Faculty

As he approaches his 35th year on campus, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Mohamed Hafez continues to leave an indelible mark on the department and his students. He has taught and mentored undergraduate, graduate and high school students and postdoctoral scholars alike while introducing several courses and being a driving force behind aerospace engineering at UC Davis.

From studying environmental and molecular biogeochemistry to addressing water quality issues, Jasquelin Peña looks forward to sharing her knowledge and connecting with UC Davis students this fall.

Electrical and computer engineering (ECE) emeritus professor John Churchill, known as “Jack”, passed away on March 15, 2020 at the age of 86.

Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Dean of the College of Engineering, has received the 2019 Particle Technology Forum’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). She is being recognized as an outstanding contributor to the field of particle technology as well as for her leadership in promoting scholarship, research, development, service and education in this field.

By Aditi Risbud Bartl

Growing up in California’s Carmel woods, near Carmel-by-the-Sea, chemical engineering emeritus professor Stephen Whitaker began his path toward UC Davis as a chemistry major at UC Berkeley in the 1950s. He switched majors to chemical engineering in his sophomore year and was inspired by a new course on unit operations.

Each year, the UC Davis College of Engineering recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, research and community. Faculty members are nominated by their respective departments and selected by the college’s faculty awards committee. This year, five professors will receive awards honoring their accomplishments at the Celebration of Faculty Excellence awards ceremony and reception on October 10 from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in the Shields Library Courtyard.

The College of Engineering is thrilled to welcome 11 new faculty members for the 2019-20 school year. Our new faculty have expertise ranging from hardware security to assistive robotics to materials under extreme conditions and everything in between. Read their bios below to learn more about them and their work: