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Engineering News

November 18, 2024
Student team wins ‘Excellence in Safety’ award at second Farm Robotics Challenge
A team of engineering students were recognized with the “Excellence in Safety” award at the second-annual Farm Robotics Challenge
November 15, 2024
How optogenetics can put the brakes on epilepsy seizures
In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons.
November 13, 2024
Computer engineering student builds cybersecurity solutions for Joby Aviation
UC Santa Cruz Computer Engineering student Shipra Ithal participated in an internship at Joby Aviation via the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program
November 12, 2024
Bioluminescent proteins made from scratch enable non-invasive, multi-functional biological imaging
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Andy Yeh is designing completely artificial proteins that produce bioluminescence to serve as a non-invasive method for bioimaging, diagnostics, drug discovery, and more.
November 08, 2024
Championing Veteran Students: Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship helps veterans succeed at UC Santa Cruz
Veteran students Nick Kuipers and Sammy Tesfai find community and opportunity at UCSC with tailored support and scholarships
October 30, 2024
UC Santa Cruz named a U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps Hub for the Northwest Region
UC Santa Cruz has been selected as one of eight partner institutions in the newly established U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Hub for the Northwest Region.
October 28, 2024
Engineers awarded CDC contract to build pathogen-tracing public health tools
The CDC has awarded Corbett-Detig and his team at the UCSC Genomics Institute a two-year, $2.52 million contract to continue their work tracking the COVID-19 virus’s evolution and expand their software tools to track other pathogens.
October 23, 2024
Ultra-small spectrometer yields the power of a 1,000 times bigger device
UC Santa Cruz researchers are designing new ways to make spectrometers that are ultra-small but still very powerful, to be used for anything from detecting disease to observing stars in distant galaxies
October 21, 2024
David Lee appointed inaugural Director of Research Pathways for Baskin Engineering
To increase undergraduates’ engagement with research opportunities within the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, Assistant Professor of Computational Media David Lee has been appointed as the school’s inaugural Director of Research Pathways
October 17, 2024
Powerful new analyses improve breast cancer risk assessment on a massive scale
A new feature on the BRCA Exchange, a platform which consolidates data on the genes associated with breast cancer, is rolling out a new feature to make cancer risk much easier to assess.
October 15, 2024
Genomics Institute provides seed funds for six multidisciplinary projects
The Genomics Institute has awarded grants of up to $50,000 to six multidisciplinary research projects in the inaugural year of its seed funding program
October 15, 2024
2024 CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program supports wide range of campus research
The CITRIS Interdisciplinary Innovation Program (I2P) provides UC Santa Cruz Principal Investigators with funding for projects focussed on developing information technology solutions to significant societal challenges.
October 14, 2024
Global warming is happening, but not statistically ‘surging,’ new study finds
The new study, published on October 14 in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, confirms the broad consensus that the planet is getting warmer, but at a statistically steady rate—not at a sufficiently accelerated rate that could be statistically defined as a surge.
October 08, 2024
New apps will enable safer indoor navigation for blind people
Two new apps will enable blind people to navigate indoor buildings with spoken directions from a smartphone app, providing a safe method of wayfinding where GPS doesn’t work.
October 07, 2024
Experts on drone research discuss future challenges and opportunities at UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus
An interdisciplinary and multi-institutional group of academics, researchers, and practitioners discussed challenges and opportunities in using drones at an event hosted at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus on Friday, September 27.
October 04, 2024
Baskin Engineering welcomes a cohort of 12 new faculty
Twelve new faculty members join the Baskin School of Engineering for the 2024-25 academic year.
September 23, 2024
$1M NSF grant expands open source software mentorship program for HBCU students
A $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will expand a program that enables students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to gain coding experience and receive intensive mentorship in open source programming.
September 17, 2024
Successful conservation genomics pilot sets the stage to sequence European biodiversity
UC Santa Cruz Assistant Research Scientist Ann Mc Cartney is part of a group of scientists who released a new paper outlining their efforts to promote an inclusive, decentralized and equitable model for the future of large-scale conservation genomics
September 17, 2024
UC Santa Cruz celebrates National Postdoc Appreciation Week
Postdoctoral scholars at UC Santa Cruz participate in cutting-edge research while in this ultimate phase of their academic training. Many are preparing to enter the academy, while some are preparing for non-academic careers or professions that merge the two domains.
September 16, 2024
ARCS Foundation 2024 scholarships support outstanding graduate students in science and engineering
Sixteen outstanding UC Santa Cruz graduate students in science and engineering fields earned scholarships worth a total of $180,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for the 2024-25 academic year.
September 10, 2024
Experts weigh in on wildfire impacts
UC Santa Cruz has many experts who can provide relevant, research-based comment on a wide variety of wildfire impact topics.
September 03, 2024
UC Santa Cruz research will harness advanced AI to better measure, predict climate-change impacts
Two UC Santa Cruz research projects designed to leverage advanced forms of artificial intelligence to improve how scientists measure and predict the effects of climate change have won funding from a $20 million investment by the National Science Foundation.
August 30, 2024
Researchers to investigate genetic roots of autism, look for new treatments
A new award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will support a team of UC Santa Cruz researchers in exploring the genetic underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder.
August 30, 2024
Getoor wins major data mining award
Lise Getoor, UC Santa Cruz Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, was honored with the ACM SIGKDD Innovation Award.
August 29, 2024
Genomics Institute researcher Melissa Cline to lead efforts to facilitate diagnosis of genetic diseases
Genomics Institute associate research scientist Melissa Cline will serve as the co-lead of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health’s Genomic Knowledge Standards Work Stream.
August 23, 2024
Mapping the mind
Ph.D student Asia Anderson focuses on the development of brain machine interfaces to model and study the development of the human brain, specifically those with neurodegenerative disorders.
August 21, 2024
Launching success
Miguel Tamayo (College Nine ’23, computer engineering) interned with the Aerospace Corporation during all of his college years. Now, he works with the renowned company full-time as a flight controls engineer.
August 21, 2024
Genomics at heart
Sarah Xia (College Nine ’23, biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics) found her passion for genomics at UC Santa Cruz. Now, a year after earning her B.S. in biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics, Xia is a research associate at Stanford.
August 13, 2024
UC Santa Cruz hosts HSRU Alliance conference to support Hispanic women in physical sciences and engineering
UC Santa Cruz hosted graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff from HSRU member institutions for a conference focused on supporting the success of Hispanic women in academic and professional physical science and engineering careers.
August 13, 2024
UCSC alumni awarded large NSF grant to grow virtual reality physical rehabilitation startup Immergo Labs
The National Science Foundation awarded three Baskin Engineering alumni with a $1,000,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to support the research and development of an extended reality platform for full-body physical rehabilitation.
August 05, 2024
Exploring new research frontiers with top Indian universities through joint symposium
From July 14–17, UC Santa Cruz hosted a joint research symposium with IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur on AI, ML, and Cybersecurity. The event highlighted advanced research and opportunities for international collaboration and research.
July 31, 2024
Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship recognized with ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award
The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute’s Research Mentoring Internship program was recognized with the ‘Inspiring Programs in STEM’ award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
July 26, 2024
New grant funding will help UC Santa Cruz build and diversify a climate resilience workforce for the Monterey Bay region
UC Santa Cruz will receive more than $2 million in funding to support education and training programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals as part of a larger $71.1 million federal grant to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and a host of local partners.
July 17, 2024
UCSC alumna crowned Miss New York USA
UCSC alumna Marizza Delgado (Rachel Carson ’21, technology and information management) was crowned Miss New York USA out of 170 contestants and will reign through July 2025.
July 16, 2024
Scientists find that small regions of the brain can take micro-naps while the rest of the brain is awake and vice versa
For the first time, scientists have found that sleep can be detected by patterns of neuronal activity just milliseconds long
July 12, 2024
Researchers win best paper award for introducing new AI method for minimum-effort materials engineering
UC Santa Cruz researchers devised a new method for materials engineering that incorporates novel mathematical and deep learning techniques which won them the prestigious 2024 O. Hugo Schuck Best Application Paper Award from the American Automatic Control Council.
July 12, 2024
Students across the region invited to help shape the future of semiconductors
As AI weaves itself into more areas of life, scientists and engineers at UC Santa Cruz have come together to develop a better component that serves as the "neuron" in brain-inspired computing. The imperative to make such processing much more energy efficient, and faster, means that those who can design and build these next-generation devices will be in high demand on the job market.
July 02, 2024
UCSC students discover, help patch cybersecurity flaw for free laundry
UCSC students worked with the company that provides the app and the machines, called CSC Serviceworks, to help patch the cybersecurity flaws that could let millions of customers run loads of laundry for free.
June 20, 2024
Researchers run high-performing large language model on the energy needed to power a lightbulb
UC Santa Cruz researchers show that it is possible to eliminate the most computationally expensive element of running large language models, called matrix multiplication, while maintaining performance.
June 13, 2024
Associate Teaching Professor Nathan Altice wins Distinguished Teaching Award
Nathan Altice, an associate teaching professor of computational media at the Baskin School of Engineering, has been recognized with the UC Santa Cruz Committee on Teaching’s 2023-24 Distinguished Teaching Award.
June 07, 2024
Study offers guidance on state-of-the-art long-read RNA sequencing techniques
A new study evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the two leading long-read RNA sequencing platforms and offers guidance for the field.
May 29, 2024
First-gen student Renata Lopez reflects on community, career, and graduation
First-generation student Renata Lopez (Oakes ‘24, computer science) talks about finding her community with Chicanx and Latinx Resource Center, El Centro, and post-graduation plans.
May 23, 2024
Magy Seif El-Nasr appointed the UCSC Presidential Chair
Department Chair and Professor of Computational Media Magy Seif El-Nasr as the University's next Presidential Chair to lead three initiatives related to AI and education.
May 17, 2024
Ukraine blackouts caused by malware attacks warn against evolving cybersecurity threats to the physical world
A new paper presents the first study of how two major malware attacks in Ukraine operated and interacted with the physical power system equipment to cause blackouts.
May 15, 2024
In Memoriam: David Draper
Remembering Professor of Statistics David Draper.
May 14, 2024
Stem cell study reveals distinct population of ‘troublemaker’ platelet cells that appear with aging and lead to blood clotting, disease
Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Camilla Forsberg and her research group have discovered a distinct, secondary population of platelets that appears with aging and have hyperreactive behavior and unique molecular properties, which could make them easier to target with medication.
May 08, 2024
UCSC will lead a Regional Hub of the NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Alliance: the Engineering PLUS Alliance to serve those underrepresented in STEM
The Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz has been selected to lead the inaugural Western regional hub for the NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Alliance: the Engineering PLUS Alliance to serve underrepresented academics in engineering.
April 26, 2024
Three UC Santa Cruz faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Three professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
April 22, 2024
UC Santa Cruz researchers’ tool creates ‘synthetic’ images of cells for enhanced microscopy analysis
UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a method to use an image generation AI model to create realistic images of single cells, which are then used as “synthetic data” to train an AI model to better carry out single cell-segmentation.
April 18, 2024
UC Santa Cruz researchers receive grants for early-stage technology innovations and climate action solutions
Eight UC Santa Cruz research teams focusing on some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as cancer detection, data encryption, and climate change, received more than $350,000 in awards as part of this year’s Innovation Catalyst Grant program, administered by the university’s Innovation & Business Engagement Hub.
April 17, 2024
New grant supports UC Santa Cruz-led multi-UC campus effort to build network of open source program offices
A $1.85 million grant from the Sloan Foundation will serve to institutionalize the OSPO approach in the UC system by creating coordinated activities that support local campus OSPOs and building a network that can leverage multi-campus efforts.
April 10, 2024
New diagnostic tool achieves accuracy of PCR tests with faster and simpler nanopore system
A new diagnostic tool developed by UCSC's Holger Schmidt and his collaborators can test for SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus with the same or better accuracy as high-precision PCR tests in a matter of hours.
April 03, 2024
UCSC ranked #12 among top public colleges for high-paying tech salaries in new Wall Street Journal list
New rankings from the Wall Street Journal and the Burning Glass Institute place UC Santa Cruz as the number 12 school for high-paying tech salaries.
March 21, 2024
Research on understudied lung cancer drivers may improve treatments
Angela Brooks has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s prestigious R01 program to study how gene isoforms impact cancer progression and what treatments might be most effective or lead to drug resistance.
March 15, 2024
Shaping tomorrow: Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program amplifies student-led innovation
UCSC’s Earth Futures Institute's Frontier Fellows Program, wrapping up its second year, supported six undergraduate students engaging in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the planet's future. The program is made possible through the generosity of multiple donors.
March 15, 2024
Innovating agriculture for a greener world
UCSC's Earth Futures Institute's Frontier Fellows Program, wrapping up its second year, supported six undergraduate students engaging in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the planet's future. Eric Vetha uses his passion for robotics to hone in on soil moisture management practices.
March 06, 2024
‘Digital twins’ project will help clean up space junk, repair and decommission spacecrafts
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ricardo Sanfelice and a team of researchers have been awarded $2.5M to model complex aerospace engineering problems.
March 05, 2024
Vote for UCSC in STAT Madness 2024!
Vote for UCSC in the 2024 STAT Madness competition!
February 27, 2024
Center for Research in Open Source Software welcomes James Davis as new faculty director
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering is the new faculty director of the Center for Research in Open Source Software (CROSS).
February 22, 2024
Stranger Things VR game co-written by UCSC’s Samantha Gorman launches in partnership with Netflix, Meta
A new virtual reality (VR) game set in the world of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things launches today — and UC Santa Cruz Assistant Teaching Professor of Computational Media Samantha Gorman is a key creative mind behind it as the game’s co-writer and narrative director.
February 13, 2024
Protein designer awarded $2.5M to develop bioluminescent protein for deep tissue imaging
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Andy Yeh was awarded a nearly $2.5 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to develop completely artificial enzymes that can produce bioluminescence in the body for deep tissue imaging.
February 12, 2024
Innovation at the intersection: An alum’s trailblazing ventures in tech, film, and social change
Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler is an award-winning tech entrepreneur, a filmmaker and producer, a social justice advocate, and a scholar.
February 12, 2024
Widespread machine learning methods behind ‘link prediction’ are performing very poorly, study shows
New research from UC Santa Cruz Professor of Computer Science and Engineering C. “Sesh” Seshadhri published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences establishes that the metric used to measure link prediction performance is missing crucial information, and link prediction tasks are performing significantly worse than popular literature indicates.
February 07, 2024
Bioelectronics enable precise control of organoids for better understanding of neuro diseases, neuron circuits
UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a new plug-and-play bioelectronics system that enables researchers to precisely control neuronal activity in cortical organoids, which will help unlock new discoveries on how brains form neural circuits and the underpinnings of neurodevelopmental and degenerative diseases.
January 30, 2024
2023-24 CITRIS UC Santa Cruz Tech for Social Good Program's student project teams kick off
The 2023-24 CITRIS Tech for Social Good program at UC Santa Cruz started in January with kick-off meetings with the winning technology development track teams.
January 22, 2024
Innovative PET technology will enable precise multitracer imaging of the brain
UC Santa Cruz Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Shiva Abbaszadeh is developing technology that will enable precise multitracer positron emission tomography imaging of the human body’s most complex organ with the support of a $4 million NIH grant.
January 18, 2024
UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience partnering with EY on Open Science Data Challenge on Coastal Resilience for students
Climate change is here, and so are its impacts on our communities. Globally, coastal hazards produce increasing costs, often to the most vulnerable populations. That’s why UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) and the University of California Disaster Resilience Network (UCDRN) are partnering with EY on its 2024 Open Science Data Challenge, focused on coastal resilience. CCCR will be hosting an event on campus on Jan. 25 for interested undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to learn more about this significant opportunity.
January 17, 2024
Insights from UCSC-made COVID-19 tracking tool will guide the future of studying pathogens in real time
A new paper by a team of UCSC pathogen genomicists offers guidance for the future of web tools for tracking pathogen evolution.