Undergraduate News

Making Space Travel Inclusive for All

October 28, 2021

In a weightless, microgravity environment like space, what do ability and disability look like? How can someone with partial sight or impaired mobility navigate in a confined space like the space station? UC San Diego researchers were part of a team that aimed to answer these questions by launching a group of 12 disabled scientists, veterans, students, athletes and artists into a zero-gravity environment as part of Mission AstroAccess. Full Story

Cars, Start Your Engines!

October 21, 2021

Engineering and data science students from UC San Diego will participate in the inaugural Indy Autonomous Challenge on Oct. 23. The competition, which offers a $1.5 million prize pool, is designed to inspire the next generation of STEM talent and challenges university students from around the world to develop autonomous vehicle software. Full Story

Students make it to finals of first autonomous EV GrandPrix race

September 30, 2021

A group of UC San Diego engineering and data science students was one of three teams to make it to the final round of the inaugural autonomous EV GrandPrix go-kart race hosted by Purdue University in Indianapolis on Sept. 17. Full Story

Three Jacobs School undergraduate programs ranked in nation's top 10

September 14, 2021

Three undergraduate academic programs at the Jacobs School of Engineering were ranked in the top 10 programs for undergraduates in rankings released Sept. 13, 2021 by U.S. News and World Report.    Full Story

Computer science students qualify for programming World Finals

August 31, 2021

A team of UC San Diego computer science students has qualified to compete in the World Finals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), the world’s preeminent programming and coding competition. The students clinched a spot when they placed sixth in the ICPC North American Championship in August 2021.   Full Story

'It Feels Like I'm Talking into a Void': How Do We Improve the Virtual Classroom?

June 17, 2021

Researchers in the UC San Diego Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) wanted to look beyond the anecdotal evidence to better understand where remote education fell short and how we might improve it. In a study presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), the team examined faculty and student attitudes towards virtual classrooms and proposed several technological refinements that could improve their experience, such as flexible distribution of student video feeds and enhanced chat functions.   Full Story

Students thrive in program focused on diversifying undergraduate engineering at UC San Diego

June 9, 2021

Among the more than 1,400 undergraduate engineering and computer science students earning bachelor’s degrees from the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering this year, are Xavier Perez, Yoon Jung Choi, and Armando Godoy-Velasquez, who are all members of the first cohort of ACES Scholars. Full Story

Class of 2021 students honored at Ring Ceremony

June 8, 2021

In addition to UC San Diego’s commencement ceremonies, the Jacobs School of Engineering will honor the class of 2021 at its annual Ring Ceremony on Saturday, June 12. Six students who have made significant contributions to their department and the Jacobs School community, will be honored with Awards of Excellence. Full Story

NASA's Perseverance inspires UC San Diego's Yonder Dynamics

June 3, 2021

NASA's latest feat, the landing of its rover Perseverence on Mars, was particularly exciting for the Yonder Dynamics student robotics team at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, which builds a Mars rover of their own each year in a bid to compete in the international University Rover Challenge (URC) hosted by The Mars Society. Full Story

Sustainable method to 3D print steel wins big at Triton Innovation Challenge

May 26, 2021

A startup developing a 3D printing technique that can manufacture steel cheaper than existing methods, with no carbon emissions and minimal wasted scrap metal, earned the $7,000 Grand Prize at the Triton Innovation Challenge. Full Story

Undergraduate researchers earn Goldwater Scholarship

May 13, 2021

Three UC San Diego undergraduate students with impressive academic and research credentials were selected to receive the Goldwater Scholarship, designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.  Full Story

Bioengineering student earns Strauss Scholarship

May 13, 2021

UC San Diego bioengineering undergraduate Zina Patel was selected to receive the $15,000 Strauss Scholarship, awarded to outstanding students developing social change or public service projects. Full Story

Programs help Jacobs School undergraduates make the most of research experiences

May 6, 2021

University of California San Diego engineering and computer science undergraduates broaden their understanding of what it means to study engineering and computer science by getting involved in research. Full Story

Computer Scientists Discover Vulnerability Affecting Computers Globally

April 30, 2021

UC San Diego computer scientists teamed up with the University of Virginia School of Engineering computer science researchers to uncover a line of attack that breaks current Spectre defenses. This means that billions of computers and other devices across the globe are just as vulnerable today as they were when Spectre was first announced. Full Story

UC San Diego Engineering Ranks #9 in U.S. News and World Report Best Engineering Schools Rankings

March 30, 2021

For the second year in a row, the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering has ranked #9 in the nation in the influential U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Best Engineering Schools.    Full Story

Why Commercialization of Carbon Capture and Sequestration has Failed and How it Can Work

March 22, 2021

There are 12 essential attributes that explain why commercial carbon capture and sequestration projects succeed or fail in the U.S., University of California San Diego researchers say in a recent study published in Environmental Research Letters.    Full Story

Writing a New Chapter on Innovation

March 17, 2021

The University of California San Diego is the first University of California campus to establish a chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a move that will help the campus build and sustain a more robust innovation ecosystem. Full Story

Structural engineers get hands-on experience with composite materials

March 11, 2021

Structural engineering students at the Jacobs School got hands-on experience designing, manufacturing and analyzing structures made from composite materials through the Design of Composite Structures course, held in-person thanks to UC San Diego’s Return to Learn policies.   Full Story

Computer science student brings Black beauty products to UC San Diego

March 11, 2021

Math-computer science student Jaida Day launched her Black Beauty Near You business with a goal of making Black hair and skin care products more accessible to UC San Diego students. Full Story

Engineers earn NASA grant to enable flying taxis

February 12, 2021

A futuristic system of flying taxis and shuttles is one step closer to reality thanks to a team of engineers led by UC San Diego. They received a $5.8 million grant from NASA to create computational design tools that will help US companies develop more efficient air taxi designs. Full Story

Triton 5: Ji-San Lee '11

January 26, 2021

Structural engineering alumnus Ji-San Lee is the senior designer for CLAE Footwear, working to make their shoes more sustainable through recycled materials.  Full Story

2020 Jacobs School student highlights

January 8, 2021

As we buckle down to work in 2021, we're reflecting on the grit of our truly incredible UC San Diego engineering and computer science students. Not even a pandemic could stop their momentum! Here are some student highlights from 2020 as we look forward to what 2021 will bring. Full Story