Kaleigh Beachler: ServiceNow Scholar

UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Kaleigh Beachler is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, she shares what excites her about computer science, and what she hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) Why did you decide to study computer science?

One of the greatest benefits of studying computer science is the ability to use it for solving problems in nearly any field or subject. The applications of CS are endless, and I am excited to get involved with research that allows me to explore the use of programming with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision.  

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

Yes, I am involved directly with the computer science department as a tutor for introductory programming courses at UC San Diego. I am also involved with the Society of Women Engineers, where I participate in project teams and outreach. Both of these activities have helped me meet students in either computer science or other engineering fields. I enjoy teaching Java and encouraging students to pursue a career in computer science.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

I am still exploring different options with computer science, so I am not exactly sure what I’d like to do in the future yet. However, I am leaning towards a career in industry, particularly a startup pertaining to artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

My advice is to get started now! There are endless resources for you to start learning programming languages. More importantly, try working on a project that pertains to something you enjoy. It is a great way to learn and sharpen your skills.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

I am very grateful to have been selected as a ServiceNow Scholar. I look forward to using the resources and mentorship from this program to seek out and secure opportunities that will shape my future. I am also glad to be part of a supportive and collaborative community of engineering students. 

Justin Yang: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Justin Yang is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, he shares what excites him about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1)What excites you about CS, or why did you decide to study CS?

I caught my interest in programming through APCS, a programming course I took in high school. Since I was young, I have always liked to play puzzle games and things that involve problem-solving. When I took this course, I realized that this is hugely what CS is about. I get to use my creativity to solve problems that are not limited to one solution.

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

Groups and organizations that have been particularly meaningful and beneficial to me are the IDEA Scholars Program and Triton Robotics. The IDEA Scholars Program gave me opportunities to connect with other IDEA Scholars and panelists that have valuable experiences that I can learn from. It is also a great channel for me to receive resources about internships, research, and many other important topics that would help me graduate with choices. In Triton Robotics, I get to meet people with similar interests and further my knowledge beyond school academics. Furthermore, responsibility, communication, and teamwork are all skills that I get to practice in a project team like Triton Robotics.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

With my CS degree, I would like to work in a software company and develop tools and platforms that would better people’s lives. I plan on diving deeper into the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence later on in my college education. My goal in later future is to create my own business, work on innovative and creative technologies, and create an easier and more fun way of living for people. 

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

Some advice to students interested in studying CS includes attending lectures, managing time with an organized schedule, and developing good relationships with professors and peers. It is also important to stay on track with the learning as it can be something that accumulates up fast and is hard to catch up.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

To be named a ServiceNow Scholar, I feel affirmed and accomplished. The title motivates me to keep on working hard and deepen my knowledge in CS. Hopefully, in the future, I would be able to work in a leading software company like ServiceNow.

Nicole Wong: ServiceNow Scholar

UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Nicole Wong is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, she shares what excites her about computer science, and what she hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1)Why did you decide to study computer science?

I think what attracted me the most to computer science was the creative potential of programming. When I first became involved with— well, basically anything to do with code, it was because of video games. I wanted to figure out how everything worked, how you could translate words on a screen into graphics and action and a compelling story. It was really that storytelling aspect that drew me in, being part of this massive project that had the potential to evoke really powerful emotions, or maybe just bringing players satisfaction from well-designed and implemented game mechanics. That player/user-centric design is also kind of what's fueling my career aspirations right now. If not game development, I'd love to work in software development or operating system development and help create a piece of software that's able to improve user experiences and give them useful options for functionality.

2) Have you been involved in any groups on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

This is going to come a little out of the blue but one group that's meant a bunch to me in my time on campus is UCSD Wushu. I remember being super relieved when I found out that there was a wushu club at UCSD, since kung fu has been such a major part of my life for so many years. Every group that I've been in has had such a strong sense of community because of the discipline and teamwork inherent to practicing a martial art (everyone endures the same physical struggles and takes opportunities to learn from each other, whether it be forms or things outside of wushu). The people in this organization haven't been any different; they're super friendly and welcome beginners with open arms, and it really helps you feel connected to both the instructors and the other students.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

I mentioned this a little earlier but I'd love to pursue either game development or software/operating system development because of my passion for the creative potential and user experience aspects of CS. With game development, my goal isn't necessarily to work in a AAA studio, but just to be able to work on something that can create some sort of community for people to interact in, and maybe share their own creations as well. As for software/OS development, my interest in it is fairly new so I'm not sure what specific path I want to take, but I do know that digging into how applications and computers work is fascinating. Hopefully, getting that degree will help me learn more about these topics!

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

My main piece of advice, not just for CS majors but anyone who's interested in CS even moderately, would be to just find resources and start programming. To learn code, you don't need cutting-edge tech or 1000 IQ points; find an online tutorial (there are plenty of free ones on Youtube and paid bootcamps/online courses that routinely go for sale) or pick up a "How To Program in (Language) For Dummies" book at your local library and teach yourself. Search up what the easiest languages are and start from there, and don't be afraid to use the internet. Forums and online documentation are your best friends because they teach you what the square peg is and what hole it goes into. They're also easy access to experts who might not be available to you without formal education; just make sure to take whatever advice you get on the Internet with a grain of salt. If it's available though, I still recommend taking some CS classes. Having professors and TAs available is still an invaluable resource, and while online communities are good for getting advice, nothing is better than advice from someone you know you can trust who also has experience in education. Plus, courses and structured curricula teach you what online how-tos may not teach, like how to think, or certain theories and topics that are hard to find online unless you know exactly what you're looking for.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

It still blows my mind sometimes. When I was applying for the program that led to this scholarship, I didn't think I was going to qualify for anything. I guess the moral of the story is that you never know if you don't try, so keep on trying!

 

Steven Shi: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Steven Shi is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, he shares what excites him about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) What excites you about computer science?

I like the versatility of CS, since it allows me to work with various fields all while using the same set of skills.

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

So far, the organization that I've joined that has been the most impactful is Triton Software Engineering.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

 I'd like to use my CS degree to get a job as a software engineer.

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS? 

Understand the basics, don't use memorization.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

It feels nice!

Kyle Trinh: ServiceNow Scholar

UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Kyle Trinh is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, he shares what excites him about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) Why did you decide to study computer science?

 I love the idea that computer science is extremely broad and has many different specializations, fields, niches, and designs that fit almost any other discipline. The fact that it is interdisciplinary means that I can use the skills I learn here at UC San Diego and apply them elsewhere, whether it be in other engineering fields, medicine, or even social impact. Computer Science allows me to adapt and utilize technology to create a brighter and more equitable future for ourselves and the next generation.

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

One organization I found to be extremely helpful was IEEE @ UCSD. They connect a vast number of like-minded students that have given me better and more meaningful connections. Their Quarterly Projects program is something I participate in, as someone who came to UCSD with little to no coding experience. And yet, this program provided the resources for me to learn and apply my skills along with my peers to create and solve a pressing issue. IEEE provides mentorship from upperclassmen, industry opportunities, and wide access to the entire global IEEE organization.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

 I would be lying if I said I knew exactly what I want to do with my degree in the future. However, I do know that I want to have a more mathematical focus in my Computer Science by first participating in research in Machine Learning or Computer Vision. Regardless, I hope to be able to apply what I learn at UCSD to promote a more technologically savant society. 

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

Anyone can be a Computer Science student, even if you're not STEM related!

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

 One word: Exciting!

Kristy Ly: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Kristy Ly is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, she shares what excites her about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) Why did you decide to study computer science? 

I decided to study CS because it gives me the tool to solve problems in which I’m interested in. At its core, CS has an incredible ability to intersect with several, if not all, fields of study, and as someone who is interested in both the social sciences and computing, I am so excited to learn more!

 2) Have you been involved in any groups on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

 One program that has been highly meaningful to me is the Chancellor’s Associates Scholars Program (CASP). Coming from a low-income and first-generation background, I had trouble adjusting to the rigor of UCSD courses. Being in CASP, however, helped me navigate this transition while also letting me build connections with other students and mentors!

 3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

 Honestly I haven’t quite figured out what exactly I want to do in the future. Though, I do know that I am interested in design, software development, and computational social science. One of my goals is to explore these different fields to one day narrow down my future career plan.

 4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

 Imposter syndrome is very much real in this field, but I want you to know that passion and interest goes a long way! Try your best and keep learning new things.

 5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

 I feel so honored and grateful! I never expected to be named a ServiceNow Scholar, especially since I had never taken a formal programming class before coming to UC San Diego. I’ll make sure to work hard with this amazing opportunity I was given!

Charlotte Kim: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Charlotte Kim is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, she shares what excites her about computer science, and what she hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) Why did you decide to study computer science?

My first experience with computer science was when I did Lego Robotics as an elementary school student. I was only one of three girls in the class. It was fascinating how I could type code to make my hand-built Logo robots do what I wanted them to do. It was empowering. However, it was also the first time I witnessed the lack of females in this field. I remember feeling extremely out of place because everywhere I looked, all I could see were teachers and students who were, in a way, different from me. I often found myself questioning whether I belonged. When I was accepted as one of the 5 girls from my junior high into Tech Trek (a STEM camp for girls), my uncertainty instantly dissolved. Being a part of a community filled with successful female professionals passionate about STEM-based work and making a positive impact in the world through computer science gave me hope. 

At Tech Trek, one of the speakers said that only 30% of the STEM field is made up of females. At that time, I knew I had to be the change I desired to see. Many of the instructors that I had grown to look up to transparently told us about their experiences as women in such a male-dominated industry, but they told us that they were there to cheer us on as the next generation of women in this realm. 

Soon after, I took steps to make a difference in my immediate community by founding ICSTEM (my high school STEM club), with the sole purpose of encouraging girls to pursue the STEM field by exposing them to different careers. Every week, I spent hours after school reaching out to and inviting female professionals from different STEM fields to speak to the members about their career journeys. ICSTEM was a place where girls could discover their interest in STEM without judgment or the feeling of being out of place. Every time I hear that a female peer is pursuing the STEM field in college after joining my club, I became their biggest cheerleader and made sure to make ICSTEM a safe space for them. I also served as the very first female team member of the Coding Olympiad Team at my high school then served as an officer for the rest of my high school career, being the president of the club my senior year. By the time I served as the president, more than a quarter of my team was made up of female students. I loved helping the novice group and just loved exploring different coding problems with my team while we were preparing for coding competition. With Computer Science I can do just that. I also loved serving as a coding volunteer instructor at a local elementary school through Code for Kids. Seeing the kids’ eyes light up when they master a coding concept filled my heart with joy and made me want to continue to encourage others to learn computer science without the barrier or the stereotype that it’s only for a certain group. It also motivated me to continue to close this chasm beyond high school. I now dream of a future where little girls don’t have to question any of their interests.

Coding gets me excited. We all want to do what we love to do and hope that we can help others while we are doing so. With coding I get to do that!

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

I’m an IDEA Scholar. The IDEA Scholar program comes with an amazing opportunity to start 2 Computer Science and Engineering courses over the summer, seminars connecting us with resources on research, internship, academic resources, and simply connecting the Jacobs School of Engineering students. It also gives me the tools to prepare for when I have to apply for internships, job positions, and graduate school, such as which part of the resume is the most focused on and the expectations for graduate school applications. As a freshman Computer Science major at UCSD, the Summer Engineering Institute really helped me start the school year on the right foot. The Idea scholar meetings have been continuing through this quarter. I love the IDEA Scholar mixers, seminars on research and internship.

 3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

I loved the glimpse of cybersecurity through my district’s Cyber Security program for 2 years and a summer camp in Washington DC. However, there’s so much to learn at UCSD’s Computer Science and Engineering, and I am looking forward to learning more about Computer Science for the next 4 years. As I mentioned earlier, I hope to utilize my coding skills to better others lives, and UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering has so many varieties of CSE classes and I look forward to learning from those classes and through internships. For now, I’m a freshman ready to explore the world of Computer Science.

 4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

 Computer Science is simply rewarding. It’s like a conditional friendship. The more time you invest in this field, the more you get to know and love the world of Computer Science. The potential of integration of Computer Science is truly unlimited. If you like to solve problems, and have broad interests and a good work ethic, this is the field for you. 

 5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

It is a huge honor and means so much to me. It’s the outreach and heart of leaders in this field that make the difference in the future of computer science. I hope to pay this forward myself to nurture and support the next generation as generous companies such as ServiceNow have. 

Joshua Kave: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Joshua Kave is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, he shares what excites him about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here. 

1) Why did you decide to study computer science?

The aspect of building something from scratch, and learning how many important aspects of modern day life works is why CS excites me. I have had many breakthrough experiences throughout my time studying computer science. For example, learning how urls work with different combinations of networking protocols was such a mind blowing realization. I have always taken technology for granted, and being able to discover how our technology functions is truly exciting.

2) Have you been involved in any groups/orgs on campus that have been particularly meaningful or beneficial to you?

One group that is meaningful to me is PACE (Peer-led Academic Cohort Experiences). We gather once a week with professors and upperclassmen to discuss different CS-related topics in groups. While there isn't much of a deep dive into one topic in particular, PACE has been such a benefit towards my mental health. Being able to relax, meet new people, and talk about topics that are interesting brings joy to my day. 

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

As a first year student, I am still unsure about what specific field or job is right for me. I know that I want to graduate with a computer-science degree, but I do not know where that will take me. Currently, I am interested in software engineering, network engineering, and cybersecurity. As I learn more about specialized fields in CS, I will be able to make a more concrete decision on what I want to do with my future.

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

One major problem with all academic subjects, and especially CS, is imposter syndrome. Feeling like one is not "smart" enough to pursue a degree is a serious roadblock that can be detrimental towards the learning process. Anyone can get into CS; it is never too late. You don't have to be coding since the age of three in order to learn. Of course, having prior experience will definitely help in introductory classes. It really just comes down to how hard one works and studies in order to learn. I used to think to myself "Wow, that person is way smarter than me". Now I think "Wow, that person worked way harder than me". Quantifying outcome as a result of hard work gives me more control, since it is much easier to work and study harder than it is to simply just "get smarter". My advice is that everyone feels like everyone else is smarter than them. Just be passionate about the subject, work hard, and you will do just fine.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

I feel happy to be included in another amazing community at UC San Diego. Finding my place on this campus has been a struggle, and I look forward to being a ServiceNow Scholar.

Arnav Dandu: ServiceNow Scholar

 UC San Diego undergraduate computer science student Arnav Dandu is one of the inaugural recipients of the ServiceNow Scholarship. In this Q&A, he shares what excites him about computer science, and what he hopes to do in the future. Learn more about the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars here.

1) Why did you decide to study computer science?

I decided to study computer science because the scope of the problems you can solve with it is unlimited; there is nothing more awesome than successfully breaking down real-world problems into something that can be solved using a computer.

2) Have you been involved in any groups on campus that have been particularly meaningful to you?

Being a part of the IDEA Scholars has given me a group of friends that share the same interests and similar goals as me. Being able to work with them, whether it be on collaborative PAs or software engineering project teams, has been really fun and meaningful to me.

3) Any idea what you'd like to do with your CS degree in the future?

As of now, my current goals regarding computer science are to continue to graduate school. Current research areas I am interested in include parallel computing, algorithms, and computer graphics; I am overwhelmed by the number of options I have to explore in this field.

4) Any advice to students interested in studying CS?

My advice is to take advantage of the plethora of resources available online to build your skills outside of the classroom, supplementing formal instruction with experience in other toolsets. Additionally, persistence is key; the difficulty you encounter in computer science only makes the success of finally getting something to work or understanding a concept that much more gratifying.

5) How does it feel to be named a ServiceNow Scholar?

Being named a ServiceNow Scholar makes me feel recognized for the countless hours I have put towards my academic success and lets me know that I am on the right path. I feel emboldened to continue working towards my goals in computer science, and I am very thankful to be selected in the inaugural cohort of ServiceNow Scholars.

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.