Students

Starting this year, the UC Davis College of Engineering is proud to recognize four outstanding graduate students with the College of Engineering Graduate Student Awards.

These awards honor the achievements and contributions of engineering graduate students for their research and service. Nominations were open to any M.S. and Ph.D. student enrolled in a graduate program in the college. Each award recipient will receive a $500 scholarship and their name will be added to a permanent display located in the Kemper Hall lobby.

Our next #SeniorSpotlight is Derek Lee, a computer engineering major and Class of 2020 graduate!

One of Derek’s favorite memories from his time at UC Davis was working with the College of Engineering and his professors to sponsor SacHacks, the first major intercollegiate hackathon in the Sacramento area, as that made him feel closer to the faculty.

Derek starts his software engineering job in January and his advice to incoming engineering students is to focus on extracurricular activities if you do not plan on going to grad school.

Our first #SeniorSpotlight is Zoren Habana, a mechanical and aerospace engineering Class of 2020 graduate! Some of Zoren’s favorite memories were made in the Bainer Hall computer lab, where he solidified many friendships with fellow engineers.

“I would spend nights at the computer lab finishing up homework and projects, but it wasn't so bad since I was around my friends and colleagues,” said Zoren. “I cherish the memories I made in the computer lab because of how much time I spent there struggling with my colleagues to get work done. Misery definitely loves company.”

Vanessa and Victoria Liera, Class of 2022, share their experiences as electrical engineering students and co-founders of the Club of Future Female Electrical Engineers (COFFEE).

Tomoya Otsuka is a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at UC Davis. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school either in Sweden or Switzerland to focus on developing fast and efficient railway systems and learn more about sustainable engineering.

As someone who has seen much of the world after living in Japan and Australia for 15 years before coming to the U.S., Tomoya will always remember the memories he made at UC Davis.

Reiko Yoshizawa is finishing her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at UC Davis. After graduating, she will start a full-time job as a manufacturing engineer at the medical device company Penumbra.

One of her favorite memories from her time at the College of Engineering was building a gearbox that could carry a couple of textbooks up a ramp in her mechanical design class. Reiko and her friends faced a myriad of challenges when manufacturing and assembling the components, but she enjoyed the work and it was rewarding to see the final project in action.

Reca M. Caballero is a biomedical engineering student at UC Davis and is our 2020 M.S. Ghausi Medal award winner. The award, named for former College of Engineering dean, Mohammed S. Ghausi, is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior in engineering.

Some of Reca’s favorite memories from the College of Engineering was representing the Biomedical Engineering Society and volunteering at Decision Day.

Melissa Johnson is graduating with degrees in mechanical engineering and design. After graduation, she plans to start working in either design consulting or STEM education, ideally at a job where she can use both of her degrees, before returning to higher education to get her master’s.