Computer Engineering Student Wins Ding Prize, a New Award for Scholarly Excellence

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis, has established a new undergraduate award, thanks to the generous support of Distinguished Professor Zhi Ding and his wife, Tonia Lu. 

The Ding Prize for Scholarly Excellence in Electrical and Computer Engineering recognizes a top graduating student in electrical or computer engineering whose academic achievement reflects exceptional dedication, intellectual rigor and excellence in their discipline. 

“My family and I are very proud of our ECE graduates at UC Davis,” Ding said. “We wish to promote the academic excellence and the achievements of our students, regardless of their background. This prize recognizes the hard work and the superb effort by one of the top ECE graduates in this great institution.”   

The award’s name celebrates the outstanding legacy of Ding as a scholar, mentor and educator. Known to generations of Aggie engineers as “Coach Ding,” he has shaped careers in engineering and technology by inspiring confidence and curiosity in the students he teaches. In 2025, Ding received the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, among the university’s highest honors for faculty excellence. 

A New Legacy Begins 

The inaugural recipient of the Ding Prize is Vivian Nguyen. Originally a computer science major at Ohlone College, Nguyen changed her focus to computer engineering when she transferred to UC Davis. 

“When you code, you learn about data structures, algorithms and things that work but you're not 100% sure why,” she said. “I wanted to see how computers actually implemented what makes them work the way they do.” 

Nguyen said that while she initially struggled with the switch from coding to building circuits, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she had made the right decision.  

“I liked having that hands-on experience to build stuff and analyze them, so that I could apply the stuff I was learning from calculus and physics classes into actual engineering.”  

On receiving the Ding Prize, Nguyen is thrilled.  

“Being the first recipient is a huge honor,” she said. “It's an honor to be a part of Professor Ding’s teaching legacy.”  

After graduation, Nguyen will begin a professional master’s program in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley. She will specialize in computer systems.