Nine mechanical and aerospace engineering students from two research teams at UC Davis experienced zero gravity this December as they successfully tested two spaceflight technologies aboard two parabolic flights.
A few miles away from West Sacramento at UC Davis, a team of engineers, scientists and designers led by Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Valeria La Saponara is researching ways to apply mycelium to other human problems.
Over the next four years, UC Davis students will be designing the car of the future as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s EcoCAR Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge. The competition challenges students to convert a Cadillac LYRIQ EV into an autonomous, next-generation battery-electric vehicle with vehicle-to-everything connectivity so it can interact with devices and the environment.
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Associate Professor Seongkyu Lee’s group will apply their expertise in predicting rotorcraft noise to help industry leader Supernal identify noise sources in their aircraft designs and recommend strategies to reduce it.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has awarded a team of researchers from the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis and Merced a two-year grant to simulate urban air mobility in the San Francisco area, and to draft regulations for this highly complex form of travel.
Janine Moses ’19, M.S. ’23 has wanted to be an astronaut since she was three years old. “There was never a why. It just was,” Janine says. She recalls a report she did on Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, as a significant source of inspiration. Today, Janine continues to seek inspiration from women in her field—both the women astronauts she met while interning with NASA and the classmates-turned-friends at UC Davis.
Ashna Reddy ’23 chose mechanical engineering for its practical applications. She was fascinated by the entire process of building something from start to finish and has found many opportunities to explore engineering on- and off-campus. From data analysis in the fast-paced corporate environment at Tesla to a Martian and lunar space deployable structures internship at NASA, Ashna has steadily gained hands-on experience and confidence in her abilities as an engineer.
Linda Finley ’81, mechanical engineering, has paved the way for countless women in engineering.
When Linda came to UC Davis in 1979 to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, she quickly joined the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). At the time, SWE was struggling. It was important to Linda that the student chapter thrive, and she served as president for two years. Some of the events established under her leadership, including the popular “Night with Industry,” still happen today.
The Main Theatre at Wright Hall became the unlikely site of an experiment. Students in the Center for Spaceflight Research at UC Davis are working on technologies for a class of satellites that could inspect other spacecraft. In space, the light is harshly bright with no atmosphere to attenuate the sunshine, and the technology must be configured for that environment.
I strive to be an inclusive instructor and make sure that everyone feels welcome in my classes. I work to mentor my female students and serve as a role model for them in professionalism and performance. I want to let them know that they can have a work-life balance while at the same time striving for excellence in the engineering field!
