Engineering Progress Magazine Fall 2020

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis

Message from the Dean

This Fall marks my last quarter as dean of the College of Engineering. After being invited by Chancellor May to be reappointed for a second five-year term, I will be stepping down at the end of December to begin a sabbatical in January and then return to teaching and research in the Department of Chemical Engineering. A national search for a new dean will commence this fall under the leadership of Provost Mary Croughan, who will also consult with members of the college and campus community to identify interim leadership effective January 1, 2021.

This issue of Engineering Progress is about all the great work our faculty are doing to address current challenges of our time. We expect more great achievements through this academic year and hope you will continue to engage with us by mentoring students in our Mentor Collective program and following the progress of our Engineering Student Design Center expansion. Read more →

Cover Story: UC Davis engineers fight food insecurity through sustainable agriculture

Addressing the Pandemic

In response to the global pandemic, teams of UC Davis engineers are using their expertise to address challenges related to COVID-19 with the goal of helping people become safer, healthier and better-tested.

Fighting Fire with Engineering

UC Davis engineers are rising to the challenge by finding new ways to monitor and mitigate the effects of wildfires through new technology such as fire-proof houses, chemical sensors to study smoke and drones to monitor fires in real time.

Securing Electronic Voting

Matt Bishop helps election officials vet electronic voting systems and the electoral process they’re a part of to find and fix as many security issues as they can to make elections as secure as possible.

Inside the "New Normal"

As campus has started implementing procedures such as symptom surveys and contact tracing for positive COVID-19 tests, the college has adjusted to this new normal of education at a distance.

Bolstering Cybersecurity Efforts Nationwide

Since 2019, when Houman Homayoun joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as an associate professor, he has served as the site director for the National Science Foundation Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust (CHEST). His research focus is in the broad area of computer engineering, with an emphasis on hardware security and trust, computer system security, heterogeneous computing and energy-efficient computing. Read more →

A New Era in Engineering Design

On Friday, October 9, 2020, the College of Engineering kicked off the Engineering Student Design Center (ESDC) expansion with a groundbreaking ceremony and virtual celebration. The ESDC expansion will more than double the current space in Bainer Hall to 23,000 square feet and allow students across all disciplines to discover the power of design through rapid prototyping, 3-D printing and an incredible range of physical and digital technologies. Read more →

UC Davis Engineering Receives $107M in Research Funding

The UC Davis College of Engineering has grown its research efforts this year to an all-time high of $107M in funding, highlighting the knowledge and expertise of our engineers at UC Davis solving the world’s most pressing problems. New efforts in the college include:

Bridging the Gap Plus Program
Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust
Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next Generation Food Systems
University of California Pavement Research Center

Read more →

The Mentor Collective Program

The Mentor Collective program connects first-year and transfer engineering students with a recent UC Davis engineering graduate to help them navigate challenges and recognize the various opportunities the College of Engineering has to offer. These alumni mentors are ready to listen, inspire and guide students when needed. Through Mentor Collective, students learn what to expect in classes and how to approach new experiences. Read more →

Engineering Spotlight

Professor Emeritus: Izzat (Ed) Idriss

An internationally-recognized leader in the field of soil mechanics and foundation engineering, civil and environmental engineer Izzat (Ed) Idriss, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, has influenced the construction of dams, nuclear power plants, office buildings, hospitals, railways and bridges around the world. Read more →

2020 UC Davis Alumni Award Winner: Hope Bovenzi

Hope Bovenzi received her B.S. degree in electrical engineering at the UC Davis College of Engineering in 2012. Since graduating, she went on to work for Texas Instruments and quickly became the youngest sector general manager for Automotive Infotainment while continuing to give back to her community and the college. Read more →

Inside this issue

View PDF of the print magazine

Alumni Involvement Opportunities

Alumni can get involved with the College of Engineering virtually through the online opportunities listed below.

Engineering Design Showcase
June 3, 2021 | 9:30am - 9:30pm
The Engineering Design Showcase is the culminating experience for graduating seniors. Our virtual showcase features student teams and design projects from all eight departments. Show your support by reviewing projects and sharing feedback on posters, overview videos and other project materials. Please register by May 20, 2021.
Learn more
ENG 3 Intro to Engineering Design Spring Showcase
June 4, 2021 | 9:30am - 9:30pm
Serve as an evaluator and provide valuable feedback to our students in ENG 3 Introduction to Engineering Design course. ENG 3 is a 4-unit communication elective offered to College of Engineering undergraduates. Student teams apply their engineering design, technology and communication skills to address “human-centered” challenges facing elders in collaboration with the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Learn more

Take a Virtual Tour

Experience our state-of-the-art centers and facilities from the comfort of your home

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