Alumni faculty profile: Olivia Graeve

It’s no secret that UC San Diego’s reputation as a top-ranked university is a major draw for prospective students—but it’s also pulling many graduates back to campus to serve as members of the faculty. In classrooms and labs across the university, our alumni are leading new directions in research and helping to train the next generation of innovators.

“We’re proud to have so many talented graduates who return to campus as faculty members, bringing with them fresh thinking that enriches our academic community,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “UC San Diego is ranked the 15th best university in the world, a testament to our faculty and students.”

 Olivia Graeve is a professor of mechanical engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering and a proud native of the San Diego-Tijuana region. She grew up in Tijuana and attended Southwestern Community College before transferring to UC San Diego to study structural engineering. As an undergraduate, she worked in the lab of Professor Joanna McKittrick and saw first-hand what it takes to run a research laboratory.

“The experience put me on an excellent path toward the professoriate,” she said.

Graeve is working on developing materials that can withstand extreme impacts and are faster and more cost-effective to manufacture. Earlier this year, her lab developed a record-breaking steel alloy—a material that could be used for everything from drill bits, to body armor for soldiers, to meteor-resistant casing for satellites.

Graeve held faculty positions at the University of Nevada, Reno and Alfred University in New York before joining the UC San Diego faculty. Reflecting on how the campus has changed since she was a student, Graeve says that UC San Diego is bigger and better, with more opportunities for students, staff and faculty.

Today, she’s doing her part to ensure the university continues on its upward trajectory. Graeve leads a number of outreach programs for underrepresented students on both sides of the border. She also serves as director of the CaliBaja Center for Resilient Materials and Systems, which brings together researchers across the San Diego-Tijuana region.

“The opportunity to serve my alma mater and the region in which I grew up is something that is very important to me,” said Graeve. “Coming back to UC San Diego was coming home. Who would not want to be home?”

UC San Diego Engineering Student Wins First Place Overall at Target Team Hackathon

August 18-20, 2016, Target hosted a three-day Diversity Leadership Symposium, inviting undergraduate students across the nation to collaborate and devise strategies to address diversity and inclusion in the retail industry. Tony Melano-Gonzales, a transfer student and senior computer science major at UC San Diego, was invited to apply after a recruiter saw his profile on Piazza.

Gonzales learned about engineering careers in merchandising as well as advancements in finance and technology. In addition to panels, networking sessions, and workshops, he participated in Target’s case study hackathon and won first place with his team of four.

Target’s hackathon challenged competitors to develop an application that engages guests both inside and outside the store. The teams had to complete their hack within a three-hour time frame. In particular, the participants were to focus on the millennial market, including styling and baby products.

Gonzales and his teammates created Wishbone, a native Facebook chatbot that transforms ordinary situations into consumer products.

Gonzales explains, “Sometimes you go to Target and you know exactly what you want - shoes, Advil, a new backpack - but other times, you just want to stop by on the way to the beach, the movies, etc. With Wishbone, users can ask ‘What do I need for the beach?’ or say ‘I'm throwing a baby shower’ and the application connects them with real relevant products.”

Users may browse the recommended list, add their desired products to their cart, and check out on Target’s website — all with the chatbot Wishbone.

The first-place application garnered Gonzales $2000 in rewards to continue his journey here at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Many congratulations to Gonzales!

Bioengineering undergraduate researcher receives award from diversity organization

Gladys Ornelas, a bioengineering major at the Jacobs School, has received an award for her outstanding research from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.

Ornelas works in the research group of bioengineering professor Todd Coleman and has described some of her work in the video embedded below. She was selected for the award from nearly 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students who presented at the organization's conference Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C.

Martin Arreola, who studies neuroscience at UC San Diego was also recognized.