Student Spotlights

A University of California, Davis mechanical engineering student has been named top graduating senior, earning the University Medal for academic excellence, leadership and impact in robotics, research and campus life.

Each year, the UC Davis College of Engineering celebrates the graduating seniors who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, academic achievement and service both in and out of the classroom. These outstanding Aggie Engineers share their most impactful moments and fondest memories from their time at UC Davis.

The Minnesota marshes Matthew Maciosek explored as a child are threatened by agricultural groundwater use. Now a UC Davis biological systems engineering student, he's researching sustainable irrigation practices in California's Central Valley to help protect wetlands for future generations.

Undergraduate students Lena Araya and Lydia Miteza found their way to mechanical engineering through hands-on making, mentorship and accessible spaces offered by the Women Machinists’ Club at UC Davis. Now they are leading the WMC and reshaping how students encounter engineering.

Aaleesha Doshi, a third-year undergraduate biomedical engineering student on the pre-medical track, reflects on how a clinical immersion experience at Aggie Square deepened her drive to become an engineer and a surgeon working to advance human health.

Between her biological systems engineering research and her job as assistant grower at Gotham Greens, aka her “living lab,” master's student Grace Algeo is focused on developing practical tools that support growers, strengthen sustainability efforts and point toward a more resilient future for agriculture.