Celebrating College of Engineering Outstanding Seniors

Biomedical Engineering

"Initially, I chose biomedical engineering because I was interested in biology and thought the combination would be really interesting and challenging. Throughout my time at UC Davis, seeing the kinds of research professors do and the clinical collaborations that biomedical engineers participate in have made me realize how much good I could do with my major. I’ve become much more interested in specific clinical applications of biomedical engineering, such as addressing neurological disorders and improving women’s healthcare."

Materials Science and Engineering

"My grandfather was an engineer. He sparked my interest in chemistry and physics at a young age, and I was always in awe of how he understood the world around him at a fundamental level. Naturally, I selected materials science and engineering as my major at UC Davis. I'm forever inspired by my grandfather in my academic pursuits; he taught me how to dig deeper and understand topics in full, which continues to guide me in researching the structures and properties of novel materials at the smallest of scales."

Computer Science

"I love to learn about the world around me, and I am constantly seeing how engineers make people's lives better with technology. To me, engineering is a way I can combine my passions with helping people."

Biological Systems Engineering

"My experience with Engineers Without Borders at UC Davis has fortified my resolve to merge technical expertise with humanitarian values in my professional endeavors. Leading a month-long trip last summer in rural Bolivia to construct pour-flush latrines as a safe sanitation solution taught me skills directly applicable to graduate school and my future career. My experience in Bolivia gave me an appreciation for the challenges and opportunities of sustainable engineering, further shaping my research interests and career goals."

Civil and Environmental Engineering

"I was a part of Environmental Project, a water treatment team starting my freshman year, and Concrete Canoe starting my sophomore year. It was so fun to meet other civil engineers, and work to build something together. Especially for concrete canoe, building our canoe the first year back on campus was quite the process, but we got to paddle around Lake Natoma in our perry-the-platypus-themed boat."

Computer Engineering

"For completion of my senior design project in Applied Machine Learning, which involved designing an autonomous rover that follows someone around and uses real-time pose estimation to allow the user to interface with the rover. While I am immensely proud of the work that my team was able to achieve, the project was completed within 10 weeks. This small time constraint required us to decide what portions of the project were most important. This reaffirmed my belief in one of my favorite quotes 'Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough.'"

Chemical Engineering

"I have to give a huge shout-out to Dr. Glaucia Helena Carvalho do Prado! She clearly cares a lot for the student body, putting a lot of effort into her classes while leading efforts to improve mental health awareness throughout the major. She has been a beacon of positivity and has been a great mentor for me when I have questions about classes, career advice, and life in general."

Computer Science and Engineering

"One of my favorite engineering professors is Dr. Dipak Ghosal. His guidance and feedback throughout my time working on the project was instrumental in making quite a headway in our project despite it being a massive undertaking. It was inspiring to see him take the time out of his extremely busy schedule to work closely with us and other student projects through his Startup Club, showing how much he cares about helping students make a lasting impact."

Chemical Engineering

"I would say to talk to your classmates, especially early on. Engineering classes are difficult and the best way to get through them is to collaborate with your peers. I am very lucky to have a tight group of friends/peers in chemical engineering who I have leaned on throughout all of our classes together."

Civil and Environmental Engineering

"I would tell incoming students to take advantage of all the opportunities as part of the College of Engineering. Join engineering clubs, attend info sessions, and get to know your classmates. There are many wonderful people and activities you can be involved in but you have to step outside your comfort zone."

Electrical Engineering

"I will be working fulltime at Ulteig, an engineering firm, where I will work on a team that completes large capitol hydropower protection upgrade projects."

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

"After graduating undergrad I will be continuing onto a masters in mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis at the Center for Spaceflight Research in the Human/Robotics/Vehicle Integration and Performance Lab. I will be working on our space ambulance project for my masters thesis and having lots of fun while doing so."

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

"I head back to NASA JSC Monday after graduation weekend for my 4th rotation. I'll be working in the Applied Aerosciences/CFD branch as a Graduate Pathways Intern. After the summer, I start my masters degree at UCLA with a CFD concentration and continue rotating at NASA JSC in summers."