artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies of the future. He is expanding his work by collaborating with colleagues at the Center for Machine-Integrated Computing and Security at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. Full Story
Ashoka U Exchange Draws Attendees from 25 Countries to UC San Diego
March 4, 2019
Hundreds of delegates from 25 different countries converged on campus last week for the 2019 Ashoka U Exchange to discuss how to more effectively make positive change around the globe. UC San Diego hosted this year’s Exchange, themed “Beyond Borders and Boundaries,” from Feb. 21 through 23. The annual conference is organized by Ashoka, the world’s largest network of entrepreneurs focused on social innovation and changemaking. UC San Diego has been a designated Ashoka Changemaker Campus since 2017. Full Story
Engineers developing education kit to teach students practical skills in integrated photonics
March 4, 2019
Engineers are developing an educational toolkit to bring integrated photonics into the college engineering and science curriculum. The kit is designed to teach students practical skills in integrated photonics and equip them to meet the growing demand for technicians and engineers in the industry. Full Story
Electrical Engineer Pamela Cosman Honored with Inaugural Dr. John and Felia Proakis Chancellor Faculty Fellowship
March 1, 2019
A new fellowship from UC San Diego’s Office of the Chancellor ensures research funds to support the studies of a scientist on campus. Pamela Cosman, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is the fellowship’s inaugural recipient. Full Story
UC San Diego Part of DOE's First Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling R&D Center
February 15, 2019
UC San Diego is a collaborator in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) first lithium-ion battery recycling research and development (R&D) initiative, called the ReCell Center, which was launched today. Zheng Chen, a professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego and faculty member of the university’s Sustainable Power and Energy Center, is working on a recycling process to restore used cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries so they can be used to build new batteries. Full Story
How breast tissue stiffening promotes breast cancer development
February 12, 2019
By examining how mammary cells respond in a stiffness-changing hydrogel, researchers discovered that several pathways work together to signal breast cells to turn cancerous. The work could inspire new approaches to treating patients and inhibiting tumor growth. Full Story
A bioengineered factory for T-cells
February 11, 2019
Researchers have developed an injectable sponge-like gel that enhances the production of T-cells after a bone marrow transplant, increasing the quantity and diversity of these key components of the immune system. This bioengineered device can be injected under the skin at the same time of the transplant to help revive the immune system after bone marrow transplantation. Full Story
Micromotors deliver oral vaccines
February 8, 2019
UC San Diego nanoengineering researchers have developed oral vaccines powered by micromotors that target the mucus layer of the intestine. Full Story
X-rays reveal why adding a bit of salt improves perovskite solar cells
February 7, 2019
New findings about perovskites could pave the way to developing low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells. Using high-intensity X-ray mapping, researchers explain why adding small amounts of cesium and rubidium salt improves the performance of perovskite solar cells. Full Story
Lifesaving App
February 7, 2019
Undergraduate students on the Cruz Roja Global Ties team designed and built a mobile app to make ambulance dispatch in Tijuana easier, faster and more efficient. Full Story
Overcoming Delays in Long-Distance Surgery
February 5, 2019
An engineering-surgery team at UC San Diego is working to extend the reach of surgeons by allowing them to operate remotely on patients located across a city, country, or even the globe. They are developing predictive augmented reality systems that could help make telesurgery a reality. Full Story
UC San Diego Institute of Engineering in Medicine
February 5, 2019
At the University of California San Diego, engineers, computer scientists, physicians and clinical researchers work together to improve human health. The collaborations span the lab, the clinic and the classroom. The work addresses a broad array of medical innovations, drives the next generation of medical care, and helps people live longer, healthier lives. Full Story
Physician-Engineer Match-Making at UC San Diego
February 5, 2019
Matching physicians with engineers and computer scientists, and then providing seed funding for their research collaborations, are two critical tasks that take place through UC San Diego’s Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine (GEM) Initiative. UC San Diego clinicians identify unmet needs in patient care and then work with teams of engineers and computer scientists to solve the problem and move the technology to the clinic. Full Story
Programming White Blood Cells to Fight Pancreatic Cancer
February 5, 2019
Pancreatic cancer is the third most lethal cancer in the United States. Patients typically don’t know they have it until it’s too late, making it difficult to treat. Only 9 percent survive five years after diagnosis. But recent discoveries at the UC San Diego Institute of Engineering in Medicine are raising hope. Engineers and surgeons are working on a treatment by reprogramming white blood cells to target and eradicate pancreatic cancer tumors. Full Story
Training Clinical Engineers
February 4, 2019
UC San Diego's Clinical Bioengineering course offers undergraduate engineering students hands-on learning experience to solve clinical problems. The course reflects the Institute of Engineering in Medicine's mission to connect engineers with physicians to produce medical innovations. Full Story
See, Think, Predict: Engineers build a soft robotics perception system inspired by humans
January 30, 2019
An international team of researchers has developed a perception system for soft robots inspired by the way humans process information about their own bodies in space and in relation to other objects and people. They describe the system, which includes a motion capture system, soft sensors, a neural network, and a soft robotic finger, in the Jan. 30 issue of Science Robotics. Full Story
Sticky Science
January 30, 2019
Organic compounds from perfume, food, fabrics and soaps coat indoor surfaces. The film commonly found in our homes can impact the air we breathe and our health. Yet the details of how these compounds interact microscopically with indoor surfaces are not fully known. Researchers are learning more. Full Story
Study uncovers why heart attack triggers arrhythmia in some, explores potential treatment
January 28, 2019
A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego has identified a genetic pathway that causes some individuals to develop an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, after experiencing a heart attack. They have also identified a drug candidate that can block this pathway. Full Story
Partnership with Rocket Engine Startup Brings New 3D Metal Printer to UC San Diego
January 24, 2019
Additive manufacturing at UC San Diego is about to take off, thanks to a partnership with a local startup that specializes in 3D-printed rocket engines. Now, aspiring inventors and innovators at the university can make their creations real with the startup’s powerful, 3D metal printer. Full Story
Bioengineer describes the promise of biomaterials for tissue repair in Science
January 24, 2019
“Biomaterials that can promote tissue repair and regeneration on their own without the need for delivering cells or other therapeutics have emerged as a potentially powerful paradigm for regenerative medicine.” That’s one of the key statements in a perspective piece written by Karen L. Christman, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California San Diego in the Jan. 24 issue of the journal Science. Full Story
Feathers: better than Velcro?
January 16, 2019
You may have seen a kid play with a feather, or you may have played with one yourself: Running a hand along a feather’s barbs and watching as the feather unzips and zips, seeming to miraculously pull itself back together. That “magical” zipping mechanism could provide a model for new adhesives and new aerospace materials, according to engineers at the University of California San Diego. They detail their findings in the Jan. 16 issue of Science Advances in a paper titled “Scaling of bird wings and feathers for efficient flight.” Full Story
The Top 10 robotics technologies of 2018, according to Science Robotics
January 16, 2019
Henrik Christensen, director of the Contextual Robotics Institute at the Jacobs School is one of 10 of the world’s foremost robotics researchers to weigh in on the top 10 robotics technologies of 2018 in the Jan. 16 issue of Science Robotics. Full Story
Carlos Coimbra Named Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy
January 15, 2019
Carlos F. M. Coimbra, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego has been named Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, an online-only interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal covering a wide range of areas of renewable and sustainable energy relevant to the physical science and engineering communities. Full Story
3D printed implants promote nerve cell growth to treat spinal cord injury
January 14, 2019
3D printed implants could one day help restore neural connections and lost motor function in patients with spinal cord injury. The implants, developed by engineers and neuroscientists at the University of California San Diego, are soft bridges that guide new nerve cells to grow across a tear or break in an injured spinal cord. The work has so far shown promise in rats with severe spinal cord injury. Full Story
Art Meets Engineering at UC San Diego
January 9, 2019
Indigo, an art exhibit currently showing at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, celebrates a diversity of interdisciplinary artistic practices happening here on campus. Full Story
We Make Bold Possible
January 8, 2019
At the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, we make bold possible. We take on the tough challenges no lab, discipline, or company can solve alone. At the same time, we are transforming engineering education, at scale. Full Story
New Robot Can Sense Plankton Optically and Acoustically
January 4, 2019
Oceanographers and engineers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego collaborated to modify a common physical oceanography instrument to be able to image zooplankton as it glides through the ocean. Full Story
Lifan Wu named 2019 NVIDIA Fellow
January 2, 2019
UC San Diego computer science PhD student Lifan Wu has been awarded a 2019 NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship. Lifan Wu is advised by Ravi Ramamoorthi. Wu's research interests include physically based rendering, including sparse sampling and reconstruction of visual signals, realistic appearance modeling, and light transport. Full Story