2 New Department Chairs Named in UC Davis College of Engineering
The University of California, Davis, Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering will soon be led by new incoming chairs.
Professor Sabyasachi Sen will formally begin his role as chair of materials science and engineering on July 1, 2025. Professor Miguel Jaller will begin his role as chair of civil and environmental engineering on Jan. 1, 2026.
Both professors are esteemed in their research fields and bring histories of leadership and collaboration to their new roles.
Sabyasachi Sen, Materials Science and Engineering
Sen joined the UC Davis Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2004. Sen served as the department vice chair in the past and has held the Blacutt-Underwood Professorship in Materials Science since 2020.
Sen's current research interests include the development and application of state-of-the-art spectroscopic and rheological techniques to study atomic structure and dynamical phenomena in amorphous and crystalline matter.
"I firmly believe that the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, anchored in its inherently interdisciplinary nature, holds a vital and distinctive role within the College of Engineering," Sen said. "As the incoming chair of the department, I look forward to nurturing this role and fostering an increasingly collaborative research environment — one that strengthens our partnerships with other departments across the college and advances our shared goals."
Miguel Jaller, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Since joining UC Davis in 2014, Jaller has been at the forefront of research aimed at enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of freight transportation. In 2018, Jaller became the co-director of the Sustainable Freight Research Program in the Institute of Transportation Studies. His work has addressed critical issues such as decarbonizing freight systems, optimizing last-mile delivery and improving disaster response logistics.
Jaller's commitment to developing practical solutions for complex transportation challenges is reflected in his interdisciplinary integration of engineering principles with policy analysis and operations research. His work has been supported by agencies such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the California Air Resources Board and the California Department of Transportation, focusing on projects that aim to reduce emissions and enhance infrastructure resilience.
"As chair, I am committed to fostering a collaborative, inclusive and forward-thinking environment for faculty, students, staff and research partners," said Jaller. "I aim to build on this department's strong foundation of long-standing excellence, and I look forward to navigating the opportunities and challenges ahead with a shared vision and collective purpose."
