2007 News
Engineering Dean's Faculty Awards
The College honors outstanding faculty with junior, mid-career, senior career and teaching awards.
College of Engineering Welcomes New Faculty
The College welcomes seven new faculty who will play critical roles in research ranging from the most fundamental building blocks of nature to the atmosphere of planets. They are specialists in biological networks, air quality, data management and analysis, atmospheric studies, biofuels, energy system analysis and catalysis.
Professor Warren Giedt 1921-2007
Warren H. Giedt, professor emeritus and founding chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, died March 23 at his home in San Jose. He was 86.
Giedt Hall Dedicated
The University dedicates new state-of-the-art classroom building made possible by a donation from CoE Emeritus Professor Warren Giedt and his wife Leta.Giedt Hall, a new classroom building, to be dedicated on March 12, 2007, was made possible by a $2.5 million donation from Warren Giedt, a professor emeritus in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, and his wife, Leta Giedt. The project is supported by a second gift of $400,000 from alumnus and former geology lecturer Rand Schaal and his son Ted Schaal.
UC experts to draft California Auto Emission Policy
In Memory of John De Groot, Plasma Physicist
John De Groot, professor emeritus of applied science, died on Jan. 16 at age 72. His research focused on harnessing the vast power of thermonuclear fusion -- the process that powers the sun and other stars -- for power generation on Earth. De Groot was instrumental in establishing the undergraduate program in optics and the major in computational engineering science.
Faculty
Mohapatra Named New Chair of Computer Science
Professor Prasant Mohapatra has been appointed chair of the Department of Computer Science, effective July 1, 2007.
Alumni
Nominate 2007 Distinguished Alumnus
Recognize a College of Engineering alumnus who has a record of outstanding professional or technical achievement. Nomination Form.
A Dream Come True
Nick Snead almost missed the chance to go to college. Part of the first graduating class in biomedical engineering, Nick never takes his education for granted. Now, he is working on his PhD and hopes to make a difference in cancer research.
Davila receives UC Presidential Fellowship
Lilian P. Davila, Ph.D. (CHMS Alumna) was awarded the highly competitive Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship by the University of California to pursue collaborative research projects in the School of Engineering at UC Merced and Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
The Secret to Her Success
Kristin Bernick is a member of the first graduating class in biomedical engineering. She left campus for graduate school at MIT and a research career. She wants to make a difference in people's lives.
Research News
Pollution in China Could Impact Our Air
Steve Cliff, research engineer in the Department of Applied Science, is tracking how air pollution in China could impact climate change in California. Contaminants from China's pollution are being detected at his Bay Area collection unit, which shows how the Earth's atmosphere knows no borders.
DOE Solar America Initiative Funds Organic Solar Collector Research
The Department of Energy has awarded Professor Adam Moulé's research group with a grant of $900,000 over three years to work on functional multi-layer polymer solar cells. Today standard crystalline semiconductors can be used to make solar cells with nearly 25% efficiency, but they are too costly to use widely. Moulé, assistant professor in chemical engineering & materials science, proposes to develop more cost effective and efficient photoactive material using organic layers.
PHEV Center Will Study Users of New Plug-In Hybrid Cars
With so few plug-in electric vehicles on the road, little is known about how consumers use them. Policymakers, energy suppliers and automakers are asking UC Davis to fill in some of the blanks. The Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Center at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies announced a new program that will select 100 auto club AAA members to experiment with 10 Toyota Priuses converted into plug-in hybrid cars.
$3.1 M. NSF Training Grant for Plant Sciences, Biotech and Engineering
The National Science Foundation has awarded up to $3.1 million over five years to UC Davis and Tuskegee University for an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program to train graduate students in areas where plant sciences, biotechnology and engineering overlap. Associate dean and professor of chemical engineering and materials science Karen McDonald leads a group that includes engineering professors Bryan Jenkins, Mike Savageau and Jean VanderGheynst.
Better Brain Surgery Through Engineering
Laura Marcu, associate professor of biomedical engineering, sheds new light on brain cancer treatment with technology that could give brain surgeons the ability to distinguish, with pinpoint accuracy, between healthy and malignant brain tissue.
Review Finds Potential Flaws in Voting Systems
Computer science professor Matt Bishop and his team conducted an 8-week security review of voting machines in California. They illustrated how easily hackers could alter voting results.
China's Eye on the Internet
The "Great Firewall of China," used by the government of the People's Republic of China to block users from reaching content it finds objectionable, is actually a "panopticon" that encourages self-censorship through the perception that users are being watched, rather than a true firewall, according to researchers at UC Davis and the University of New Mexico.
Why the Rich Get Richer
A new theory shows how wealth, in different forms, can stick to some but not to others. The findings have implications ranging from the design of the Internet to economics.
Software 'Chipper' Speeds Debugging
Computer scientists at UC Davis have developed a technique to speed up program debugging by automatically "chipping" the software into smaller pieces so that bugs can be isolated more easily.
Bacteria Could Steady Buildings Against Earthquakes
Soil bacteria could be used to help steady buildings against
earthquakes, according to researchers at UC Davis. The microbes can
literally convert loose, sandy soil into rock.
Tag and Trace Breakthrough
Researchers have engineered an inexpensive luminescent, magnetic nanoparticle that can be used in biomedical analysis, tracking environmental pollution and in identifying food contamination.
New Center Helps Small Water Systems Succeed
A new UC Davis program aims to help small drinking-water suppliers that are struggling to meet state and federal standards. Supported by a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the California Department of Health Services, the Center for Small Affordable Water Systems will assist suppliers that serve fewer than 3,300 service connections, with a focus on the smallest -- those serving fewer than 200 connections. There are about 5,000 of the latter in California.
Awards & Honors
Nael El-Farra Receives NSF CAREER Award
Nael El-Farra, assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award and grant for his project titled "Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks in Process Control". The award is given to faculty members at or near the beginning of their careers who have effectively integrated research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.
Mighty Microbes
Bio-treated soil that transforms loose sand into sandstone has been recognized as one of Time Magazine's Top Inventions of 2007. The process of harnessing microbial activity to solidify problem soils was developed by Jason DeJong, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his Soil Interactions Laboratory colleagues.
Tonya Kuhl Named 2007 Outstanding AIChE Student Chapter Advisor
Tonya Kuhl, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, has been named 2007 Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). The national award recognizes outstanding service and leadership in guiding the student chapter's activities, particularly in creating enthusiasm and professionalism among the chapter members. Kuhl will receive a plaque and a $500 unrestricted grant for her department at the AIChE National Student Conference in Salt Lake City, NV, on November 4.
Simon Cherry Recognized by Academy of Molecular Imaging
Simon Cherry, professor of biomedical engineering, has received the Distinguished Basic Scientist Award from the Academy of Molecular Imaging. The award was presented by Academy President Johannes Czernin at the 2007 Joint Molecular Imaging Conference held in Providence, R.I., on September 8. Cherry delivered an invited lecture on his research in developing high resolution in vivo imaging technologies and received a cash award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of molecular imaging.
2006-07 NSF CAREER Awards
Valeria La Saponara, assistant professor in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, and Hao Chen, assistant professor in computer science, receive prestigious five-year NSF award to support research.
Tonya Kuhl Named Chancellor's Fellow
Tonya Kuhl, associate professor of chemical engineering and materials science, was selected as a 2006-07 Chancellor's Fellow. She is one of six UC Davis professors who have distinguished themselves early in their careers in teaching, research and public service. "These young faculty...are the best of the best," says Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef.
Gates Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Bruce C. Gates, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He has been recognized for his scholarship on catalysis, for innovative research on hydroprocessing and supported molecular catalysts, and for exemplary leadership in university collaborations with industry. emissions from transportation fuels.
Civil Engineer W. Allen Marr '70 Receives Distinguished Alumni Medal
The UC Davis College of Engineering and the Cal Aggie Engineering Alumni Association have awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal to Dr. W. Allen Marr, a geotechnical engineer and President and CEO of Geocomp Corporation.
Zhongli Pan Receives Pacific West Early Career Scientist of the Year
Dr. Zhongli Pan, Adjunct Professor in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Research Engineer with USDA, received the Pacific West Area Early Career Scientist of the Year Award, Albany, CA., "for innovative, high-impact engineering solutions to value-added processing of agricultural commodities." This program annually recognizes the the creative efforts, scientific leadership and the major research accomplishment of ARS research scientists.
Munir Receives Top Teaching Prize
Professor Zuhair Munir, distinguished professor of chemical engineering and materials science at UC Davis, has received the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.
Ruihong Zhang: 2007 EPA Award
Ruihong Zhang, professor of biological and agricultural engineering, was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a 2007 EPA Environmental Award. The award acknowledges individuals and groups who are working to preserve and protect the environment.
Norman Medal awarded to Faculty and Former Students
The American Society of Civil Engineers' Norman Medal was awarded to recent Ph. D. students Ramachandran Kulasingham, A.M. ASCE, and Eric Malvick, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE., along with professors Ross W. Boulanger, P.E., A.M.ASCE., and Bruce L. Kutter, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE., for their paper “Strength Loss and Localization at Silt Interlayers in Slopes of Liquefied Sand,” which appeared in the November 2004 issue of the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. The Norman Medal recognizes the author or authors of a paper that is judged worthy of special commendation for its merit as a contribution to engineering science.
Students
Engineer is First Recipient of Baskin Undergraduate Research Award
During the Spring Commencement Ceremony on June 15, 2007, the first annual Ronald and Lydia Baskin Undergraduate Research Award was presented to Edgar Sanchez.
Mechanical Engineering Grad Student Passionate Bike Enthusiast
Most people know Davis is a bike town, with bike lanes on every street and every incoming first-year UC Davis student quickly initiated by their first "freshman stripe" and share of collisions.So in Davis, it may not be uncommon to find a bicycle guru, yet mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidate Jason Moore is a prime example of a bicycle enthusiast changing the world, one gear at a time.
Steel Bridge Team Places Second in National Competition
The UC Davis Steel Bridge team, nicknamed "Chrome Ollie," took second place overall at the 2007 National Student Bridge Competition at California State University, Northridge, May 25-26.
AIChE Team Sweeps the Western Region Competition
Chemical engineering students from the UC Davis Student Chapter of
the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) swept the
competition during the 2007 AIChE Western Regional Conference held at
UC Santa Barbara on April 20-21. “Three years ago when we first
entered the competition, I knew that we could bring our club to a new
level," says Alina Av, Student Chapter President.
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Honors Program
New UC Davis honors program in chemical engineering and materials science draws top students.
Tundra Toilets for Remote Alaska Communities
A UC Davis engineering student is introducing an experimental toilet in remote Alaskan native villages to reduce the high rate of gastrointestinal disease and reduce environmental impact related to current practices.
Making a Difference
New Standard for Cleaner Transportation Fuels
Daniel Sperling, UC Davis engineering professor and director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, is co-director of a task force that has written the "Low Carbon Fuel Standard" for California, the first such policy in the world.
Targeting a New Fuel Standard
Gov. Schwarzenegger commissioned a small team of UC specialists to draft the new Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which will direct the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels by at least 10 percent in California by the year 2020. California's policy and program is expected to be a model for the rest of the world.
Delta Disaster Warning
Civil and environmental engineering professor joins five other UC Davis scientists and the non-profit Public Policy Institute of California to warn of looming disaster from a deteriorating Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Toward the Right Mix: Women in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
When Karen McDonald was recruited to UC Davis in 1985, the campus issued a press release about it. Today, her department — Chemical Engineering and Materials Science — and the Department of Chemistry have some of the nation's highest ratios of female faculty, when compared with similar departments at other schools.
UC Davis featured on Campus Viewpoints in the Chronicle of Higher Education
This section features information provided by colleges that are redefining their roles in their communities, are committed to making their surrounding communities better places to live and have innovative programs to share with the higher-education community.
The Robots are Coming
UC Davis and the College of Engineering co-host the annual FIRST Robotics Competition. On January 6 teams from local high schools took part in the kick-off for the competition, which is held March 29-31 at the Pavilion (Rec Hall), UC Davis.
Engineers at Work
Quincy Engineering, Inc., Sacramento, CA
CSA Engineering, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Events
East Meets West: Japanese Engineers Visit UC Davis (PDF)
Visiting professors from Japan's Ryukoku University will present their annual seminar topics related to materials science on October 30, 2007. The College of Engineering and Ryukoku continue to refine a long-standing and robust partnership that was initiated by Zuhair Munir, distinguished professor of chemical engineering and materials science.
Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series 2006-2007
“Hurry Up! Catalysis and Chemical Change” presented by Bruce Gates on Wednesday, May 2 at 4:10 p.m. in 1065 Kemper Hall. Reception to follow in Kemper Hall Lobby.
Annual UC Davis Open House - Picnic Day, April 14
A cherished UC Davis tradition since 1909, Picnic Day is a chance to catch up on campus life, see old friends, enjoy the parade, choose among more than 150 activities, see student demonstrations and maybe even sample some liquid nitrogen ice cream. Hope to see you there!
FIRST Robotics Competition 2007
UC Davis and the College of Engineering co-host the annual FIRST Robotics Competition on March 29-31, 2007 at the ARC Pavilion. High school teams in the Sacramento region each have six weeks to design and build a robot for the competition, while learning creativity, critical thinking and troubleshooting skills along the way.
Law Symposium Feb. 23 Tackles Greenhouse-Gas Emissions
The 2007 Environmental Law Symposium at UC Davis this Friday (Feb.
23), has the theme "Partnerships & Legislation: California's
Approach to Climate Change."
‘Last King' Film Feb. 28 Will Benefit Engineers in Uganda
The Feb. 28 Varsity Theatre showing of the film "The Last King of
Scotland" will be a fund-raiser for the UC Davis chapter of Engineers
Without Borders, which hopes to travel this summer to Nkokonjeru,
Uganda, to help with sanitation and health issues.
Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy
March 26-30, Monday-Friday - UC Davis experts will lead the first
Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy, geared to helping students
and researchers move environmental solutions out of the laboratory
and into the marketplace.
E-Week: "Engineers Make a World of Difference"
Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Engineers Week is celebrated annually by thousands of engineers, engineering students, teachers, and leaders in government and business. Join UC Davis engineering students for three days of activities, demonstrations, tours and celebration.