Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Zahn Prize Competition Rewards Student Teams

This year, the Moxie Center for Student Entrepreneurship was able to double the total amount of cash prizes for student teams at its annual Zahn Prize Competition. The competition was held at The Basement, our newest entrepreneurial space, and the Moxie Center awarded a total of $20,000 in cash prizes to young campus innovators:

  • Ganesh Elie of Slithr, electronic longboards


  • Deepak Atyam and Alex Finch of Tri-D Dynamics.

Friday, December 4, 2015

#ILookLikeAnEngineer: James Natanauan

We are continuing our effort to highlight undergraduate students at the Jacobs School of Engineering with James Natanauan. James is a computer engineering student and president of the Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC) for the second year in a row. Meet James, a senior with a passion for computers also for making his own music.


Name: James Natanauan
Major: Computer Engineering
Estimated graduation date: June 2016


Why did you choose engineering at UC San Diego?
I have always loved computers. I told myself I would learn how to make them work.


What are your career goals?
I want to go into industry first, and based on the internships I’ve had, I really like the management aspect of the field. I would like to pursue and advanced degree, perhaps an MBA or a masters in computer science or computer engineering.


Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?
“Carpe diem.” You’ve got one life, so you should make the most of it.


What are three things about you that make you an individual?
1. I moved here from Hong Kong when I was 10, but I was born in the Philippines.


2. I’m really into playing music, but I’m just getting into making music. I don’t have any equipment for electronic music, but it’s all acoustic stuff right now. I’ve been playing guitar on and off since I was twelve.

3. Last summer, I bought a bunch of random instruments, such as an Irish penny whistle, a harmonica. I can actually play the guitar and harmonica at the same time.



Musical inspiration?
The Beatles.


What does the #ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign mean to you?
It’s really important because we generalize things so easily, and often subconsciously. I remember this one time, I was at a table eating a taco, and this guy came up to me to talk. I was quiet because I was chewing my food, when he said, “You’re so quiet. You’re such an engineer.” That’s still a negative stereotype about engineers - that we’re anti-social, and we don’t get out much. This campaign is important because we need to treat everyone as an individual.