A digital noticeboard celebrating achievements and highlights in the college, from grant updates to best paper awards.
Take a bite of some byte-sized news.
UC Davis Helps Shape Sacramento’s Semiconductor Future
As semiconductor companies expand in Greater Sacramento, UC Davis is helping lay the groundwork for the industry’s growth. In Commercial Property Executive, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Saif Islam discusses the need for a skilled workforce and how the UC Davis Center for Nano-MicroManufacturing supports innovation through access to specialized fabrication equipment.
Engineering Alum’s Electric Air Taxi Named Among TIME’s Best Inventions
Joby Aviation’s all-electric air taxi, developed by a team led by mechanical engineering alum JoeBen Bevirt, is among TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026. The quiet, four-passenger aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like a plane, with the potential to turn an hour in traffic into a 10-minute flight. Bevirt '95 received the college’s Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal in 2018.
UC Davis Tech Foundry Is a ‘Manufacturer to Know’ in Sacramento Region
The Sacramento Business Journal highlighted the device development facility as part of its Manufacturers to Know program, where notable businesses share why they operate in the Sacramento region. UC Davis Tech Foundry is a catalyst for new manufacturing practices and startups in the region, serving both the university and external partners.
Aerospace Engineering Alum Develops New Way to Move Cargo Across the Moon
As the co-founder and CEO of InSitu Space, Toby Li ’25 is developing Daedalus, a rocket-propelled “hopper” designed to transport cargo across the lunar surface. By flying over craters, slopes and other obstacles, Daedalus could change the lunar transportation landscape, giving scientists quicker access to multiple sites from a single moon landing.
Alum’s Millimeter-Wave Technology Takes Major Step Toward Spaceflight
Three-time engineering alum Diana Gamzina’s company, Elve, has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave tube amplifier platform for spaceflight. The technology, which grew from Gamzina’s research in the College of Engineering, could enable high-data-rate communications for satellite networks and is expected to be demonstrated in orbit within a year.
UC Davis Researcher Takes Leadership Role in Soft Robotics
Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Wenzhong Yan has joined Soft Robotics, the leading journal in the field, as an associate editor. The appointment recognizes Yan's growing contributions to soft robotics, an emerging area of research focused on robots that safely interact with people and adapt to complex environments.
UC Davis Researchers Receive 2026 Geometry Processing Software Award
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering John D. Owens, alum Ahmed H. Mahmoud, Ph.D. ’24, and project scientist Serban Porumbescu received the 2026 SGP Software Award from the Eurographics Symposium on Geometry Processing for RXMesh, an open-source library that simplifies GPU-based processing of 3D triangle meshes. The award recognizes software that has made significant contributions to geometry processing research.
UC Davis Electrical Engineer Selected for Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Calum Shelden, Ph.D. ’25 and a current postdoctoral scholar in the Munday Lab, is among the nearly 600 young scientists from around the world exchanging knowledge, ideas and experience during the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Shelden researches the Casimir force, a quantum mechanical effect disruptive to advancements in nanotechnology.
Lillie Vehling Receives Big West Student Athlete Service and Leadership Award
The mechanical and aerospace engineering student and water polo player is among nine athletes recognized for their service, leadership and academic success. Co-founding a water safety initiative, completing nuclear engineering internships and leading her team in shooting percentage are among Vehling's many
Alum Honored for Work Using Spatial AI to Enhance Live Sport Experiences
IF/THEN, an organization supporting women in STEM, has selected electrical and computer engineering alum Nadia Banks as one of 26 women changing the game of sports. A leader in spatial AI at Quintar, Banks works to blend digital content, like data and 3D mapping, with the real world to create interactive experiences during live sporting events.
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Receives Top UC Davis Athlete Award
As captain of the UC Davis women’s volleyball team, graduating senior Jade Light was recognized for her excellence in academics, athletics and leadership with the W.P. Lindley Award, UC Davis' highest student athlete honor. During the 2025-26 season, Light was named Big West Player of the Year and became the program's first All-American since 1996.
Alum Daniel Dennies Announced as ASM International President
Mentored by Professor Emeritus Jeffery Gibeling, Dennies earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at UC Davis in 1993, specializing in metallurgical engineering. A renowned expert in failure analysis, Dennies has largely contributed to the aerospace industry, including the International Space Station and the Boeing 747.
