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2014 Engineering News

December 15, 2014
UC Santa Cruz hosts an expanded Santa Cruz hackathon January 9 to 11
HACK UCSC 2015 is open to students throughout the Monterey Bay region
December 11, 2014
Scientists reconstruct genome of common ancestor of crocodiles, birds, dinosaurs
A new study of crocodilian genomes led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz reveals an exceptionally slow rate of genome evolution.
December 08, 2014
Student robotics competition on Dec. 12 features "Game of Thrones" theme
Small autonomous robots built by UC Santa Cruz engineering students will face off in "Game of Drones" competition.
December 02, 2014
UC Santa Cruz undergrads earn bronze medal in bioengineering competition
A team of UC Santa Cruz undergraduates worked to engineer a microbe to produce biofuel from processed plant material.
November 25, 2014
Computer scientist Ethan Miller elected IEEE Fellow
Ethan Miller, professor of computer science, has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
November 07, 2014
UC Santa Cruz student researchers recognized at national conference
Five undergraduates doing research at UCSC were recognized for outstanding research presentations at the 2014 SACNAS conference.
November 03, 2014
NCI Cloud Pilot program to boost cancer genomics data sharing, accessibility
UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley partner with Broad Institute to build a cloud computing environment for large-scale analysis of cancer genomics data
October 31, 2014
From smart grids to flying robots, engineer finds many applications for theory
UC Santa Cruz computer engineer Ricardo Sanfelice uses hybrid systems analysis to understand and control systems with complex dynamical behavior
October 29, 2014
UC Santa Cruz offers 'Genome Browser in a Box' for local installations
New software enables scientists to quickly install the UCSC Genome Browser on their own computers to protect sensitive genomic data.
October 27, 2014
Novel biosensor technology could allow rapid detection of Ebola virus
Rapid detection of viruses without expensive equipment is among the potential applications of biosensor research at UC Santa Cruz.
October 16, 2014
Grad students' interactive fiction honored at IndieCade games festival
Ice-Bound is an interactive fiction piece created by two graduate students in the UC Santa Cruz Center for Games and Playable Media
October 14, 2014
Acclaimed game designer joins UC Santa Cruz art faculty
Award-winning game designer and producer Robin Hunicke will join the UC Santa Cruz faculty in January as Associate Professor of Art & Game Design.
October 13, 2014
UC Santa Cruz creates new Department of Computational Media
A new department builds on the success of the campus's pathbreaking programs in games and playable media
October 10, 2014
Computer scientist Charlie McDowell recognized as advocate for women in tech
McDowell and alumnus Jacob Martinez are featured on a list of "10 Men Making Waves for Women in Tech"
October 09, 2014
UC Santa Cruz leads $11 million Center for Big Data in Translational Genomics
National Institutes of Health awards UC Santa Cruz funding for new research center as part of the NIH Big Data to Knowledge initiative.
October 03, 2014
UC Santa Cruz ranked first for research influence in world university rankings
Times Higher Education measured overall research influence based on the average number of citations per paper published by faculty.
October 02, 2014
Study of mountain lion energetics shows the power of the pounce
High-tech collars enabled scientists to track mountain lions in the wild and determine how much energy the big cats use to hunt their prey.
October 01, 2014
UCSC Ebola genome browser now online to aid researchers' response to crisis
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute late Tuesday (September 30) released a new Ebola genome browser to assist global efforts to develop a vaccine and antiserum to help stop the spread of the Ebola virus.
September 28, 2014
Human genome was shaped by an evolutionary arms race with itself
A study of primate genomes reveals an ongoing battle to control "jumping genes," driving the evolution of greater genomic complexity
September 26, 2014
"Seeding Innovation" event highlights green technology projects
Collaborations between UC Santa Cruz undergrads and community mentors are featured in October 3 event at marine sanctuary center.
September 23, 2014
UC Santa Cruz among top five institutions seeing growth in NIH funding
UC Santa Cruz is in the top five of institutions that have seen significant increases in funding from the National Institutes of Health over the past decade.
September 23, 2014
UC Santa Cruz establishes Symantec Presidential Chair in Storage and Security
Computer scientist Ethan Miller has been appointed to a new endowed chair funded by a gift from Symantec and UC Presidential matching funds
September 22, 2014
Mixing it up on Science Hill
An innovative graduate program on Science Hill is breaking down barriers between the biomedical sciences, encouraging interdisciplinary research, and enabling students from different departments and divisions to work closely together.
September 11, 2014
Teaching computers the nuances of human conversation
Computer scientist Marilyn Walker wants to make spoken dialogue systems more responsive to the user.
August 20, 2014
Undergraduates present work at Summer Research Symposium
Research presentations featured UCSC students in a range of disciplines and others who came to UCSC for summer projects.
August 18, 2014
Grad student unites personal passion and programming skills to help others
Computer science graduate student Lourdes Morales is working to help others with disabilities use technology.
August 13, 2014
Novel chip-based platform could simplify measurements of single molecules
A nanopore-gated optofluidic chip combines electrical and optical measurements of single molecules onto a single platform
August 07, 2014
Cancer study reveals powerful new system for classifying tumors
One in ten cancer patients would be classified differently using a new classification system based on molecular subtypes.
August 06, 2014
NIH awards $2 million to UCSC group for DNA sequencing research
Biomolecular engineer Mark Akeson leads efforts to develop nanopore technology for DNA sequencing.
August 05, 2014
UC Santa Cruz Internet access project wins University of California IT award
A UC Santa Cruz project to bring broadband Internet services to underserved communities in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties has won a University of California award for information technology.
July 31, 2014
Global Alliance for Genomics and Health unveils new genomics interface
The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health has released a new Application Programming Interface (API) for seamless sharing of genomic data.
June 26, 2014
UCSC graduate student is a new kind of storyteller
Aaron Reed's award-winning games use computer technology to explore the possibilities of interactive fiction.
June 17, 2014
Carving out their niche
Alumni business partners find Kickstarter enthusiasm for their creation — a programmable desktop 3-D router with a consumer-friendly a price tag.
June 10, 2014
Student entrepreneurs pitch business ideas developed at UC Santa Cruz
The Entrepreneurship Showcase in Silicon Valley featured cash prizes, networking, and real-world business challenges for students.
June 04, 2014
Huffman Prize winner approaches bioengineering with an artist's eye
Payam Yousefi, who graduates in June with a B.S. in bioengineering and a minor in bioinformatics, is the 2014 Huffman Prize winner.
June 02, 2014
Corporate-sponsored projects give engineering students valuable experience
UCSC engineering students presented their corporate-sponsored senior design projects to mentors and faculty
May 28, 2014
UCSC research helps extend Internet backbone in Santa Cruz, Monterey counties
A survey of unmet broadband needs by UC Santa Cruz information technology experts proved key to the approval last month of a $10.6 million state grant to extend a fiber optic Internet backbone from into the Salinas Valley.
May 23, 2014
UCSC honors Jack Baskin with a plaque at the Baskin School of Engineering
Campus leaders honored Jack Baskin for his many contributions to the Baskin School of Engineering in a ceremony on Thursday.
May 20, 2014
Focus on excellence: Student Achievement Week recognizes outstanding work
Student Achievement Week from June 2-6 honors high academic achievement and creativity. Highlights include a science and mathematics poster symposium and the 40th annual Print Sale.
May 20, 2014
UCSC data storage researchers tackle practical problems
In the rapidly evolving field of data storage, UCSC has been a leading academic research center for more than a decade.
May 19, 2014
Wireless camera network offers new possibilities for security systems
A prototype solar-powered device developed at UCSC has potential applications for security cameras and wildlife monitoring in remote areas.
May 12, 2014
Awards recognize top presentations at Graduate Research Symposium
Graduate students from all divisions shared their research at the 10th Annual Graduate Research Symposium.
May 08, 2014
UCSC engineer focuses on assistive technology for people with disabilities
Roberto Manduchi applies computer vision technology to develop products that address daily challenges faced by visually impaired people.
May 02, 2014
Grad students in the spotlight at Graduate Research Symposium May 9
The 10th annual Graduate Research Symposium will take place on Friday, May 9, at McHenry Library.
April 30, 2014
Red Hat to acquire Inktank, a cloud storage company with UCSC roots
Software provider Red Hat will acquire Inktank, a data storage company with origins in a UCSC research project, for $175 million.
April 17, 2014
New program pairs alumni mentors with engineering undergraduates
Engineering students benefit from the experience and industry connections of alumni mentors.
April 15, 2014
DNA Day on April 25 commemorates completion of Human Genome Project
UCSC will host an informative celebration of DNA Day, a national event on Friday, April 25.
April 09, 2014
Coupon sharing app wins top prize in first UCSC hackathon
About 100 UCSC students turned out for HACK UCSC 2014, the first UCSC hackathon.
April 07, 2014
International Court of Justice rules against Japanese whaling program
UCSC mathematical biologist Marc Mangel testified in a case challenging the legality of Japan's controversial whaling program.
March 31, 2014
Great classes, no quizzes: alumni go 'back to school' for Teach-Ins
Choose between forensic anthropology, evolution, and espionage at annual academic afternoon featuring Alison Galloway, Ed Green and Bruce Thompson.
March 26, 2014
Genome scientist Melissa Cline honored for mentoring women in science
Melissa Cline, a project scientist for the Cancer Genomics Browser, will receive the 2014 Ellen Weaver Award for mentoring young women in science.
March 26, 2014
Lemonade on Science Hill supports cancer research
The lemonade stand that will be set up in the engineering courtyard on Friday, April 18, is about far more than a glass of lemonade.
March 26, 2014
UCSC students will code for Santa Cruz in April 5-6 'hackathon'
The first UC Santa Cruz "hackathon" will bring together student software developers, designers, and entrepreneurs.
March 17, 2014
UCSC's 'Project Awesome' supports women in computing
Project Awesome is an ongoing effort to recruit and retain more women students in computer science and computer engineering.
March 11, 2014
UC Santa Cruz ranked among top schools for game design
The game design programs at UCSC were named among the top programs in the country by the Princeton Review.
February 27, 2014
Grant supports UC Santa Cruz research on the cause of childhood leukemia
A new grant from the nonprofit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation will help UCSC researcher Camilla Forsberg advance her work to identify the root cause of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in infants and children.
February 21, 2014
UCSC engineering students find inspiration in eBay scholarship program
A team of engineering students has developed promising new approaches for doing online shopping from mobile devices
February 14, 2014
Risk and reward: undergraduate Lauren Scott explores the world of computer games
Lauren Scott, a 21-year-old UCSC student majoring in computer science and business management economics, is thriving as an assistant game designer.
February 04, 2014
UCSC ranked second for research influence in world university rankings
In an analysis of the world's top universities, UCSC ranked second in research influence.
January 30, 2014
UCSC partners with Stanford, Salk Institute in stem cell genomics center
The California stem cell agency will fund a $40 million center to bridge the fields of genomics and stem cell research.
January 29, 2014
UCSC appoints Scott Brandt as vice chancellor for research
As vice chancellor for research, Scott Brandt provides executive leadership and coordination for UCSC research administration and planning.
January 22, 2014
Electrical engineer Holger Schmidt named Optical Society Fellow
Holger Schmidt, professor of electrical engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the Optical Society
January 15, 2014
New technique allows 'nanobiopsies' of living cells
UCSC researchers have developed a robotic "nanobiopsy" system that can extract tiny samples from inside a living cell without killing it.
January 13, 2014
New campus office provides services to broaden societal impacts of research
The Broader Impacts Office will help researchers respond to new requirements from funding agencies.
January 10, 2014
Electrical engineer Alyson Fletcher receives NSF CAREER Award
Alyson Fletcher, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has received a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation.
January 08, 2014
Cancer Genomics Hub adds childhood cancer data
Researchers studying the genetics of childhood cancers now have access to a large and growing set of genomic data through UCSC's Cancer Genomics Hub.
January 08, 2014
Mathematical biologist Marc Mangel awarded honorary degree
The University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has awarded an honorary degree to mathematical biologist Marc Mangel.