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Revolutionizing Energy Systems

We make significant contributions to climate mitigation through innovations in energy efficiency, generation and storage.

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Strengthening Climate Resilience

We advance human, infrastructure and ecosystem resilience in the face of potentially devastating climate impacts by developing and implementing leading-edge technologies and engineering approaches.

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Transforming Mobility

We lead the development of future transportation systems for movement across land, water, air and extraterrestrial environments.

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Advancing Human Health

We improve population health and healthcare through the development of advanced technologies, devices for personalized health monitoring and health informatics.

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Recent News

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Atmaja Patil’s Aggie Superpower is Asking Good Questions

  • by Julia Ann Easley, UC Davis News and Media Relations
At an upcoming UC Davis commencement ceremony, biological systems engineering major Atmaja Patil will speak on what she takes away from her education: “The confidence to question the status quo. To look at a problem and ask, ‘Why does it have to be this way?’”

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Research in Action

Engineering For All

AI Suggests Simple Food Swaps to Make Meals Healthier and Cheaper

Intelligent Systems and Automation

Decoding Dementia

Tools at the Nano- and Micro-Scales

UC Davis Joins as Core Member of Regional Semiconductor Workforce Network

From Labs to Lives

How Research Funding Solves Real-World Problems
Below, our engineering researchers describe the impact of their work, and the consequences if federal support for this cutting-edge research were reduced or eliminated.
 
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Without Federal Support, Fewer Solutions Move from the Lab to Real-World Use

Investments from agencies like NSF, USDA and NASA enable Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Zhaodan Kong to develop technologies that work with humans, such as wildfire-detection drones that support firefighters. Without funding, testing and getting technologies into the hands of people who need them becomes much harder.

See Kong discuss the benefits of human-centered technologies

A professor speaking passionately on a purple backdrop

Lack of Federal Funding Shortchanges Long-Term Breakthroughs in Health Monitoring

In one of her research projects, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Cristina Davis and her team are developing wearable sensors to monitor increasing exposures that could harm our health, such as chemicals released by wildfires. Without federal support, the nation risks decades of stalling scientific progress on such projects.

Watch Professor Davis speak on why federal funding is needed 

Md Shamim Ahamed against a blue background for a video shoot

USDA-Funded Research Advances Sustainable Food Systems

Assistant Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Md Shamim Ahamed develops solutions to help grow food more efficiently in greenhouses and indoor farms. His team has developed systems that can cut energy and water use by up to 50 percent, helping to lower food costs and help farmers produce food year-round in changing climates. 

Engineering Progress

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In the News

Wreckage from a wildfire

New study says toxic carcinogen from 2025 Los Angeles wildfires may have spread to 3.3 million people

CBS News
A man holds a hawk on his arm

See how UC Davis bird barn will turn raptor flight secrets into smarter drones

The Sacramento Bee
Flowers, plants, and sticks in the shape of human lungs

9 Everyday Things That Are Quietly Polluting the Air Inside Your Home

Real Simple

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News Bytes

Action shot of women's volleyball players celebrating on court, player with arms raised

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Receives Top UC Davis Athlete Award

As captain of the UC Davis women’s volleyball team, graduating senior Jade Light was recognized for her excellence in academics, athletics and leadership with the W.P. Lindley Award, UC Davis' highest student athlete honor. During the 2025-26 season, Light was named Big West Player of the Year and became the program's first All-American since 1996.
Daniel Dennies on blue background

Alum Daniel Dennies Announced as ASM International President

Mentored by Professor Emeritus Jeffery Gibeling, Dennies earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at UC Davis in 1993, specializing in metallurgical engineering. A renowned expert in failure analysis, Dennies has largely contributed to the aerospace industry, including the International Space Station and the Boeing 747.
Woman and man shaking hands, holding framed certificate in front of branded logo backdrop

Alejandro Martinez Receives Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research

The professor of civil and environmental engineering has been recognized for offering undergraduate students opportunities to develop research skills and integrate into his Granular Materials Lab, from performing laboratory tests and conducting physical modeling experiments to participating in the group's social activities and weekly meetings. “Undergraduate students are very capable and creative,” Martinez said. “My research and my team have greatly benefited from interacting with them.”

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