UCLA Samueli Commemorates Class of 2023 Bruin Engineers in Two Ceremonies More than 1,700 engineering and computer science students of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2023 gathered in Pauley Pavilion to celebrate their milestone accomplishments in two commencement ceremonies held on June 17 and 18.
Alissa Park Appointed Dean of UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park has been appointed the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli, effective September 1. A leading expert on carbon capture and conversion technology, Park will join UCLA from Columbia University, where she is the Lenfest Earth Institute Professor of Climate Change and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering.
UCLA Engineering Welcomes Two New Faculty Members The Materials Science and Engineering Department appointed Alexander Balandin and Daniel Schwalbe-Koda as a distinguished professor and an assistant professor starting this July and next March, respectively.
UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Welcomes New Faculty Elaheh Ahmadi will be joining the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in July as an associate professor. Her research explores next-gen semiconductor materials and devices to improve energy efficiency in technology.
UCLA-Led Team Finds Lingering Effects of Neanderthal DNA in Modern Humans A multi-institutional study published in eLife led by Sriram Sankararama, an associate professor of computer science, and April (Xinzhu) Wei of Cornell University, has shown continued — albeit dwindling — influence of Neanderthal DNA in modern humans.
Bioengineers Develop Spider Web-Inspired Method to Fabricate Conductive Fibers In a study published as a cover story in Nature Electronics, research led by Jun Chen, an assistant professor of bioengineering, demonstrated a new spider web-inspired method of creating soft, electrically conductive fibers for use in smart electronics.
Hybrid AI-Powered Computer Vision Combines Physics and Big Data In a study published in Nature Machine Intelligence, Achuta Kadambi, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and colleagues outlined a new hybrid approach to improve computer vision technology by adding physics-based awareness to big data techniques.
UCLA Computer Scientist Receives Major International Semiconductor Award Jason Cong, a distinguished professor of computer science, has received the 2023 Global Industry Leader Award from ChipEx2023 for his contributions to semiconductor design automation and for teaching hundreds of students, many of whom now work in the industry.
UCLA Computer Scientist Recognized for Influential Research in Cryptography Amit Sahai, a professor of computer science, has been selected by the International Association for Cryptologic Research to receive its 2023 Test of Time Award for pioneering research with a lasting impact in the field of cryptography.
Civil Engineer Among 3 UCLA Professors Honored for Research Benefitting Society Alongside two campus colleagues, Yousef Bozorgnia, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, was honored with an annual UCLA Public Impact Research Award for his sustained efforts to translate research into positive public action.
UCLA Engineering Students Receive 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Eight current UCLA Samueli students and six alumni have received the prestigious 2023 Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. The three-year program includes a $37,000 annual stipend for each awardee.
Professor Carey Nachenberg Wins 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award Carey Nachenberg, an adjunct associate professor of computer science, has been selected to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award for his track record of innovative teaching methods and ability to inspire and motivate learners.
Boeing Bets on Startup Equatic With Massive CO2 Removal, Hydrogen Deal Boeing is partnering with Equatic, a Los Angeles-based startup spun out of UCLA’s Institute for Carbon management, in a first-of-its-kind deal to buy green hydrogen supplied as a byproduct of removing CO2 from seawater. The announcement was also covered by the Associated Press.
Scientists Have a Way of Removing Carbon Dioxide from Our Oceans Dante Simonetti, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and associate director at the Institute for Carbon management, joined CNN for an interview on the series premiere to discuss the new carbon sequestration SeaChange technology.
Pioneering Advanced Math from Behind Bars Advised by Amit Sahai, a professor of computer science, the Prison Mathematics Project is helping those studying mathematics in prison, and has already paired 171 incarcerated people in 27 states with mentors to work on topics from combinatorics to abstract algebra.
Hiding Hydrophones in Fire Hydrants Sriram Narasimhan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Pranav Agrawal, a postdoctoral researcher, discussed an innovative acoustic solution to identify leaks in water distribution networks.
Robots Among Us: A Conversation with Dennis Hong Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, joined the Watching America radio program to talk about his journey into robotics engineering, his current robotic projects as well as his thoughts on the next evolution in robotics engineering.
Leveraging Transparent Solar Panels Yang Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering, joined the Green Sense Show — a sustainability radio program — to share insights on the development of transparent solar panels that could transform the future of indoor farming.
LA Tech Week: Local Climate Investors Assess and Vet Green Startups David Jassby, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and an associate director of the UCLA Institute for Carbon Management, discussed the future of graduate student climate research and funding in the context of today’s political environment.
Ready, Set … Accelerate! UCLA Biodesign connected two UCLA doctors — Leena Nathan and Tamara Grisales — with Song Li, a professor and chair of the Bioengineering Department, who helped develop a biodegradable polymer adapted as a time-release estrogen patch to ease vaginal atrophy.
Race to the Finish Bruin Racing, a UCLA Samueli student-run organization, was featured in the magazine for building its teams and racing three vehicles — a Formula for speed, a Baja for off-roading endurance and a Supermileage for fuel efficiency.
STUDENTS
Fulfilling a Family Tradition but Blazing Her Own Trail Morolake Omoya is the first Black UCLA student to receive a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in civil and environmental engineering. She's now a risk modeler at Moody's Risk Management Solutions.
ALUMNI
Renowned Engineer and Double Bruin Asad Madni Delivers Commencement Speech A distinguished adjunct professor at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and a prominent innovator and scientist, Madni shared valuable lessons learned from his illustrious career with the undergraduate and graduate class of 2023 from his alma mater.