A model of a COVID-19 spike protein

Engineering for All

We strive to leave no communities behind, developing engineering solutions and accessible technologies that improve the quality of life for all.

Humankind’s most significant challenges have varying impacts across the communities that comprise our cities, state, nation, and world. Economic, geographic, and health disparities mean substantial differences in our abilities to respond to events such as extreme weather, disease transmission, and mobility. Equitable technologies and engineering solutions that address such impacts recognize must work across disciplinary boundaries in partnership with impacted communities to address community needs effectively.

Cross-campus collaboration leads to ‘smart prosthetics’

An interdisciplinary team of UC Davis scientists and plastic and reconstructive surgeons is collaborating to help improve quality of life for patients with upper limb amputations. They are utilizing a novel amputation surgical procedure and smart prosthetics to help patients better control their residual muscles, receive sensory feedback and reduce limb pain.

Prosthetic device

Research in Action

A hand outstretched with a blue projection of Earth and networks artistically drawn on top of the blue image

How Autocrats Control Internet Traffic Out of Sight

Authoritarian regimes exert control over the internet through transit networks that operate largely out of public view, according to a recent study by researchers in the U.S. and Germany. The work, published in PNAS Nexus, also shows how more sophisticated authoritarian regimes extend their influence by providing network access in poorer but politically similar countries.

NASA astronaut in space

Weaving Design and Engineering for Next-Gen Wearables

Gozde Goncu-Berk, an associate professor of design at the University of California, Davis, is forging partnerships with professors from the College of Engineering to realize innovative research in wearable technology.

Two women shake hands indoors

Creating Spaces: College of Engineering Fosters Inclusion of Women of Color in Tech

UC Davis and the College of Engineering are poised to lead the conversation around empowering underrepresented minorities in STEM fields and help create a culture of change.


Read more research in action

Engineering a better world calls for solutions of a different caliber, demanding innovation across disciplines using a design-centric approach.

We employ and develop intelligent systems and automation, tools at the nano-and-micro- scales and technologies for the greater good that will revolutionize energy systems, strengthen climate resilience, advance human health and transform mobility to bring a sustainable, healthier and more resilient world within reach.