Jacobs School engineers named to Explorers Club 50 list

A Jacobs School of Engineering graduate student and a recent PhD alumna were among the 50 scientific explorers named to The Explorers Club 50 list of people changing the world who the world needs to know about. 

Founded in 1904 by a group of America's leading explorers, The Explorers Club is a multi-disciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration, and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. The club's mission is to encourage and promote scientific exploration of land, sea, air and space, with an emphasis on the physical and biological sciences. 

Vid Petrovic, computer science PhD student

UC San Diego computer science PhD student Vid Petrovic was named to the list for his work with the Cultural Heritage Engineering Initiative and the Drone Lab at the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. His research interests span computer graphics, scientific visualization, machine learning and GIS, with a focus on the challenges of the accelerating collection and accumulation of site data in marine ecology, digital archaeology and cultural heritage. He is the principle developer of the Viscore platform, a software environment for integrating collected site data and performing virtual fieldwork, 

"I work to help make virtual exploration of remote sites practical and useful," said Petrovic. "Drawing on experience in digital documentation of archeological sites in Jordan and on digital augmented fieldwork in Florence, Italy, which is part of a search for a lost DaVinci wall painting, I have been developing tools and techniques for performing fieldwork digitally, especially on sites that are difficult to access.

"An underwater cave system such as the Sac Actun in the Yucatan is inaccessible except to highly skilled divers. Remote reefs such as the Palmyra Atoll do not require as much diving skill, but still present logistical barriers to a frequent, thorough study. In either case, opportunities for in-person exploration are constrained by the realities of underwater work. To get around this, we can use the limited time in the field to digitize the site through systematic imaging and surveying so that it can be explored virtually."

Jessica Sandoval, 2021 materials science PhD alumna

Jessica Sandoval, who earned her PhD in materials science and engineering in the Bioinspired Robotics and Design Lab at UC San Diego in 2021, is an avid ocean explorer, engineer and scientist. As a pilot of remotely operated vehicles (ROV), she works to advance technology in the fields of bioinspired robotics and deep-sea exploration by designing new adhesives and grippers for use in subsea manipulations. 

"As an ROV pilot, engineer and scientist, I strive to push boundaries and ultimately to transform the face of exploration. Working in the heavily male-dominated field of ROV piloting, I became one of a small handful of lead female pilots. With the support of the Ocean Exploration Trust, I have grown as a leader at sea. I have taken on additional roles on the ship, including working as a 15-ton certified crane operator during deck operations for launch and recovery of the vehicles. 

"Through my experiences, it became clear to me that representation and advocacy is crucial to broadening these fields to be more inclusive. I strive to encourage the participation of young women to join these fields. I frequently give guest lectures and presentations to young students and help to proctor workshops to encourage young women in STEM fields. I hope to lead by example and show that a Latina woman can push past barriers of representation and change the notion of what it means to be an explorer."