Krstic awarded IEEE Bode Lecture Prize

Miroslav Krstic, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Bode Lecture Prize, the highest award given by the IEEE Control Systems Society. 

The Bode Lecture Prize recognizes distinguished contributions to control systems science or engineering, and the broader impacts of the contribution towards the benefit of society at large. Krstic will deliver a plenary lecture at the 2023 Conference on Decision and Control in Singapore.

Krstic serves as senior associate vice chancellor for research for UC San Diego, and holds the Daniel L. Alspach Endowed Chair in Dynamic Systems and Control. He opened up a whole new area of research in control theory by reviving what are known as extremum seeking algorithms. Krstic’s advances made it possible to better conduct chemical analysis of rocks on the Mars rover Curiosity. They also have helped achieve a 200-fold increase in area density in the microchips that run smartphones, resulting in a multi-billion dollar impact for the semiconductor photolithography industry.

He has made transformational contributions to partial differential equations control, nonlinear delay systems, extremum seeking, adaptive control, stochastic nonlinear stabilization, and their industrial applications – including everything from stabilizing stop-and-go motion in congested traffic to estimating the state of health of batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones. 

“Henrik Bode was the founding thinker of control systems as a field that straddles technology and theory,” said Krstic. “The Bode Lecture should inspire the community about the future of the field. No one has achieved this as memorably as Peter Kokotovic in 1991, with his “Joy of Feedback” lecture. He showcased my first result in that lecture, helped launch my career, and this is what makes my own Bode Lecture task for 2023 not only daunting but also special.” 

Krstic has received several lifetime achievement recognitions. In 2022, he was named the inaugural recipient of two awards: the biennial A.V. “Bal” Balakrishnan Research Award for Scientific Excellence in Research in the Mathematics of Systems and the triennial Ruth Curtain Award for Distributed Parameter Systems from the International Federation for Automatic Control. In 2021, he received the Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award; in 2019, the Reid Prize from the Society for Industrial Mathematics and the Nonlinear Control Systems Award from the International Federation for Automatic Control; and in 2017 the Oldenburger Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

Krstic also is Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the International Federation of Automatic Control, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the UK’s Institution of Engineering and Technology, as well as associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Wood high-rise tops off at UC San Diego shake table — tests planned for early next year

The tallest building ever to be tested on an earthquake simulator topped off at 10 stories high at UC San Diego's shake table when construction crews and a giant crane flew the last wood panel to the top of the structure on Dec. 6, 2022.

The building is made from cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a material that allows for faster construction and is also sustainable. The goal of the Tallwood project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to determine how well CLT mid- to high-rise buildings would fare during an earthquake. It is led by the Colorado School of Mines with a team of researchers from universities around the world. You can learn more about the project at the Tallwood website, in this story by the San Diego Union-Tribune and in this podcast episode. 

The building is set to be tested some time early next year, and will undergo several simulated earthquakes, including the equivalent of the 6.7 Northridge earthquake that shook Southern California in 1994.

The Tallwood project is the first large-scale building to be tested on UC San Diego's shake table, one of the two largest in the world, since the table underwent a major $16.9 million upgrade funded by the NSF.  It went from being able to move in one direction – east-west – to three directions – east-west, north-south, up and down, as well as roll, pitch and yaw, three motions in the x, y and z axes performed by airplanes in flight and commonly seen in earthquake motions. The upgrade to one vertical and two horizontal motions and three rotations–known technically as six degrees of freedom–will allow the facility to test structures with an unprecedented degree of accuracy when compared to real earthquake ground motions.

The shake table, opened in 2004, has tested more than 30 structures in that time, and has already made a significant impact. Tests here have resulted in changes to building codes for everything from hospitals, to tall buildings, to roads and bridges.

Find out more about the shake table's impact in this KPBSstory.

Jacobs School faculty, alumni featured in Forbes 30 Under 30

Five UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering affiliates were recognized in the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for their contributions to the fields of science, energy and healthcare. The faculty and alumni were recognized as up-and-coming stars in their respective fields for their efforts to develop more sustainable iron and steel manufacturing, study the origins of COVID-19, use wearable ultrasound tech to monitor changes in our bodies, and harness data from the microbiome to detect cancer. 

Niema Moshiri, an assistant teaching professor of computer science and engineering, was selected in the Healthcare category for a set of bioinformatics tools he helped develop to allow researchers to process SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data in rapid time. These tools enabled scientists to study the origins and spread of COVID-19.

Andy Zhao and Olivia Dippo, recent materials science and engineering PhD alumni, were recognized in the Energy category for their company Limelight Steel, which uses a laser furnace technology they developed to rapidly heat iron ore using zero-emissions energy sources, enabling more sustainable iron and steel manufacturing.

Gregory Sephic-Poore, a recent bioengineering PhD alumnus, was selected for the Healthcare category as a cofounder of Micronoma. The company developed Oncobiota, a patent pending microbiome-based test that detects cancer early. Contrary to prevailing theories at the time, Sepich-Poore's research found that no type of human cancer is sterile and their microbes can reveal the type and presence of cancer, making it easily detectable in early stages.

And Chonghe Wang, who earned a master’s degree in nanoengineering at UC San Diego, was recognized in the Science category for his work to develop a wearable ultrasound technology that could monitor deep tissue vital signs in the human body. The wearable ultrasound device provides 48 hours of continuous imaging to enable diagnostic and monitoring tools for various diseases.

UC San Diego students lead autonomous race car team to 2nd place at IAC

Team AI Racing Tech posing with their autonomous
car and second place winnings at Texas Motor Speedway.

Little more than a year after the inaugural Indy Autonomous Challenge full-scale autonomous car race, Team AI Racing Tech, which includes engineering, computer science and data science students from UC San Diego, took second place at a follow-on race held at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Of the nine teams from around the world competing in the challenge, only six qualified for the head-to-head race in Texas on Nov. 11. AI Racing Tech clenched second place on race day. The team is comprised of students from the University of Hawaii, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. The two student technical leads this season were Haoru Xue, a recent UC San Diego electrical and computer engineering graduate, and Siddharth Saha, a computer science and engineering master’s student at UC San Diego who earned his bachelor’s degree here in data science. Computer engineering student Jose Jimenez-Olivas and recent electrical engineering undergraduate alumnus Frank Garcia were also part of the team this season. UC San Diego Contextual Robotics Institute lecturer Jack Silberman is one of the team's advisors. 

UC San Diego team members Siddharth Saha,
Frank Garcia, Haoru Xue and Jose Jimenez-Olivas. 

UC San Diego, through its Contextual Robotics Institute, is an associate institution partner with the University of Hawaii’s AI Racing Tech Team. Each of the nine IAC teams has transformed a Dallara AV-21 race car into an autonomous vehicle, developing perception, navigation, and control systems with support from IAC sponsor companies, in order for the car to function completely autonomously.

In addition to the inaugural race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and this race at Texas Motor Speedway, the students also participated in a race during the famed Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and are now gearing up for their second CES race in Las Vegas in January 2023.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is a collaborative effort that brings together public, private and academic institutions to challenge university students around the world to imagine, invent and prove a new generation of automated vehicle software and inspire the next generation of STEM talent.

Learn more about the Indy Autonomous Challenge: https://www.indyautonomouschallenge.com/

MathWorks supports expanded use of computer modeling tools with MicroGrant Program

The Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego is home to nearly 10,000 students, making it the largest engineering school in California. Every single one of these students has access to computer modeling software including MATLAB and Simulink, produced by MathWorks. 

MathWorks has donated $60,000 for small grants up to $15,000 to be awarded to student and faculty projects for use in curriculum and research development that involve MathWorks tools in some way. This could be student organizations using MATLAB to design a new race car, faculty research projects incorporating Simulink in their multidisciplinary simulation models or graduate student research projects that make use of MathWorks tools. The grant can also be used to support the development of curriculum materials for undergraduate teaching and labs, assessment tools, interactive tool development, research education and training tools. 

Along with funding, each selected project will be co-advised by a MathWorks engineer, who can provide technical support and guidance. 

In addition to establishing the MicroGrant Program, MathWorks has joined the Corporate Affiliates Program of the Jacobs School of Engineering, as well as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Corporate Alliance and the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute’s Industry Partner Alliance Program. 

Students and faculty of the Jacobs School of Engineering, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute had a chance to apply for the first round of grants with submissions due August 1. Awards will be announced by September 2. More information on the program, and following application rounds, is available here. 

Alex Mosser: from chemical engineering student to Naval Reactors Engineer

Meet Alex Mosser, a chemical engineering alumnus who graduated from the Jacobs School of Engineering in 2022, and is now commissioning into the Navy as an officer. Mosser plans to serve as a Naval Reactors Engineer, where he'll be involved in research, design, maintenance, operations and regulation of Navy nuclear reactors and power plants. Learn more about his time on campus, career trajectory, and role in the Navy, in this Q&A:

1) What did you study at UC San Diego, and why?

Originally, I wanted to study nuclear engineering in college. I've always considered it an underrated and highly misrepresented energy source, and want to do the most I can to change that. That being said, nuclear engineering isn't offered at many undergraduate colleges, while chemical engineering covers a lot of the same fundamental concepts while offering a much broader curriculum and application. So, I chose to major in chemical engineering.

2) Were you involved in any groups on campus that were meaningful during your time here?

I joined a number of groups at UC San Diego, but the one that had the greatest impact on my future and career was AIChE, or the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. In AIChE, I was able to participate in a team which worked on cryodesalination, or the freezing (and thereby separation) of fresh water out of a salty brine. Though a large part of our time in this group was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were still able to research new ideas for the automation of our (successful) prototype, which involved learning new programming languages and reading many research papers. Overall, this opportunity gave me a lot of real-world research and design experience, and helped me learn to effectively communicate ideas through presentations and papers.

3) Why did you decide to join the Navy, and do you know what your particular role will be yet?

I chose to join the Navy because it was the best job opportunity available to me. My particular role will be as a Naval Reactors Engineer. The benefit of this, aside from being a stable job, is that pay begins while still in college, allowing me to pursue my studies without needing part-time work. Moreover, there is access to military benefits and (for my position) no stress of deployment. Overall, these benefits outweighed those offered by other nuclear or chemical engineering jobs.

4) Has your engineering degree helped you at all in your role as an officer yet? Or might it in the future?

My role as an officer has not yet begun. At the time of writing, I am still enjoying my final summer break. That being said, my engineering degree will absolutely come in handy in future assignments and responsibilities. Aside from it being necessary to even apply for the job, the Navy will also send me through a post-graduate education equivalent to a master's degree in nuclear engineering. As a chemical engineering major from UC San Diego, where I was able to take classes on nuclear energy for credit, I am uniquely equipped to excel in this post-grad education where other majors from other schools may have a more steep learning curve.

5) Any advice for students looking to follow a similar career trajectory, or considering it as an option?

For any students looking to get into nuclear engineering, the Navy is an excellent option. They offer a diverse array of opportunities, each with drastically different requirements and responsibilities. For those who want to travel around the world, you can become a nuclear engineer on an aircraft carrier or nuclear submarine. For those who want to be educators, the Navy also offers positions as an instructor in nuclear power school or at a hands-on prototype school. The Navy has many opportunities that the private sector doesn't, but the opposite is also true, and the private sector tends to have less physically strenuous training requirements. Overall, for those looking into a similar trajectory, my strongest advice would be to stay well-informed.

Jacobs School staff receive Exemplary Employee awards

Several Jacobs School of Engineering staff members were recognized for their outstanding performance and dedication with Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year awards. Carol Kling, program administration support in the Department of Bioengineering, and Andrea Willis, student services advisor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, were honored with the award. Willis shares more about her role, and what she enjoys about working at UC San Diego, below. 

Andrea Willis, student services advisor

Q: What does your job entail?

A: Academic Advisors work directly with students to connect them with the information they need to succeed.  This includes: course and graduation requirements, experiential learning opportunities (like internships, research, study abroad, etc.), support resources that are available to them on campus, connecting with student organizations, and so much more!

Q: How does your role support the overall mission of the university?

A: UC San Diego has committed to being a student-centered organization, and I use this as a guidepost in my day-to-day work. I always aim to advocate for our students, making sure that the CSE department places our students, and their experience, at the center of any policy or curriculum changes that we make.  

Q: What is the best part of the job?

A: I love working one-on-one with the students in our department, helping them to take full advantage of all that UC San Diego has to offer during the time that they're here. I feel lucky to be a part of their growth, from their first day of orientation, to graduation!

Q: Any other ways you've been involved on campus?

A: I've been involved with a number of different Student Affairs staff groups at UC San Diego, which has been a great way to connect and collaborate with colleagues who share the same goals.

All members of the UC San Diego community are invited to help us celebrate these outstanding staff members at the virtual Exemplary Staff of the Year award program on Thursday, August 25, 2022, at 3 p.m. Registration is not required. Use this link to join the event https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/92205469196

Senior Assistant Dean honored by YWCA

Tana Troke Campana, Senior Assistant Dean and Chief of Staff at the Jacobs School of Engineering, has been honored by YWCA San Diego County with the Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) Award. This award recognizes the extraordinary achievements of women in managerial, executive or leadership roles. 

In her current role, Troke Campana works directly with Dean Albert P. Pisano and academic and administrative senior leaders on strategic planning, implementation of the dean's vision, and oversight of the school’s finances and administrative operations. In 2015, she developed and implemented a schoolwide Lean Six Sigma-based administrative best practices initiative, which has been expanded across the campus with 19 new tools to date.

Troke Campana is a UC San Diego LEAD Fellow, STRIVE mentor, Academic Affairs Best Practices Co-Chair, and member of many campus-wide committees. Her prior roles at UC San Diego include Administrative Vice Chair for the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health and Assistant Dean for Medical Education. She held multiple management roles at UC Irvine and UC San Francisco and served as the chief administrative officer and IT director at a K-12 public school in New York. She is also a founding Board member of the Drums Along the Waterfront organization. Troke Campana earned her MBA and BS in Information Systems from the University of Redlands.

Troke Campana and other women colleagues throughout the San Diego area were honored at a citywide ceremony in June. Please join us in applauding her dedication, service and leadership.

Students awarded Dissertation Year Fellowships

Two graduate students at the Jacobs School of Engineering were selected by the UC San Diego Graduate Fellowship and Award Review Committee to receive UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowship awards. Alexander Chen, a chemical engineering PhD candidate, and Phoebe Valdes, a bioengineering PhD candidate, were among the five students honored with the fellowship this year. 

Alexander Chen and Phoebe Valdes
were awarded Dissertation Year Fellowships

The UC President's Dissertation Year Fellowship is awarded to promising students in the final stages of their doctoral work, who demonstrate strong potential for university teaching and research. Recipients receive a $23,500 stipend plus tuition and fees. 

Alexander Chen is advised by nanoengineering Professor Darren Lipomi. He studies a class of materials called semiconducting polymers, which are plastic materials that can conduct electricity.

"My research focuses on understanding and improving the mechanical properties of semiconducting polymers, particularly for enabling new applications in energy technologies," he said. "For example, one of my projects focuses on improving the mechanical robustness and survivability of organic solar cells to enable solar energy harvesting from human-transformed surfaces (e.g., rooftops, buildings, painted and coated surfaces)."

Outside of this research, Chen founded the Graduate Application Mentorship Program (GradAMP) at UC San Diego in 2019. The organization's goal is to help make the graduate education pathway more accessible by pairing undergraduate applicants with a PhD student mentor in their field of study to help guide them through the graduate application process.

With research interests in the fields of energy, materials and healthcare, Chen is leaving his future options open, but hopes to continue conducting research that interests and motivates him, and that has a positive impact on society. 

Phoebe Valdes is advised by bioengineering Professor Shankar Subramaniam and conducts research in his Systems Biology and Systems Medicine laboratory. She uses computational methods to study different forms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in order to better understand the mechanisms behind the disease. 

"I want to look into the full progression of early to late stages of AD development by assessing key mechanistic endotypes (i.e. disease substate characteristics) in patient-derived neurons and postmortem patient brain samples," she said. "To investigate what these endotypes could be and how to better formulate mechanisms responsible for AD, I want to analyze large multi-omics data sets at both the gene and chromatin levels (RNA-seq and ATAC-seq) using various computational methods." 

Valdes plans to travel and sightsee for a few months after completing her PhD, and then hopes to secure a post-doctoral research position in the biotech industry or academia to pursue a career as a data science or bioinformatics scientist. 

"I am a big fan of looking into analyzing big data generated from diseases (open to going beyond neurodegenerative diseases after my PhD)," she said. "Otherwise, we will see where life takes me after I complete my doctoral studies."

Valdes is a second-generation Filipino-American whose parents immigrated from the Philippines, and is the only bioengineer in her family. She hopes her research will help direct new avenues of treatment for patients with different forms of AD, as there is no cure yet. 

"I am completely thrilled and honored to be receiving this fellowship as it will help support my own research endeavors. Thank you Graduate Division for supporting me on my graduate school journey."

Bioengineering students create prototype lymph node for cancer patients

Yuxuan Zhou, Sonia Singh, Riyam Al-Msari and
 Arielle Hancko present their award-winning research. 

By Kiran Kumar

Four UC San Diego undergraduate bioengineering students designed a prototype of a decellularized lymph node for individuals who have had their original lymph nodes surgically removed during head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) treatment. The students– Sonia Singh, Yuxuan Zhou, Riyam Al-Msari and Arielle Hancko – completed the project for their Jacobs School of Engineering bioengineering capstone senior design project. Their work was awarded the Best Overall Poster designation at the student-run Bioengineering Day 2022.

Ninety percent of head and neck cancers originate from squamous cells: cells in the surface of the skin, and the linings of many organs in the body. These are referred to as HNSCCs. Standard treatment of HNSCCs involves surgical removal of lymph nodes in the neck. However, these lymph nodes carry a host of immune cells, which can be vital to the success of several cancer therapies, including cancer immunotherapies and radiotherapies. Without these lymph nodes, these therapies can sometimes prove ineffective.

This team of bioengineering students wanted to help those individuals who have had their lymph nodes removed still experience the benefit of immunotherapies and radiotherapies. They used tissue engineering to design decellularized lymph nodes which can be surgically implanted in place of the removed lymph nodes. Ex vivo experiments were conducted on mouse models to establish that these engineered lymph nodes had an adaptive immune response, restoring immune function. The results were promising.

“We spent most of our time on the decellularization aspect of the lymph nodes since that is the foundational aspect of tissue engineering, removing the double stranded DNA” said the team. Decellularization is very important to maintain the morphology of the tissue. Non-decellularized tissue can lead to rejection of the lymph node.

To engineer these replacement lymph nodes,  cervical lymph nodes were harvested from mice, and then washed in a phosphate buffered saline solution.  Then, sodium dodecyl sulfate was used for decellularizing the mouse lymph nodes. The tissue was recellularized using dendritic cells from the bone marrow of mice. They also attached chemokine proteins to the lymph nodes.

The team is excited that this research will be taken to the next level with in vivo experiments in mice.

“It will be completed by a senior design team next year,” the students said. “We have now completed the handover work. They will test how the mice fare with our lymph nodes, and then test the immune function of the lymph nodes.”

Cheng Ye: ECE Best Undergraduate Research Award recipient

UC San Diego undergraduate computer engineering student Cheng Ye is the first author of a Bioinformatics paper describing a phylogenetic software tool that is capable of handling the vast amounts of SARS-CoV-2 data. Ye was awarded the Electrical and Computer Engineering Best Undergraduate Research Award for his work in Professor Yatish Turakhia's lab. 

Learn more about how Ye got involved in research and the project he worked on in this Q&A:

Ye, left, receives the ECE Best Undergraduate
Research Award from his advisor, Professor 
Turakhia, at right. 

How did you decide to get involved in research as an undergraduate?

I like open-ended questions, and to try new ideas, so I got involved in research.

You got involved in research thanks to the ECE Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP). How did SRIP help you personally?

One alternative way of finding a faculty to do research with without a wonderful program like SRIP is to read their publications and email them directly. However, (1) I won't know whether they have the time to mentor an undergrad, and (2) I won't know what project I will be working on. SRIP streamlines the search process by providing a directory of faculty seeking students and the available projects.

What year are you, and do you have any goals/plans for after you complete your undergrad?

I am a senior. I am not sure whether I want to be a research software engineer or a digital circuit designer building hardware accelerators, so I am going for the BS/MS program to have more experience with digital circuit design, and procrastinating the decision.

What were you working on before you were assigned the tree optimizer project?

I was initially assigned to work on accelerating sequence alignment on GPU, but I thought the SARS-COV-2 phylogeny project might be more exciting, and it indeed was. By the way, the pandemic is a rare opportunity to make some impact quickly, though I am not saying I want another pandemic. Actually, the SARS-COV-2 phylogeny project is the first project I worked on with Prof. Yatish Turakhia. I did some variant calling in my second year, and some neuroscience in my first year in other labs. 

How does the matOptimize parallel software work?

It can both scale up (multiple threads) and scale-out (multiple hosts). The state of art software for Tree Analysis using New Technology (TNT)  can only scale-out, so it has to duplicate the internal data structure on all processes, even on the same host, so it needs a beyond practical memory to CPU ratio. matOptimize exploits multi-core CPUs more effectively, by allowing all threads running on the same CPU to share the same immutable internal data structure, which is also more compact than the one used in TNT. Therefore, it has a more practical memory to CPU ratio. It can also leverage message passing interface (MPI) to scale-out.

What are some of the challenges you faced when creating this software?

Understanding why optimization is necessary. Thanks Prof. Yatish for providing several examples in the early stage of the project to unblock me. And the parallelization. Heuristic phylogenetic tree optimization is based on applying small changes to the tree, and the effect of a change may impact whether other changes are desirable, so it is difficult to parallelize. TNT can parallelize by either optimizing a small part of tree independently on the different processes (divide and conquer), which cannot discover all beneficial changes, or having each process explore the entire tree independently, and broadcast the best tree found to other processes, and continue the process on the best tree found, similar to an ant colony. I appreciate Prof. Yatish and Prof. Russell Corbett-Detig’s insight that beneficial changes are rare, the effect of a change is local and their suggestion of finding all beneficial moves simultaneously and independently, then apply all the non-conflicting changes simultaneously. Their help and inspiration from IQ-TREE, which is another tree optimization software, make parallelization possible.

Any advice to students who think they may want to try research as an undergraduate?

Unfortunately, I don't feel qualified to answer this question. However, I can talk about what I wish I had done. First, have an idea of what I wanted to get out of the research experience, and don't forget about it. In my case, I am getting more experience with designing hardware accelerators, but with the particular problem of phylogenetic inference at hand, improving the algorithm and parallelizing across conventional hardware is a more effective solution than optimizing the implementation to death on a particular hardware platform.

I chose to improve and parallelize the algorithm and learned how to use Intel TBB and MPI along the way (and got something that exceeds my expectation).  I wish I could have found a better way of accommodating both my goal and the most effective approach to the project at hand. However, it can be difficult to see what is the best approach to the project, before being significantly involved, and what is more difficult is to wrap up a project and move on.

Secondly, communicate. A few unnecessary initial iterations of matOptimize were redundant because I felt I understood what was needed, but I didn't, but I jumped right into implementation too soon.

One step closer to fire safe, recyclable lithium-metal batteries

High-energy density, improved safety, temperature resilience and sustainability are desirable properties for lithium-battery electrolytes, yet these metrics are rarely achieved simultaneously. Inspired by the compositions of clean fire-extinguishing agents, a team of nanoengineers from UC San Diego demonstrated inherently fire safe liquefied gas electrolytes, as well as a one-step solvent-recycling process which promises sustainable operation at scale, in a Nature Energy paper published on June 16.

Yijie Yin and Professor Shirley Meng working in
the lab to develop this lithium-battery electrolyte

This work provides a route to sustainable, temperature-resilient lithium-metal batteries with fire-extinguishing properties that maintain state-of-the-art electrochemical performance.

Yijie Yin, a nanoengineering PhD student and co-first author of the paper, shares how this work came about in the following paragraphs. Yin and co-first author Yangyuchen Yang are both graduate students in adjunct professor Shirley Meng’s Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversation. Read the Nature Energy paper here.

“In 2017, a team of UC San Diego nanoengineers discovered hydrofluorocarbon molecules that are gasses at room temperature and will liquefy under a certain pressure. They then invented a new type of electrolyte, which is called "Liquefied Gas Electrolyte"(LGE). The related results were published in Science1.

Yijie Yin

The liquefied gas electrolyte greatly broadens the choice of electrolyte solvent molecules. The screened fluoromethane and difluoromethane 2 small molecules have a low melting point, fast kinetics, and wide voltage window. With the combination of co-solvents, these characteristics make these liquefied gas electrolytes exhibit excellent low temperature performance (< -60°C), Li metal Coulombic efficiency (>99.8%)3 and high performance of high-voltage cathodes4.

However, the LGE electrolyte is not yet "perfect", because the saturated vapor pressure of the molecules used is high, and like most electrolytes, it is still flammable, which makes the safety and environmental protection of the system irrational.

The idea of this work came from a chat between Yin and Yang, also a nanoengineering PhD student at UC San Diego. Yin mentioned that he wanted to try to replace the strong solvating power liquid co-solvents with the smallest ether molecule - methyl ether (Me2O) in follow-up work.

Yangyuchen Yang

‘"As a gas molecule, Me2O can only be used in liquefied gas,” said Yin. “It may only work under the pressurized system, and it may provide better lithium metal interface and stability while maintaining fast kinetics."’

During the discussion, Yang also agreed with this idea and hoped that this system could be further improved. He said, "If we continue to use the current FM and DFM weakly solvated solvents, the existing high-pressure and flammability shortcomings will not be changed, instead we should work on the searching for molecules with increased fluorinated carbon bonding".

Next, the two referred to the structure of fluoromethane to search for fluorinated molecules with longer carbon chains, while maintaining the inherent advantages of liquefied gasses, such as low melting point, low viscosity, and maintaining a certain polarity. Considering all the above requirements, 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane (TFE) and pentafluoroethane pentafluoroethane(PFE) came to mind.

What's even more surprising is that these two molecules are the main components in some fire extinguishers, which means that the molecules are not only non-flammable, but also have excellent fire-extinguishing properties.

1             Rustomji, C. S. et al. Liquefied gas electrolytes for electrochemical energy storage devices. Science, doi:10.1126/science.aal4263 (2017). 

2             Davies, D. M. et al. A Safer, Wide-Temperature Liquefied Gas Electrolyte Based on Difluoromethane. Journal of Power Sources 493, 229668 (2021). 

3             Yang, Y. et al. High-Efficiency Lithium-Metal Anode Enabled by Liquefied Gas Electrolytes. Joule 3, 1986-2000, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2019.06.008 (2019). 

4             Yang, Y. et al. Liquefied gas electrolytes for wide-temperature lithium metal batteries. Energy & Environmental Science 13, 2209-2219, doi:10.1039/D0EE01446J (2020).

ACM Dissertation Honorable Mention awarded to Pratul Srinivasan and Ben Mildenhall

The ACM Dissertation Honorable Mention has been awarded to Pratul Srinivasan and Ben Mildenhall for their work on Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs). Srinivasan is the last of UC San Diego Computer Science & Engineering professor Ravi Ramamoorthi's graduate students to graduate from UC Berkeley. Professor Ramamoorthi moved from UC Berkeley to UC San Diego in 2014. At UC San Diego, Ramamoorthi Directs the UC San Diego Center for Visual Computing.

Pratul Srinivasan and Benjamin Mildenhall were jointly awarded an Honorable Mention for their co-invention of the Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) representation, associated algorithms and theory, and their successful application to the view synthesis problem.

From the ACM citation: Srinivasan’s dissertation, "Scene Representations for View Synthesis with Deep Learning," and Mildenhall’s dissertation, “Neural Scene Representations for View Synthesis,” addressed a long-standing open problem in computer vision and computer graphics. That problem, called “view synthesis” in vision and “unstructured light field rendering” in graphics, involves taking just a handful of photographs of a scene and predicting new images from any intermediate viewpoint.

NeRF has already inspired a remarkable volume of follow-on research, and the associated publications have received some of the fastest rates of citation in computer graphics literature—hundreds in the first year of post-publication.

2022 Bioengineering Award of Excellence: Kendra Worthington

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

The 2022 Bioengineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Kendra Worthington. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about bioengineering, and why did you decide to pursue this field?

I love that bioengineering is a diverse field, both in research and in its community. What initially drew me towards bioengineering was knowing that I would always be learning something new throughout my entire career, which means that I will never be bored in bioengineering. I also love that as a bioengineer I can serve my community through the creation of next generation therapeutics, and it's this desire to help others that fuels me to work hard and be the best bioengineer that I can be.

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

I was involved in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) during my time at UC San Diego. BMES is one of the single most impactful factors of my time here. It is a community full of people who support one another and a place where every individual can grow and become who they want to be. BMES is also an org whose core mission is to serve our community, and as a bioengineer whose goal it is to make an impact in the world, I loved that I was surrounded by so many other people who have that same drive to help others. Due to this strong sense of community, I served as an officer three times for the org: as Freshman Representative my first year, as Bioengineering Day Chair in the 2019-2020 school year, and as Vice President Internal in my final year.

I was also involved in the Christman Lab on campus for all four years. What I loved about that environment was not only the opportunity to engage in top-tier research, but also the mentorship I received there. Dr. Christman and all of the grad students in the lab have always encouraged me to believe in myself and it was the guidance of them and most especially my graduate student mentor, Holly Sullivan, that has inspired me to pursue my own career in research.

Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

My advice for any current, and especially future, engineering students is that anyone can be an engineer. I think many people get stuck in the idea that because they are not a top student, they can't be a good engineer. However, it isn't the best grades in the class or the top spot in a student organization that makes a person a good engineer. It's the passion they have for their field that makes them the best engineer. So, don't worry over the small things like that one midterm in your class you didn't do well on. Instead, focus on the big picture and focus on what you are learning and if you will be able to apply it to real-world engineering solutions. At the end of the day, if you want it and are willing to put in the work for it, then you can and will become an engineer.

What will you do next year?

I am heading off to the University of Colorado Boulder to get my PhD in Biological Engineering with funding by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. I hope to continue to do research in biomaterials and one day become a researcher who helps bring the next-generation therapeutics to those who need them most.

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

Many students get caught up in the "what if's", especially when choosing a college. However, the thought of "what if I chose this other school for undergrad" never crossed my mind, and that was because UC San Diego and Jacobs School has always been the right place for me. It is a phenomenal school with so many resources available to you that if you look, you will find the opportunity that you want. UC San Diego has been a great launching pad for my future career, and better yet, the Jacobs School is full of some of the most hard-working, inspiring students that I have been honored to learn alongside. I think you would be hard pressed to find a place with people who have a greater sense of comradery and more enthusiasm for science than there is here at UC San Diego.

2022 Computer Science and Engineering Award of Excellence: Eman Sherif

 

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates. 

The 2022 Computer Science and Engineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Eman Sherif. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about computer science and engineering, and why did you decide to pursue this field?

 What I enjoyed most about CSE is how flexible the degree is. The responsibility of choosing a major when you are 17 years old that will dictate what you can do for the rest of your life is really daunting. So I wanted to make sure I chose something with the most amount of options. With a computer science degree I knew I could enter basically any field whether it is education, government, healthcare, etc.  

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

 I was involved in the Early Research Scholars Program (ERSP) during my second year which was really important in giving me experience outside the classroom and helped me discover my love for research. Without participating in ERSP I probably would never have continued doing research in computer science education and would not have decided to pursue a PhD in computer science. I was also involved in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) which helped me feel more comfortable in engineering and gave me the ability to connect with my peers who look like me and share a common interest in engineering. 

 Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

 My biggest piece of advice for future computer science students is to explore all the different career options computer science can bring to you. A lot of times students only focus on software engineering, which can be great for a lot of students, but a computer science degree can bring you so many other careers as well. 

 What will you do next year?

 Next year I plan on starting my PhD program in computer science at the University of Washington, Seattle. I will be advised by Dr. Amy Ko and my research focus is on computer science education. 

 Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

I really loved my experience at the Jacob’s school! The faculty and staff are amazing and really made my time here memorable.  

2022 Electrical and Computer Engineering Award of Excellence: Raini Wu

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

 The 2022 Electrical and Computer Engineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Raini Wu. Learn more about his background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about electrical and computer engineering, or why did you decide to pursue this field?

I chose to pursue electrical engineering as I wanted to learn more about the fundamental technologies behind the devices that have surrounded me forever. It was really surprising and intriguing to me how few people knew exactly what was going on in ubiquitous electronic things that are everywhere. I wanted to be one of those people.

 Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

I was primarily involved in HKN and the Wireless Communications Sensing and Networking Group (WCSNG) research group. I joined WCSNG my first quarter here and I joined HKN shortly after, starting in the Winter quarter of my first year. Both WCSNG and HKN consist of amazingly talented people, and it opened my eyes to what was possible throughout my undergraduate career. Having mentors and peers that were just as excited about engineering as I was kept me motivated throughout my undergraduate career. One HKN officer a year older than me actually first inspired me to try and graduate in three years. I had no idea it was possible until he mentioned he was doing it. Coincidentally he was also in my research group and also pursuing the ECE BS/MS program. In WCSNG I pursued research related to wireless virtual reality, intelligent next-generation cellular networks, and distributed computing for spectrum sensing. In HKN I served as Project Chair/Secretary, then HARD Hack Director.

Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

1. Don’t let self-doubt stop you from pursuing exciting things. Many of my best experiences here have been the result of just taking moonshots. (For example, trying to join a research group my first week of my first quarter or applying to be an HKN officer as a freshman)

2. Work with people that you can admire. I’ve found that by working with people who can inspire you, it’s much easier to grow into who you want to be.

 Any idea what you'll do next year, or what you hope to accomplish with your degree?

Next year I’ll be continuing here at UC San Diego for my Master’s degree in the ECE department’s BS/MS program, and hopefully completing a thesis with WCSNG and my PI Professor Dinesh Bharadia. I chose to focus on Computer Systems Design in my undergraduate degree, but I’ll be switching to Communication Theory and Systems for my Masters and I’m excited to be jumping into a fairly different variety of EE.

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

In some ways it feels like I’ve just started college and it’s already over! As a third year, most (5/9 quarters!) of my experience with the Jacobs School has been through remote learning, but it has still been amazing. I look forward to staying here for my Master’s. Additionally, the ECE department here is fantastic. Both the faculty and administration have been incredibly supportive throughout my undergrad here. It was really surprising to me how painless it’s been to achieve what I wanted to achieve - whether in regards to courses, research programs, or even as a student org leader.

2022 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Award of Excellence: Rachel Luu

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

The 2022 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Rachel Luu. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about mechanical and aerospace engineering, or why did you decide to pursue this field?

I initially was an Environmental Engineering major because I wanted to see if I could develop engineering solutions to combat current environmental issues in the world! However, at the end of my first year, I switched over to mechanical engineering (because of the MAE switch) but also because it allowed for such a broad introduction to many different engineering topics. And I’m so glad I did! Because I found a passion for materials within the mechanical engineering major and particularly so, an interest in the study of mechanics of materials! My interest in environmental engineering still lingers and actually shows its face again in my research interests which are in developing sustainable materials!

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

Research! The majority of my research took place in Professor Marc Meyers’ Group studying biological materials science though I was also a part of an environmental fluids lab and a robotics lab prior to joining the Meyers Group. In the Meyers Group, I studied an array of biological matter, including horse hooves, jackfruit, roly-polies, and arapaima fish scales all with the intention of understanding unique biological hierarchical microstructures and then implementing their ideas into novel bioinspired engineering materials. During my experience with the group, I was able to present my research at over 6 conferences and I’ve been able to be a part of multiple research programs such as McNair Scholars Program and TRELS. Shoutout to my PhD graduate student mentor, Ben Lazarus, who introduced me to this field of research -- this field of research which I have found such a sincere passion for! I seriously could not have achieved as much without his constant support, trust, and encouragement. 

IDEA Engineering Student Center! In the summer before my first year, I participated as an ACES Scholar at the Summer Engineering Institute 2018. This made a huge impact on my college experience since I was able to get a head start on getting acquainted with the university and it was also where I met some of my best friends! The next two years, I returned over the summers as a Peer Facilitator where I was able to help mentor incoming engineering students which I found to be extremely fulfilling. I also became an intern at the IDEA Center working with the ACES Scholars Program. Being able to help underserved communities in engineering became one of the best experiences I’ve had at UC San Diego.

Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

My advice to all engineering students is to not worry so much about what others are doing or what seems like the most “conventional” path for an engineer. Instead, know that you can pave your own path if need be. Not everyone's engineering journey is going to look the same or be perfect. Did I think I would have studied horse hooves when I first got into engineering? Haha, no! But, it sure turned out to be fantastic.

Any idea what you'll do next year, or what you hope to accomplish with your degree?

I applied to PhD programs this past cycle and I am over the moon to say that I was accepted in mechanical and materials engineering programs at Stanford, Berkeley, Caltech, and MIT -- all which certainly made for a tough decision! This coming fall, I will be pursuing my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT as a MIT Rosenblith Presidential Fellow and NSF Graduate Research Fellow! I look forward to continuing my research in the mechanics of biological materials with the goal of creating bioinspired sustainable materials! As a grad student at MIT, I hope to also continue my outreach efforts by reaching out and leading first generation and underrepresented engineering communities at MIT. In the future, I hope to become a professor that leads my own research group. *hint hint* Maybe, I’ll be back one day, UC San Diego :)

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

I am a first-generation student at UC San Diego! I applied to engineering on a whim because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do to get a “successful” career as a child of immigrant parents. I feel very thankful to the Jacobs School and the IDEA Center for such an amazing and supportive experience in helping me realize my passion for engineering.

2022 Nanoengineering Award of Excellence: Meghan Shen

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

The 2022 NanoEngineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Meghan Shen. Learn more about her background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about nanoengineering, or why did you decide to pursue this field?

I think the idea of gaining perspective by seeing things most people don’t get to see is what initially drew me to nanoengineering. After brief stints in a radiology lab and in an optics lab, I joined the Lab for Energy Storage and Conversion. There, I was taught to think critically about world energy issues and to appreciate the natural world around me. Then, I decided I wanted to work in this field.

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

I am involved in battery research at the Lab for Energy Storage and Conversion. Being a part of LESC allowed me to meet many mentors who helped me develop organizational and technical skills, and they believed in my potential before I did. Not only was I inspired to pursue materials research, but I was inspired to pursue mentorship and teaching because these people were so inspiring.

I am also involved in Tau Beta Pi where I served as the NanoEngineering Department Representative and the Historian. Planning Nano-events brought me a lot closer to the nanoengineering community at school, enabling me to make some of my best friends. I also got to broaden my horizons by learning about other engineering disciplines through TBP.

Lastly, I worked at the Teaching and Learning Commons leading math supplemental instruction sessions. I liked that I could create this safe space for students, because I personally struggled with asking questions in class and talking to professors when I started college. This experience showed me how much I enjoyed teaching others, because it gave me freedom to try out different learning strategies and games - like linear algebra jeopardy.

Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

Over the past year, I struggled with balancing schoolwork, labwork, and deciding what I wanted to pursue after undergrad. I was unsure if I could handle grad school, and I was shying away from opportunities because they seemed too far away or too difficult. During this time, my PI said that our actions should reflect our hopes, not our fears, and I think this sums up the advice I want to give to others. You’re a student. You essentially have unlimited potential, and this is only the beginning. So reach for those opportunities that excite you, even if they scare you.

Any idea what you'll do next year, or what you hope to accomplish with your degree?

This fall, I will be pursuing a PhD in Materials Science at UC Berkeley. I hope to leverage my experience working in the lab to plan thoughtful experiments regarding materials characterization. In my career, I want to be a mentor that encourages students to believe in themselves. I also want to fight for educational equity and make sure everyone gets to learn what they love. 

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

When I started college, I was not yet a nanoengineering major. I was not yet a fan of chemistry or physics, and I felt out of place when I took my first programming class. Still, I ended up loving my major, 1. because nanoscale things are super cool, 2. because the people I met within the Nano community have this infectious enthusiasm and kindness that made me feel less alone at UC San Diego. 

2022 Structural Engineering Award of Excellence: Ramtin Azarbad

Every year, six outstanding undergraduate students who made significant contributions to their academic department and the Jacobs School of Engineering community are celebrated with department Awards of Excellence at the Ring Ceremony event for graduating undergraduates.

The 2022 Structural Engineering Award of Excellence was awarded to Ramtin Azarbad. Learn more about his background and future plans in this Q&A.

What do you enjoy about structural engineering, or why did you decide to pursue this field?

What has fascinated me about this field is that the projects we work on have tangible applications; you may pass by the building you helped design and can see how it has changed the landscape of the city. Aside from the major itself, the Structural Engineering community is filled with the most helpful individuals I have encountered in my four years here at UC San Diego. The upperclassmen are enthusiastic to give you advice on coursework and work-life, the peers would seize every opportunity to help you if you do not understand a topic, and the faculty is there if you need assistance and guidance.

Were you involved in any activities/groups/clubs/research labs on campus that were impactful during your time at UC San Diego?

I served as the Vice President of Development and Co-president at the Society of Civil and Structural Engineers (SCSE) for the past two years. Additionally, at SCSE, I was the technical events director for the Pacific Southwest Symposium at UC San Diego, which hosted 850+ students competing in various engineering competitions. I also served as the Vice President of Service at Circle K International at UC San Diego, providing service opportunities for the members. 

 Do you have any advice for current or future engineering students?

Step up when the opportunities arise to learn and lead. From joining a club to doing research, these opportunities are countless at UC San Diego, and can give you valuable friendships and important skills.

 Any idea what you'll do next year, or what you hope to accomplish with your degree?

Next year I will be pursuing a master’s degree in structural design and analysis here at UC San Diego. I hope to use what I learn to get a full-time position as a structural designer upon graduation.

Anything else that's important to know about your time and experience at the Jacobs School?

Engineering is definitely challenging and hard to navigate alone. It is important to seize every opportunity to get help from TAs, professors, peers, and academic support offered through the university. It is also important to make sure you save some time for your leisure and hobbies. Four years pass by quickly and you grow to miss the moments you had in college, so make sure you spend some time with friends and experience the college.