Making of the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal

For the first time, the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal was produced in house - by UC Davis Engineering Design and Development Services (EDDS) - the group of shops that serve the design, research and fabricating needs of the College of Engineering - and by the College's Northern California Nanotechnology Center (NC2).

The medal itself is anodized aluminum, shaped and engraved using a high-precision, computerized milling machine - essentially a high-tech drill press. The fifteen facets carved on the edge of the medal represent the years of professional service and achievement that are criteria for the award.

The cut-outs and Greek column connectors were created using an electro-discharge machine, a device that slices through metal using fine copper wire and electric current. The process entails immersing the medal in a tank of de-ionized water, while a copper wire spools down to the medal's surface to intersect with the current. The resulting tiny explosions slash precisely through the aluminum in minutes.

The plate on the back of the medal was made using micro-fabrication processes in the College's Northern California Nanotechnology Center. The plate is a silicon wafer overlaid with a fine layer of silicon dioxide, a layer of silicon nitride and, finally, a layer of pure gold. A photolithographic process - employing masking and etching agents - removes areas of gold to reveal the blue silicon nitride layer and produce printed words.
The College of Engineering logo - the engineering E - also was designed in the College. It symbolizes the global impact of engineering and the College's excellence in research, teaching and service.