UC DAVIS College of engIneerIng · College of engineering, UC Davis aDministration enrique J. lavernia, Dean Jean vandergheynst, Associate Dean, research and graduate Studies Jean-Pierre

UC DAVIS College of engIneerIng2012 – 13 Annual report

http://engineering.ucdavis.edu/

College of engineering, UC Davis

aDministration

enrique J. lavernia, DeanJean vandergheynst, Associate Dean, research and graduate StudiesJean-Pierre Delplanque, Associate Dean, Undergraduate StudiesBruce White, executive Associate DeanJeff lefkoff, executive Assistant Dean, Administrationoliver ramsey, Assistant Dean, Development and external relations

CreDitsDesign: Academic Technology Services, UC DavisPhotography: Karin Higgins, Watson lu, Kevin Tong, Michelle TranWriting/editing: Derrick Bang

While every attempt has been made to eliminate errors in this publication, we realize they may occur. If you note any discrepancies or omissions, please accept our apologies. Please send corrections to:

oliver ramsey, CfreAssistant Dean, Development and external relationsCollege of engineering, UC Davis1 Shields Avenue, Kemper Hall 1027Davis, CA 95616530-752-7412 [email protected]

More info: engineering.ucdavis.edu

mailto:owramsey%40ucdavis.edu?subject=


The UC Davis College of Engineering continued its

yearlong 50th anniversary celebration as the 2012-13

academic year began, starting with a thought-provoking

symposium — “Sustainable Development for the 21st

Century” — that discussed the modern university’s

role in this ongoing challenge. The conference drew

roughly 120 attendees from academia and industry, and

included speakers from the Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory, General Motors, Carnegie Mellon University

and Stanford, along with Chancellor Linda Katehi and

faculty from several UC campuses.

UC Davis students were delighted by their opportunity

to meet Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist Steve

Wozniak, whose fall quarter presentation also was part of

our anniversary schedule. We concluded our 50th year

— and welcomed our second half-century — with both an Awards Gala in San Francisco, and a Closing

Reception at UC Davis’ Kemper Hall.

In January the College of Engineering dedicated the new Center for Leadership in Engineering

Advancement Diversity and Retention (LEADR) Student Center, created with the generous support of

Chevron with additional support from Boeing, Cisco, Northrop Grumman, and Union Pacific. This facility,

which blends comfort with state-of-the-art academic resources, is designed to help improve our retention

of a diverse population of undergraduates.

The following month, Kemper Hall’s Bruce and Marie West Lobby unveiled museum-quality displays

designed to honor some of the distinguished personalities associated with the College of Engineering. Our

inaugural exhibit, which opened with an Engineering Inventors Day Reception during e-Week, showcased

the work of electric vehicle pioneer Andrew Frank, former Synaptic CEO Francis Lee, NASA engineer

Adam Steltzner, wind studies expert Bruce White, and bioenvironmental engineer Ruihong Zhang.

The College of Engineering continues to fast-track innovative, high-impact ideas from lab bench to the

marketplace, thanks to the efforts of our Engineering Translational Technology Center (ETTC). After

“graduating” its first tenant in May 2012 — Dysonics, an audio technology start-up — ETTC was named

one of the “Ten College Business Incubators We’re Most Excited About” by bestcollegesonline.com. In

January 2013, ETTC announced its second graduate: Ennetix Inc., a clean tech/networking company that

will dramatically reduce the energy consumed by IT networks and connected systems across the world.

With investment support from federal, state and private sources, we eagerly anticipate the next ambitious

phase of our second half-century, building on the achievements of our past 50 years.

WelCoMe

Enrique J. Lavernia

Dean, Distinguished Professor

enrique J. lavernia, Ph.D.

2 • UC DAVIS College of engIneerIng

10 endowed Chairs and Professorships

Academic departments

founded in Undergraduate

majors

graduate programs

198faculty

Current and former faculty elected to national academies

20faculty early Career Development Awards (nSf)50

Alumni

FACTS AND FIGURES

141962 9

2012-13 AnnUAl rePorT • 3

20

4,025

4th

1,130DegreeS AWArDeD:

BaChelor’s master’s DoCtoral

enrollment enrollment

UnDergraDUate graDUate

toP “Coolest sChool”(Sierra, 2013)

696 218 132

student information


16Among the ToP

U.S. public university undergraduate engineering programs(U.S. News, 2012)

public engineering graduate schools(U.S. News, 2012)18

rankings

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

$45.7

$58.3 $60.0 $61.6$68.3

$75.7

$86.3 $87.1

100

80

60

40

20

0

$90.4

2012-13

2011-12

$87.1$91.7 Biological and

Agricultural engineering $7,128,620

Biomedical engineering $18,088,820

Chemical engineering and Materials Science $11,605,889

Civil and environmental engineering $21,435,277

Computer Science $10,270,495

electrical and Computer engineering $12,090,715

Mechanical and Aeronautical engineering $11,068,101

total $91,687,917

trends in research expenditures 2012-13 research expenditures by Department


Public research university in U.S.(U.S. News, 2014) 3rD

Among the ToP

among top 50 engineering programs for percentage of female faculty

9thresearch funding among U.S.

ranked public universities(nSf 2011)14th


ReseaRch awaRds

Top research grants and Contracts 2012 –13n Joan lindberg

Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Delta Smelt Research and Refugial Population Development, USDI Bureau of Reclamation$3,365,790

n Bryan JenkinsDepartment of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Renewable Energy Resource, Technology and Economic Assessments, California Energy Resources and Conservation Development Commission $2,000,000

n mark modera Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering WCC, RTU Retrofit And Maintenance Behavior Southern California Edison Company $1,939,682

n Kyriacos a. athanasiouDepartment of Biomedical Engineering Tissue Engineered Cartilage from Autologous, Demis-Isolated Adult Stem Cells, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) $1,735,703

n Julie sutcliffe Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiochemistry Research and Training, UC Davis (R2@UC Davis), DOE/Miscellaneous Offices and Programs $1,460,000

n m. levent Kavvas Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Upper Middle Fork Project, Plumas County $1,358,000

n ross Boulanger Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering NSF-NEES, Purdue University $1,181,626

n Jean vandergheynst Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Renewable Energy Systems Opportunity for Unified Research Collaboration and Education (RESOURCE), National Science Foundation (NSF) $1,130,421

n frank loge Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDelivery Order #11 Lower Granite Dam Juvenile Fish Collection Channel Prototype Overflow Weir and Enlarged Orifice Biological Evaluation, US Army Corps of Engineers/Walla Walla District$1,052,875

n matt Bishop Department of Computer Science, CC-NIE Integration: Improved Infrastructure for Data Movement and Monitoring, National Science Foundation (NSF) $992,746

n françois gygi Department of Computer Science, High Performance First-Principles Molecular Dynamics for Predictive Theory and Modeling, DOE/Miscellaneous Offices and Programs $991,884

n m. levent Kavvas Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringOngoing Study of Cache Creek Settling Basin Trap Efficiency Study, Hydrodynamics and Sediment Patterns, Department of California Water Resources (DWR) $961,328


facts, figures and leadershipBiological and Agricultural Engineering:n Faculty: 18 n Undergraduates: 142 n Graduate Students: 42 n Research Expenditures: $7,128,620n Undergraduate Majors: Biological Systems

Engineering n Graduate Programs: M.S., Ph.D., Master of

Engineering, Doctor of Engineering

Chair: Raul Piedrahita

Biomedical Engineering:n Faculty: 25 n Undergraduates: 528 n Graduate Students: 135 n Research Expenditures: $18,088,820 n Undergraduate Majors: Biomedical

Engineering n Graduate Programs: M.S., Ph.D.

Chair: Kyriacos A. Athanasiou

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science:n Faculty: 30 n Undergraduates: 572 n Graduate Students: 122 n Research Expenditures: $11,605,889n Undergraduate Majors: Biochemical

Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering, Electronic Materials Engineering.

n Graduate Programs: M.S., Ph.D. – Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering. Designated emphases in Biotechnology, Biophotonics.

Chair: Ahmet Palazoglu

Civil and Environmental Engineeringn Faculty: 33 n Undergraduates: 621 n Graduate Students: 239 + 48 *(TTP) n Research Expenditures: $22,785,074n Undergraduate Majors: Civil Engineering n Graduate Programs: M.S., Ph.D.; Areas of

Specialization: Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics, Transportation Planning and Design, Water Resources Engineering.

Chair: Sashi Kunnath

Computer Sciencen Faculty: 30 n Undergraduates: 682 n Graduate Students: 212 n Research Expenditures: $10,270,495n Undergraduate Majors: Computer Science and

Engineering, Computer Science (in College of Letters and Science)

n Graduate Programs: M.S., Ph.D.

Chair: Nina Amenta

Electrical and Computer Engineeringn Faculty: 34 n Undergraduates: 513.5 n Graduate Students: 171 n Research Expenditures: $12,090,715n Undergraduate Majors: Electrical Engineering,

Computer Engineering n Graduate programs: M.S., Ph.D.

Chair: Kent Wilken

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeringn Faculty: 32 n Undergraduates: 786.5 n Graduate Students: 167 n Research Expenditures: $11,068,101n Undergraduate Majors: Mechanical Engineering,

Aerospace Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science Engineering

n Graduate programs: M.S., M.E., D. Eng., Ph.D.

Chair: C.P. “Case” van Dam

departments

*Transportation, Technology and Policy Students


Other Nonprofit

$1,349,448Corporations

$4,795,117

Foundations

$119,434

Alumni

$3,154,439

Other Purposes

$168,600

Individuals

$3,082,866

Research

$4,455,147

Student Support

$985,776

Department Support

$5,831,175

Campus Improvement

$1,034,877

Instruction

$25,729

total = $12,501,304

2012-13 Purpose of gifts

2012-13 gift Source

total = $12,501,304

PhilanthroPic suPPort


Dean’s executive Committee

Strategic leadership Board

The continuing success of the College of Engineering is fueled by the involvement of influential friends and alumni who promote its visibility and help secure philanthropic support to advance its goals in education, research and public service. The Dean’s Executive Committee is composed of 17 executive-level leaders, including venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs. They work closely with the Dean to assist the College of Engineering through advocacy, prospective donor identification and cultivation, and personal philanthropy.

The College of engineering’s Strategic leadership Board is a distinguished group of thought-leaders whose expertise and industry leadership represent, inspire and honor the College’s vision.

■n enrique laverniaDean and Distinguished Professor

■n Diane BryantVice President and GM, Datacenter and Connected Systems Group Intel Corporation

■n tim BucherPresident and Founder, Lyve Minds

■n Jeff ChildFinancial Advisor, Oshman Family Office

■n mike ChildSenior Advisor, TA Associates, Inc.

n Curtis Carlson, Ph.D. Chairman, SrI International

n irwin Jacobs, Ph.D. Co-founder, Qualcomm

n David Kappos Partner, Cravath, Swaine &

Moore llP

n John maroney President/Ceo, forSight VISIon

5 Venture Partner, Delphi Ventures

n masahiko mori, Ph.D. President, DMg Mori Seiki

Company

n indira samarasekera, Ph.D. President, University of Alberta

n stratton sclavos Partner, radar Partners

n William “Bill” sullivan President, Agilent Technologies

n alan taub, Ph.D. Professor, University of Michigan Vice-President, global research &

Development, general Motors (ret)

n Woong-Chul Yang, Ph.D. Vice Chairman, Hyundai Kia

Motors

■n alfred ChuangFounder and CEO, Magnet Systems

■n richard ChuangCEO, Cloudpic

■n Dick DorfProfessor Emeritus, UC Davis

■n layton hanCEO, Adara Media

■n adam hanselCOO, DTL Mori Seiki Co.

■n francis leeChairman (Ret), Synaptics

■n steven montoyaVice President for Product Engineering, Topanga Technologies (Ret)

■n Cynthia murphyPortfolio Manager – University Affairs, Chevron Corporation

■n Jim olsonFounder, Westshore Management Group

■n earl rennisonCTO and Founder, Trovix

■n Jerry suranProfessor Emeritus, UC DavisVice President (Ret), General Electric

■n Brian UnderwoodPresident/CEO, California Gold Almonds LLC

■n Bruce g. WestPrincipal, West Yost & Associates Inc

2012-13 AnnUAl rePorT • 92012-13 AnnUAl rePorT • 9

John owensJohn oWens joined the UC Davis Department of electrical and Computer engineering in 2003, shortly after obtaining his Ph.D. in the Computer Systems laboratory at Stanford’s Department of electrical engineering. His research interests cover broad topics in the field of computer systems, notably those that use innovative hardware and software that work together to

solve challenging engineering problems. He’s particularly captivated by parallel computing and projects in graphics hardware/gPgPU computing (general-purpose computing on graphics processing units).

In the spring of 2012, owens’ efforts were recognized when nvidia named him a CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) fellow, joining the ranks of those who have demonstrated the benefits of gPU computing to advance their fields of research, and have been instrumental in introducing gPU computing to their peers. He is one of only 11 CUDA fellows in the entire world. A few months later, he began a sabbatical

at Twitter, where he has broadened his research work to include investigations into cloud-based computing, real-time issues, functional programming and the nature of the Web itself.

Although kept quite busy by his research and academic responsibilities, owens makes time each year to participate in weekend-long, puzzle-solving-scavenger-hunting-road-rally events, known simply as “The game.” This geeked-out challenge dates back to the 1980s, and owens became a regular contender — and, eventually, planner and designer — shortly before he joined the UC Davis College of engineering.

Solving conceptual puzzles, after all, is very much like research: one always must think outside the box.

“...one always must think

outside the box.”

John owens, left


When the robotic explorer Curiosity successfully touched down inside Mars’ massive gale Crater at 10:32 p.m. PDT Aug. 5, 2012, the jubilant scientists and technicians trading enthusiastic high-fives included aDam steltzner, whose 1990 undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at UC Davis eventually led to his becoming team leader of Curiosity’s entry, Descent and landing (eDl) System.

earlier nASA projects included galileo, Cassini, the Mars Pathfinder and Mars exploration rovers. An episode of the PBS series Nova — “Mars: Dead or Alive,” which aired Jan. 4, 2004 — profiled several scientists and engineers who worked on the successful Martian rovers Spirit and opportunity; Steltzner was prominent among their number, in part because his rock ‘n’ roll background, pierced ears, snakeskin boots and duckbill haircut made him such a colorful figure.

He has done nothing to discourage this hipster-turned-rocket scientist image. In fact, the stage presence cultivated during his early rock club career has served him well, as he has become one of our space program’s most visible and media-

savvy advocates. nASA’s Seven Minutes of Terror — a five-minute video that has become a YouTube sensation, with more than two million views — gets much of its gravitas from Steltzner’s on-camera narration.

for Curiosity, Steltzner and his colleagues spent a decade designing, building and testing a crazy-quilt landing system — a rocket-powered “platform” that hovered over the planet’s surface and lowered Curiosity down on a cable — that even rube goldberg would have rejected as too far-fetched.

Steltzner had the last laugh; Curiosity’s successful landing represents a triumph of ingenious design for the former high school near-dropout who earned his own chapter in the 2004 book, Going to Mars: The Stories of the People Behind NASA’s Mars Missions. The chapter title? “elvis,” of course, after the rock ‘n’ roll god whom many say Steltzner resembles.


“...even rube goldberg would have rejected as too far-fetched.”

Adam Steltzner


Student Scholarships and Awards

endowed Chairs and Professorships

Department Support

n Alan Jackman Scholarship fundn Amorocho Memorial Scholarshipn Anil K. Jain Memorial Prizen Arthur and Julia Suran endowed Scholarshipn Astronaut Alumni Scholarshipn The Beaver’s Charitable Trustn Ben l. Hagglund Scholarshipn Boeing Scholar Awardn Brian and louanne Horsfield fundn Bud and lorraine gerdes and Walt and Paula rohrich

grants in engineering and Veterinary Medicinen Chemical engineering Alumni fellowshipn Chevron Scholar Awardn College of engineering SfC graduate fellowship fundn Dean Karnopp endowed fellowshipn Diane Bryant Scholarship for Diversityn farrer/Patten Award fundn fred fuchslin Memorial Scholarshipn genCorp/Aerojet Scholar Awardn george and rosemary Tchobanoglous graduate

fellowshipn Howard r. Murphy Scholarshipn Jane C. elliott Scholarship fundn Jeff and Dianne Child/Steve Whitaker

Undergraduate Scholarshipn John C. Harper Memorial Scholarship fundn John W. and ernestine l. Heinrich Scholarshipn Joseph l. Steger Memorial fellowshipn Kind family Scholarshipn Maury l. Hull endowed fellowshipn M.S. ghausi College of engineering Medalsn Montoya CAleSS Scholarship fundn n&M Sarigul-Klijn Space engineering/

flight research Award

n Blacutt-Underwood Professorship in Materials Sciencen Child family Professorship of engineering and

entrepreneurshipn Child family Professorship in the College of

engineeringn edward Teller Chairn gerald T. and lillian P. orlob Professorship in Water

resources engineering

n Maroney-Bryan fundn ed and Mary Schroeder Scholarship fund

n northrop grumman’s graduate fellowshipn Pamela J. fair ’80 Undergraduate Scholarship for

leadership in engineeringn ramey & romstad endowed Scholarship In ramey & romstad endowed Scholarship IIn richard C. and Joy Dorf graduate Student

Award in electrical and Computer engineeringn richard C. and Joy Dorf fund for Academic

excellence and leadershipn richard Snavely Memorial Awardn risken environmental engineering fundn robert A. and Denzil M. Kepner endowment fundn robert l. Huddleston Awardn robert Murdoch Memorial Scholarshipn robert roy owen Scholarship in engineeringn robert Wiley ross Awardn rocky Han Scholarshipn rose C. and David B. McCallen endowed Awardn roy Bainer engineering Scholarshipn russell l. Perry Scholarshipn Sander Wilson Memorial Awardn SfC – engineering Undergraduate Scholarshipn Soohoo-lee endowed fellowshipn Teichert foundationn UC Davis Prize for excellence in geotechnical

engineeringn Walter D. Buehler Scholarshipn Wasson family Scholarshipn Wasson family Scholarship for education Abroadn Won family Scholarshipn Wu family foundation endowed fundn Zuhair A. Munir Award for the Best Doctoral Dissertationn Zuhair A. Munir Mentorships and opportunities for

research in engineering (More) fund

n Jeff and Dianne Child-Steve Whitaker Professorship in Chemical engineering and Materials Science

n Joe and essie Smith endowed Chair in Chemical engineering

n ray B. Krone Professorship in environmental engineering

n Tim Bucher family Chair of Computer Sciencen Warren and leta giedt endowed Professorship in the

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering



Honor roll of Donors JUlY 1, 2012 – JUne 30, 2013

Thanks to the generosity of many College of Engineering supporters, this year the College raised $12.5 million in gifts and grants from businesses, foundations, alumni and friends. We gratefully thank you for your support. Gifts targeted faculty research and teaching, undergraduate scholarships, graduate student awards, and equipment needs. Contributions to the College of Engineering Annual Fund furnished unrestricted funds for College priorities, including student design teams and graduate student recruitment activities.

The College of Engineering acknowledges the following donors:

$500,000 and above

Chevron Products Co.Glaucoma Research FoundationHyundai Motor Co.DMG Mori Seiki Co. Ltd.

$100,000-499,000

Agilent TechnologiesAmerican Chemical SocietyAnonymousCisco Systems Inc.Ericsson Inc.Massachusetts General HospitalScott M. Maxwell, ’86Northrop GrummanOrthopaedic Research &

Education FoundationPine Tree Technology Inc.Texas Instruments Inc.John M. Wasson, ’84, and

Gina G. WassonBruce G. West, ’73, and

Marie West

$50,000-99,000

Advanced Micro Devices Inc.American Heart Association

National CenterAnonymousBroadcom FoundationCalifornia Dairy Research Fdtn.California Tomato BoardDP Technology Corp.Ford Motor Co.Fujitsu Laboratories of

America Inc.Futurewei Technologies Inc.Google Inc.Hoeganaes Corp.Howard Hughes Medical

InstituteKorea Institute of Energy

ResearchL3 Communications

Rose C. McCallen, ’93, and David B. McCallen, ’86

National Physical Science Consortium

Peter S. Higgins & AssociatesSamsung Telecommunications

AmericaSanDisk Corp.Shimizu Corp.

$25,000-49,000

Dean’s Blue and gold Circle

Analog Devices Inc.Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.IBM Corp.Linear Technology Corp.LSI Logic Corp.National Tsing Hua UniversityShinil Chemical Industry Co.

Ltd.Space Telescope Science

InstituteGeorge Tchobanoglous and

Rosemary TchobanoglousKing L. Won, ’71, and

Linda WonYahoo Inc.Woong-Chul Yang, ’86

$10,000-24,999

Dean’s gold Circle

AnonymousASHRAEBoeing Co.Cal Poly FoundationEfficient Drivetrains Inc.GenCorp Foundation Inc.General Motors Corp.George & Ruth Bradford

FoundationGHD Inc.Inphi Corp.

Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corp.

William H. Kind, ’85LogicBlox Inc.National GEM ConsortiumRecology Environmental

Solutions Inc.Stephen K. Robinson, ’78Sandia National LaboratoriesTexas Southern University –

College of EducationBrian Underwood, ’91Union Pacific Railroad

$5,000-9,999

Dean’s Blue Circle

aero-dap TherapeuticsJeffrey B. Child, ’82, and

Dianne D. ChildMichael C. Child, ’76, and

Renee Z. ChildBill W. Colston, ’97Robert C. Doss, ’75Electric Power Research InstAndrew A. Frank and

Wendy FrankLayton S. Han, ’88, and

Melinda I. HanInstant Water TechnologiesJoseph Beggs Fdtn for

KinematicsJohn F. Maroney, ’75, and

Sarah M. Bryan MaroneyMicromidas Inc.National Center For Women &

Information TechnologyPepsiCoJo Ann Silverstein, ’82Scott A. Stedman, ’66, and

Virginia L. StedmanJerome J. Suran and

Helen SuranDarrell L. WilburnWorld Health Alliance

International Inc.

$1,000-4,999

Dean’s Circle

Keith E. Abey, ’89 Aerojet Peter W. Allen and

Patricia J. AllenAmerican Society of

Civil Engineers Anonymous (4) Jon B. Archer, ’82, and

Andrea C. ArcherAtkins Foundation Inc. Bruce A. Bailey, ’75 Charles W. Beadle Arthur T. Bliss, ’06 Don O. BrushKenneth J. Bryden, ’92, and

Michelle B. Bryden, ’92Howard J. Bush, ’79 Chih-Kang Chen, ’89 Linker Cheng, ’97 Henry S. Chu, ’96 Randall L. Cobb, ’78 Michael P. Coffey, ’84, and

Jody A. CoffeyThomas W. Collins, ’73 and

Susan J. CollinsRichard A. Coombs, ’76 Michael D. Cousins, ’66 Kenneth E. Culver, ’79 Robert H. Davis, ’78, and

Shirley G. DavisKenton S. Day, ’67 Richard C. Dorf and Joy DorfDTL Corp. Thomas G. Elam, ’89 Susan A. Ellis, ’78, and

Mark A. LintonEnergy Absorption Systems Inc. Ford Family Foundation Fugro Consultants Inc. GEI Consultants Geopentech Inc. Geosyntec Consultants Bruce R. Gilbert, ’69, and

Noretta F. Gilbert


william RistenpaRt/tonya Kuhl


William ristenPart has appointments in both the UC Davis Department of Chemical engineering and Materials Science, and the Department of food Science & Technology Science. His research team investigates the physical, chemical and biological phenomena of fluids, including fluid motion caused by electrical fields, how different food metabolites affect red blood cells, and the behavior of fluids at the microminiaturized scale. He is, as well, the Joe and essie Smith endowed Chair of Chemical engineering.

like many engineering professors across the country, ristenpart believes that universities must become much more aggressive with outreach, in order to reach students who otherwise might not contemplate careers in various engineering fields. Part of the solution, he feels, involves crafting lower-division courses that will grant students earlier opportunities for engaging, hands-on lab work.

His answer: eCM 1, “The Design of Coffee,” a new spring quarter course that ristenpart co-taught with tonYa KUhl, a professor in the UC Davis

Department of Biomedical engineering. They designed their 10-week course quite shrewdly, by matching successive laboratory goals with the various steps

involved in brewing. The segment on chemical reactions, for example, focused on roasting

coffee beans to perfection; mass transfer demonstrated how extraction is the heart of coffee; and thermodynamics was introduced

by talking about espresso, decaf and “the beauty of phase diagrams.”

The class concluded, during its final lab session, with a competition. each student was challenged to make as

perfect a cup of coffee as possible, with the results evaluated during a blind tasting. Because this was an engineering course, ristenpart and Kuhl added a quantitative twist: each student was tasked with making the best-tasting cup of coffee while using the least amount of energy.

ristenpart and Kuhl cheerfully acknowledge an ulterior motive: While their students spent 10 weeks learning how to design the perfect cup of coffee, they were being molded into perfect chemical engineers.

Ken lohIt was a big year for Ken loh in 2012, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Civil and environmental engineering.

In february, he received a $400,000 national Science foundation CAreer Award; in April, he was named a fulbright Scholar by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of educational and Cultural Affairs.

The CAreer Award validates research that dates back to his post-graduate work at the University of Michigan, where he obtained twin master’s degrees — in civil engineering, and materials science and engineering — and a doctorate, while developing new thin-film technologies based on carbon nanotubes.

one of his many research goals is to create very thin coatings that could be applied to various types of structures — buildings, bridges, wind turbines, spacecraft — with the objective of monitoring how these structures perform, and pinpointing any types of

damage that might occur over their operational lifetime. The idea is to paint such materials onto the structures, in order to improve upon existing structural analysis techniques that are cumbersome, impractical and often unreliable.

In the near future, thanks to the fulbright Scholarship, loh will spend some time at national Taiwan University in Taipei City, Taiwan. The scholarship will support his collaboration with colleagues there, in a project designed to better understand “bridge scour” — the erosion of earth at bridge foundations, by flowing water — with the goal of preventing collapses. The study hopes to validate a new sensing system that can measure 3D “scour hole evolution” in space and time, and the model results and assessments of current design practices will be used to improve future design codes in the United States and Taiwan.

Ken loh, right

“...developing new thin-film technologies...”



Glen A. Gomes, ’86 John R. Goss, ’56, and

Patty GossGary E. Hackney, ’81, and

Natalie A. PooleFrederick H. Hoffman, ’87 and

Stella A. HoffmanIntel Corp. Ionex SG Ltd. Timothy G. Jellison, ’84 James J. Jones, ’89, and

Sarah JonesMasakazu Kanematsu, ’11 Kevin W. Keck, ’70, and

R. Gail Way KeckJohn D. Kemper and Bobbie

KemperValeria La SaponaraLaura L. Liptai, ’96, and

Sheridan Young Patrick C. Lucia and Sally LuciaMassachusetts Institute of

Technology Earl W. Mc Cune, ’98 Karen A. McDonald and

Steven W. McDonaldMedtronic Vascular Raymond Merala, ’87, and

Laura A. PeraniMicron Technology Foundation Richard K. Miller, ’71, and

Elizabeth A. MillerSteven C. Montoya, ’77, and

Sheri Stonier-MontoyaAdam MouleKenneth B. Nittler, ’80, and

Nancy M. NittlerNMC Corp. Richard D. Noble, ’76 Ted M. Odell, ’78, and

Jeanine L. OdellJames D. Olson, ’72 PALM Associates Inc. William J. Porter, ’68 Ravindra S. Potharlanka, ’91,

and Vibhooti S. GuptaQualcomm Inc. Melvin R. Ramey and

Felicenne H. RameyRonald A. Ramos, ’79, and

Shellie C. RamosEarl F. Rennison, ’88, and

Suzette RennisonAngela A. Rodriguez, ’94 Holly Runyon, ’89

William F. Schaff, ’95, and Cynthia Schaff

Stephan V. Schell, ’90 Schlumberger Technology Corp. Edward D. Schroeder and

Mary C. SchroederMary E. Serra, ’89 Clay S. Serrahn, ’74 James M. Silva, ’95 Anthony J. Silveira, ’94 Specialized Bicycle Components Benjamin F. Stetson, ’68, and

Elinor H. StetsonLeah M. Stroup, ’89 Wilson K. Talley and Helen

TalleyDavid L. Tarke, ’85, and

Gina M. Burke Tarke, ’84Brett A. Tiano and Kiki N. TianoLynn E. Walter, ’79 Richard F. Walters and

Shipley N. WaltersSteven H. Weinberg, ’67

$500-999

Daniel S. Adams, ’72 AISC Education FoundationAmerican Institute of Steel

Construction Inc.AnonymousGreg Banks and Susan BanksRuth A. Bingle and Michael G.

Bingle, ’84Richard A. Bradley, ’69 Keith B. Brown, ’78 Michael J. Brunolli, ’80 Stanley C. Chu, ’70, and

Nancy I. ChuCornerstone Earth GroupCotton, Shires & Associates Inc.Sasha D. Dansky, ’96 Earth Mechanics Inc.David S. Edwards, ’99 Uri Eliahu and Cindy EliahuEngeo Inc.Pamela J. Fair, ’80 Justine A. Faisst, ’73 April A. Fallon, ’89 Isaac E. Fox, ’98 Fudo Construction Inc.Julie GallardoGeoEngineersGolder Associates Ltd.Dean E. Groce, ’83 John J. Guzman, ’77

James D. Hallenbeck, ’75 Rochelle M. Handy and

William E. Handy, Jr.Hayward BakerDonna M. Hom, ’88 Scott W. Hunter, ’87 Cris Jespersen, ’82 Ronald D. Joost, ’78 Maxim D. Jovanovich, ’95 William Lai, ’84Steve Lee, ’05 Moon P. Lew, ’72 John A. Lilygren, ’77 Richard D. Matthews, ’64 David S. Mize, ’89 Steven S. Nakashima, ’91 Robert A. Parsons, ’62 Russell A. Peery, ’80 Dale W. Ploeger and Maria K.

KleczewskaJinyi QiKarl M. Romstad and

Connie RomstadSanders & Assoc. Geostructural

Engineering Inc.Scott T. ScaramastroPamela J. Schrader and

Mark L. Schrader, ’77Shannon & Wilson Inc.Lawrence M. Sokolsky, ’82 David L. Stringfield, ’72 Pieter StroeveJeffrey S. Thompson, ’78 Robert P. Tobias, ’86 Spyros Tseregounis and

Linda P.B. KatehiUnion Bank of California, N.A.Vital LinkDennis W. Walden, ’70 Elizabeth WellsMichael G. Whatley, ’95 Harold E. Wheaton, ’95 Jerry M. Woodall and

Nancy A. BulgerKevin Woolf, ’98 Charles R. Wright, ’71

$100-499

Warren Abey, ’82 Carole L. Achramowicz, ’82 Erik T. Acks, ’08 Victor M. Alaniz, ’96 Scott L. Alberts, ’79 Michael J. Alfors, ’97 Galen R. Alldrin, ’78

Ronald K. Allen, ’76 Stephanie A. Allison, ’80 Monica M. Anderson, ’88 AnonymousArt T. Avlonitis, ’97 Edward N. Bachand, ’76 Mark A. Backman, ’96 David A. Baer, ’86 Barbara Y. Bailey, ’84 Brian R. Bailey, ’01 Steven R. Bandel, ’81 R. Scott Barlow, ’77 Rebecca F. Barron, ’97, and

Hector Barron, ’86Todd T. Becker, ’84 Arthur Beresford, ’66 Julie K. Berry and John J. BerryRobert E. Berthold, ’76 Robert J. Beste, ’89 William K. Bischel, ’75 Cecelia D. BolsterMarc J. Bommersbach, ’76 Gerard J. Borkovich, ’88 Donald M. Boyd, ’89 BP Foundation Inc.Scott J. Brandenberg, ’05 Charles R. Bray, ’98 Dana J. Brock, ’78 Paul J. Bruinsma, ’94 Gwendolyn M. Buchholz, ’76 Richard M. Buck, ’87 Buehler & Buehler AssociatesRobert CarterPaul E. Cassanego, ’95 Jim D. Chaconas, ’80 David A. Chargin, ’97 Jesse Chavez and Susan C.

ChavezAlland Chee, ’91 Janette Cheung Michael Paul F. Cheung, ’06 Russell M. Childers, ’81 Robert N. Chittenden, ’76 Harold F. Christensen, ’78 Joann E. Christensen, ’85 Daniel J. Chu, ’92 Micah S. Chu, ’95 Thomas H. Chunat, ’86 Byron A. Clark, ’01 Jeffrey E. Clark, ’85 Thomas E. Clark, ’98 William L. Clarke, ’63 Paul W. Coates and Kate CoatesDavid W. Coats, ’82 Michael J. Coen, ’81

Honor roll of Donors ConTInUeD


Honor roll of DonorsConTInUeD

Timothy T. Conant, ’79 Gregory M. Corsetto, ’78 Justin A. Creel, ’08 Richard H. Cuenca, ’78 Dennis F. Dal Porto, ’71 Jane M. Daniel, ’86 George W. Davis, ’78 Michael A. DavisMichael J. Dean, ’76 Michael L. Deas, ’00 Andrea N. Demich, ’02 Wayne M. Denesik, ’72 Bihe Deng, ’99, and

Huijuan Lu, ’01Michael P. Dentinger, ’84, and

Nanette S. Dentinger, ’82Anthony J. Derpich, ’91 Yolanda M. DeVore, ’79 Johannes J. DeVries, ’78 Edmund L. Dickson, ’83 Patricia H. Dillon, ’96 Alison Z. Dimick, ’93 Joseph L. Disharoon, ’95 Richard A. Dixon, ’88 David M. Domyancic, ’09 Patrick D. Donovan, ’70 Richard C. Dow, ’69 Andrew L. Dul, ’98 Dennis G. Edwards, ’68 James T. ElliottLaura L. Elmore and

David F. Elmore, ’79Richard A. Enos, ’75 Sarina J. Ergas, ’93 David W. Erickson, ’88 Mark A. Erickson, ’02 Rickey J. Faehl, ’77 Diane M. Fairley, ’83 Deborah A. Faryniarz, ’85 Valentino S. Felipe, ’96 Herman J. FinkLinda N. Finley, ’81 David N. Fittinghoff, ’93 Matthew C. Fleming, ’81 Patricia A. Francis-Lyon, ’11 Jeffrey C. Franke, ’96 Robert J. FrankenbergJerrold E. Franklin, ’87 Francis H. Frederick, ’67 Alexander A. Friedman, ’70 Katheryn A. Friend, ’84 Alexander M. Friz, ’95 Wilton B. Fryer, ’83 Pengcheng Fu, ’09 Peter M. Gathungu, ’95 Janet D. Gee, ’78 David J. Geisler, ’12

Edward W. Gennetten, ’72 Bruce M. Gentry, ’84 Karl F. Gerdes, ’84 Gregory L. GibbsAllan J. Giesbrecht, ’78 Erica L. Gjersing, ’10 Carl E. Glahn and

Heather M. GlahnRobert J. Gluss, ’95 Ken Goto, ’69 Carl A. Gowan, ’74 William N. Gracely, ’77 Jeffrey S. Gragg, ’97 J. Brian Grant, ’91 William R. Gray, ’71 James S. Gruneisen, ’71 Edwin F. Guay, ’81 Rashi Gupta, ’99 Richard T. Ha, ’99 Don S. Hamaguchi, ’71 Douglas C. Hamilton, ’86 Lynn M. Hammon, ’79 Robert L. Hammond, ’76 Gregg E. Harkness, ’75 Craig N. Harrington, ’88 Kenneth R. Harris, ’98 Chuanhu He, ’89 Anthony E. Hechanova, ’88 Martin C. Hegedus, ’90 Vincent J. Hernandez, ’07 Tina M. Herrera, ’94 Leonard R. Herrmann and

Marilyn J. HerrmannRobert T. Hickman, ’83 John R. Hines, ’74 John D. Hirsch, ’66 Frank R. Hislop, ’99 Katherine A. Hon, ’80 Jeffrey B. Horner, ’89 Brian C. Horsfield, ’71 Zhenling Hou, ’08 Roger W. Howard, ’98 Robert L. Howe, ’68 Amy L. Hubbard, ’85 William M. Hughes, ’80 Syed H. Husaini, ’83 David E. Ichikawa, ’79 Michael H. Ikeda, ’79 Intel FoundationDavid P. Isaac, ’82 Anthony T. Iwamiya, ’85 Jessie A. Jackson, ’77 Sherman Jang, ’80 Rosanna V. Jenks and

Robert R. JenksMark C. Jensen, ’93 Van D. Jepson, ’76

tanya whitlow In a parallel universe, tanYa WhitloW might have been a professional dancer, rather than a valued Student Affairs officer in the UC Davis College of engineering.

“It’s true,” she laughs. “I was a member of the Black repertory Dance Company as a UC Davis undergrad, and after graduating in 1987 I studied dance in new York.”

But Whitlow’s desire to put her psychology degree to good use — coupled with “people person” instincts, and a fondness for helping others — brought the Sacramento native back to northern California. She spent some time working with UC Berkeley’s Upward Bound Program, and then in 1993 accepted a position with the Sacramento branch of Success Through Collaboration (STC), a program established by Mathematics engineering Science Achievement (MeSA) in partnership with the California Department of education, to target under-served American Indian pre-college students.

Whitlow had no particular plans to return to her alma mater, but she was encouraged by her STC director to apply for an opening in the UC Davis Minority engineering Program. Whitlow returned to UC Davis in 1994.

recently named retention officer of the new leadership in engineering Advancement Diversity and retention (leADr) Student Center, Whitlow received the Martin luther King Jr. Social Justice Award in January 2013, presented by the UC Davis African-American faculty and Staff Association. The award recognized her longtime support of under-represented UC Davis students.

That, in turn, has made her reflect on the goals that motivate her every day: “That I make the effort to put students first, that I care about people as a whole, and that I treat people with kindness and respect.

“And that I recognize the potential in everyone.”

Tanya Whitlow


Andrew Q. Ji, ’85 Christopher D. Johnson, ’91 Gary L. Johnson, ’86 Theodore F. Johnson, ’98 Brian D. Johnston, ’04 Eddie A. Jordan, ’12 JustGiveKlyde S. Kanegawa, ’82 Andrew E. Kato, ’02 M. L. KavvasThomas L. Kemp, ’80 Maureen E. Kennedy, ’66 James E. Kennon, ’79 Matthew B. Kerby, ’93 Ralph A. Kerwin, ’86 Jeffrey S. Keyak, ’71 Martin L. KindelThomas E. Kirsch, ’66 Christine F. Klipfel and

Thomas A. Klipfel, ’91

Douglas G. Knarr, ’83 Robert F. Knight, ’67 Ruth L. Knipe, ’82 Elliot E. Koch, ’80 Carolyn T. Koenig, ’84 Jason J. Koh, ’90 Jeffrey R. Kohne, ’92 Marvin K. Kong, ’83 David E. Kotecki, ’88 Demetrious KoutsoftasWilliam C. Kreamer, ’77 Bruce L. Kutter, ’78 George Kwan, ’93 Demos T. Kyrazis, ’77 Si-Ty Lam, ’79 Richard A. Larder, ’75 Arthur A. Larson, ’82 Enrique J. LaverniaAndrew J. Lawrence, ’07 Alfred K. Lee and Yvonne Lee

Clifton S. Lee, ’83 Lin-Foong Lee, ’94 Mark R. Leu, ’01, and

Joanna J. Leu, ’00Christine S. Lew, ’92 Jenny Lin and Benson B. LinTsugin Lin and Heny LinColleen T. Lindsey-Cope, ’99 Gary W. Lohman, ’69 Thomas M. Losordo, ’88 Alexander W. Louie, ’86 Steven E. Louton, ’82 Peter C. Lucic and

Caroline H. LucicJay R. LundMark A. Lunsford, ’79 Andrew E. Lutz, ’88 Darrick Ly, ’10

Penny K. LyonsDerek K. Man, ’81 Dawn A. Maneval and

James E. Maneval, ’91Ziqiang Mao, ’95 Mark D. Mathews, ’77 Beth A. May, ’00 Mary E. Mazzei-Koederitz, ’76 John S. Mc Ewan, ’73 Teresa K. Mc Kenna, ’94 Lisa D. McMullen, ’86 Mary S. Mc Pherson, ’79 Dennis J. Metaxas, ’77 Microsoft Corp.Christopher M. Mikita, ’08 Courtney N. Mizutani, ’87 Adam T. Moerschell, ’07 Bruce C. Montgomery, ’76

anna sCaglione, a professor in the UC Davis Department of electrical and Computer engineering, wants us to utilize power more efficiently and sustainably. Her research focuses on communication networks and information systems, with an emphasis on wireless networks and sensor networks. She’s fascinated by the potential that waits to be exploited by smart grids.

She also recognizes that people need to stop thinking of power as a commodity that must come to us on demand, like water into a sink. In fact, we often need power to perform a certain service that could be scheduled optimally. If one wishes to use a dishwasher, for example, the work need not be done until the next time one requires clean dishes.

This concept of “scheduling” power tasks will become a much larger issue once electric vehicles become more common. Drivers will need their vehicles to be charged between trips, possibly at a competitive rate, and certainly at a convenient time.

As Scaglione envisions our future, all sorts of applications could incorporate an improved flexibility, by better sensing and describing the objective of the work the appliance will perform. This, in turn, would help utilize renewable “green electrons” — from, say, solar panels or wind farms — instead of the electrons being dispatched by coal.

Her research builds upon the ubiquity of smart phones that are charged via something with a USB port. Scaglione proposes the same sort of power line for two-way communication: We’d therefore use the USB port to charge the device and communicate data about the type of work the appliance needs.

Her research acumen has been acknowledged on several occasions, most recently when the Institute of electrical and electronics engineers selected her to receive the 2013 Donald g. fink Award, which pays tribute to “researchers, inventors, innovators and practitioners whose exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on technology, society and the engineering profession.”

anna scaglione


Douglas C. Moore, ’85 Diane M. Muller and

William O. Muller, ’89Cynthia L. Murphy, ’91, and

James P. Murphy, ’88Erin Y. Mustain, ’05 MWHDavid J. Nano and Tina J.

Powell-NanoKatherine A. Narum, ’78, and

Jeffrey L. Narum, ’76James C. Nelson, ’75 Lawrence H. Nelson, ’68 New Albion Geotechnical Inc.Bradley D. Newlin, ’00, and

Jessica T. Newlin, ’01Dorothy S. Ng, ’85 Michael S. Ng, ’97 Michael N. NguyenEric E. Nichols, ’84 Darin G. Nicholson, ’94 Niels J. Nielsen, ’78 Northrop Grumman Emply.

Charity Org.Milton A. Northrup, ’91 Stephen L. NuttAnne E. O’Neal, ’82 Jennifer Offringa and Peter J.

Offringa, USA Ret., ’67Alexander E. Okpisz, ’92 Bert R. Onstott, ’80 Terry M. Ota, ’66 Charlene K. Owens, ’86, and

Scott E. Owens, ’86James J. Pallis and Jani M.

Pallis, ’96Donald L. Parkison, ’03 John J. Paulson, ’72 Robert J. Pederson, ’73 Jeffrey D. Pelz, ’86 Carrloz Perez, ’99 Umberto PernaMichael A. Perovich, ’68 Joshua J. Peterman, ’96 PG&EKent Phan, ’10 Betty R. Phillips, ’80 Kathryn A. Philpot, ’85 John H. Pitts, ’76 Andrew P. Porter, ’76 Richard Porticos, ’85, and

Karin V. Porticos, ’85Richard C. Potter, ’94 Charles D. Poulter, ’89 Carolyn M. Primus, ’80 Karyn D. PulleyLawrence B. PulleyCarolyn A. Pura, ’79

Honor roll of DonorsConTInUeD

Robert PykeWalter E. Quincy, ’80 Jay Quiogue, ’99 Elia J. RacahOliver W. RamseyMir-Saeed Razavi, ’78 David A. Redford, ’91 Armin C. Reese, ’94 Patrick J. Regan, ’76 Thomas C. Reilly, ’73 Earl F. Rennison, ’88 Cathe Richardson and

Dave RichardsonStephen D. Ricks, ’75 Felix Riesenberg, ’91 Kerry RobinsonDouglas B. Robison, ’79 Hamid Rousta, ’96 Edward S. Ruben, ’89 Russel P. Rudden, ’72 James T. Saake, ’78 Sacramento Municipal

Utility DistrictLloyd E. Sakakihara, ’70 Sheryl G. Salamanca, ’07 Edgar V. Salire and

Teresita SalireSusan R. Sanicky, ’72 Nesrin Sarigul-KlijnArnab Sarkar, ’04, and

Deepalakshmi Raju, ’03W. Steven Savage, ’73 Joseph H. Sayers, ’74 Herb SchmalenbachGordon J. Serpa, ’68 Mendora A. Servin, ’86 Robert B. Shank, ’90 James B. Shatara, ’95 Susan J. Sheffield, ’80 Kirthi Shenoy, ’00 Robert J. Sherwood, ’73 Genevieve A. Shiroma, ’78 Melina M. Simon, ’98 Shailendra P. Singh, ’08 Michael P. Siri, ’75 Floyd R. Smith, ’66 Alejandro Sosa, ’90 Anne L. Spiesman, ’84 Richard O. Sproul, ’77 Richard L. Stanley, ’79 Jackson W. StephensRichard H. Sterrett, ’77 David H. Stewart, ’80 Julie A. Stewart, ’83 Howard A. Stone, ’82 William D. Strauss, ’83 Jon A. Struck, ’94 Stryker Endoscopy

tina Jeoh The enthusiastic young students who participated in STeM for girls Day, which took place April 6, 2013, at the UC Davis Student Community Center, can thank tina Jeoh for their hands-on exposure to a wide variety of engineering disciplines.

Jeoh joined the UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural engineering in July 2008, after spending three years on a post-doc at the U.S. Department of energy’s renewable energy lab. Her research focus has remained the same: the study of enzymes that break down the structural polysaccharides in plant cell walls, thereby releasing sugars that can be used to make new products — biofuels and any number of other bio-based products — from agricultural residue, wood wastes or energy crops.

Jeoh and the campus Women’s resources and research Center (WrrC) co-sponsored their debut STeM for girls Day in the spring of 2012; the 50 participating girls came from four area elementary and middle schools. Armed with the knowledge of what had worked — and what hadn’t — Jeoh was better prepared to inspire the slightly larger group of 60 10- to 13-year-old girls who came to UC Davis for the 2013 event. With very few exceptions, the mentors and instructors were women; the goal was to let the girls see older versions of themselves throughout the day.

The outreach event was a tremendous success, and Jeoh already is making plans for the 2014 STeM for girls Day ... when she can spare the time from her biofuel research.

Tina Jeoh, center


W. Randall Sturgeon, ’71 Simon S. Sue, ’81 Kei SugaokaJohn D. Sullivan, ’79 Chich-Yao Tang, ’95 William A. Taplin, ’79 Richard W. Terrazas, ’93 Robert D. Testa, ’63 Daniel P. Teuthorn, ’86 Jeffrey W. Thomas, ’77 Todd R. Thomas, ’84 Richard W. Thompson, ’66 H. H. Thorpe, ’72 Jonathan L. Thurston, ’90 Terry L. Tikalsky, ’81, and

Martha A. Tikalsky, ’81Eric W. Tisinger, ’83 Ann Tobin, ’93 Christopher P. Toftner, ’78 Karen A. Tokashiki, ’82, and

Robert S. Tokashiki, ’81

Henry Tong, ’69 Lam Q. Trinh, ’90 Allan B. Tsou, ’07 Beth E. Twogood and

Richard E. Twogood, ’77Tina M. Underwood, ’83 United Way Silicon ValleyShrinivasa K. UpadhyayaStephen M. Urmini, ’89 Wim L. Van Warmerdam, ’88 Dennis L. Vanderpol, ’69 Rick E. Vargas, ’81 Vikrant K. Varma, ’95 Jennifer Vaughn, ’01, and

Michael S. Foster, ’00R. Barton Vaughn, ’65 Gary R. Veerkamp, ’75 John A. Verbrugge, ’77 Celia Vigil, ’80 Paul R. Volkman, ’92

Douglas H. Wadman and Mary J. Wadman

Lesley W. Walder and Mark S. Walder, ’82

Joseph A. Wall, ’81 Xiaodong Wang, ’99 James R. Watson, ’03 Margaret M. WebbPaul W. Wen, ’98 Marjorie S. Went, ’85 Timothy D. West, ’78 Lewis A. Whitney, ’64 Victoria A. Whitney-Landau, ’82 Jacqueline M. Wiggins, ’91 Kenneth S. Wilkins and

Rosalia R. WilkinsJeffrey D. Williams, ’84 Nicolaus J. Williams, ’07 Mahlon S. Wilson, ’82 Bradley D. Wind, ’93

Erik J. Winje, ’76 Martin W. Wizorek, ’70 Donald L. Wolfe, ’69 Anthony Wong and

Elaine WongChristopher F. Wong, ’88 Mark P. Woods, ’88 John E. Wright, ’73 Clark S. Wrigley, ’77 Baolin Wu, ’73 Ko Yamamoto, ’84 Samuel H. Yan, ’87 Jae Y. Yea, ’78 Melvin Yee, ’73 Douglas W. Yerkes, ’91 John J. Youden, ’75 Phillip D. Young, ’74 Brian K. Zarker, ’74 Mary Zhou, ’05

harrY Cheng came to UC Davis in 1992, as a robotics and computing researcher.

His interests include information technology and its applications in engineering, computer-aided engineering, intelligent mechatronic and embedded systems, robotics, design and manufacturing, and mobile agent-based computing. He also directs both the UC Davis Integration engineering laboratory, and the Center for Integrated Computing and STeM education (C-STeM).

He has earned numerous honors and awards; he regularly publishes journal articles and book chapters, and has chaired or served as a guest speaker at dozens of conferences in the United States and China. In the spring of 2011, Cheng and former graduate student graham ryland invented an intelligent, reconfigurable modular robot — dubbed the “Mobot” — that earned a national Science foundation Innovation Award grant and made splashy features stories in newspapers and on ABC-TV.

Despite all this innovative research, Cheng is most passionate about his outreach activities taking place outside the lab. He has realized that his computing and robotics fields are ideal for better engaging at-risk students in K-12 schools: children ill-served by teaching methodology which, in too many cases, hasn’t changed for 30 years. The idea, then, is to tailor a teaching curriculum that better speaks to young students whose lives are consumed by smart phones, tablets and all sorts of other gadgets.

During the past several years, Cheng has addressed both ends of the education equation: He leads seminars to train participating K-12 teachers in the principles of computing and related teaching methodologies, and he also oversees popular and highly competitive student activities, such as the annual C-STeM Day robo-Play and Math Programming Challenges. The 2013 event drew 30 teams of three to five students from regional schools, and the young scientists spent the entire day putting various configurations of Mobots through their paces.

one day, Cheng hopes, they may do the same with full-scale robots of their own design.

haRRy cheng



Until recently, athletes with damaged knee joints were forced to contemplate new careers. Adults suffering from osteoarthritis could choose between only metal and plastic prosthetics.

The reason? Cartilage, unlike most other human tissue, cannot heal itself.

KYriaCos a. athanasioU is a Distinguished Professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Biomechanical engineering, a position he accepted in August 2009. He and his research team have been growing cartilage tissue in the lab from adult stem cells taken from bone marrow and skin, and from human embryonic stem cells. His research goal will have a huge impact on treatment; he desires nothing less than live, biological cartilage that not only will fill defects, but potentially will be able to re-coat the entire surface of joints destroyed by osteoarthritis.

In october 2011, Athanasiou received the Distinguished Service Award — one of the highest possible honors — from the Biomedical engineering Society. That same month, he was named to the scientific advisory board of the Histogenics Corp., a regenerative medicine company that intends to focus on cartilage repair.

In the spring of 2013, he was named the sole laureate of the 2012 nemitsas Prize. The presentation ceremony took place nov. 27, 2013, in a newly constructed hall of the presidential palace in the republic of Cyprus. The event was included in the official program of the Presidency of Cyprus to the european Union, and the president himself presented the prize, which included three honors: a certificate, a solid gold medal and a monetary award of 50,000 euros.

one day soon, people will walk and move better, thanks to Athanasiou’s efforts.

“...growing cartilage tissue in the lab from adult stem cells.”

Kyriacos A. Athanasiou


While in junior high school, sanJaY Joshi was given a nASA poster of the space shuttle Columbia, emblazoned with the stirring words “going to work in space.” That poster now hangs on the wall of his office in 2054 Bainer Hall.

After spending most of the 1990s working at nASA’s Jet Propulsion laboratory, memorably on the Deep Space one spacecraft, Joshi yielded to the lure of academia and joined the UC Davis Department of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering. His research focus involves combining robotics control systems, artificial intelligence and basic neuroscience, in order to create systems that will help paralyzed people interact with their environments.

In the spring of 2010, Joshi received a Hartwell foundation grant — $300,000 over three years — to help develop machine interfaces that would allow severely disabled children to control devices in their environment. In September 2012, his brain/computer

sanJay Joshi

“the ultimate goal is Avatar. and we’re well on our way.”

interface work — on a project undertaken with Columbia University colleagues Peter K. Allen, Joel Stein and lyssa Sorkin — garnered a national Science foundation grant in the amount of $1.21 million. The five-year study initially will focus on 10-12 individuals with spinal cord injuries, to determine if they can be trained in the effective control of brain-computer interfaces.

In a filmed recording of a recent lab test, a robot is controlled wirelessly by a young man paralyzed in a biking accident, who sends signals to the muscle that moves one of his ears. In this manner, he controls a robot that is a distance away, on the other side of a wall. The subject can’t see the robot, but he can see what the robot sees, via a camera mounted on its body. In a real-world environment, such a robot could be directed to answer a phone, respond to a doorbell, fetch a book or perhaps even prepare a meal.

The potential is enormous.“The ultimate goal,” Joshi enthuses, “is Avatar. And we’re

well on our way.”


Sanjay Joshi, right


The first time shuttle astronaut stePhen K. roBinson made UC Davis his home, from 1974 to ‘78, he was an undergraduate engineering student who — quite notoriously — spent an entire night in the Tercero Dining Commons, in order to finish building a hang glider.

In September 2012, robinson returned to the campus where he also once played sousaphone in the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh, this time to join the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering.

robinson accomplished a great deal during his absence from UC Davis. The Sacramento native became a veteran nASA research scientist and astronaut, with four shuttle missions to his credit. The first three took place on the shuttle Discovery, in 1997, ‘98 and 2005; the fourth, in february 2010 on the shuttle endeavor, involved a visit to the International Space Station. All told, robinson logged more than 1,156 hours and 19.8 million miles in space, including more than 20 eVA (extra-vehicular activity) hours.

His second Discovery mission — a media sensation — was made alongside John glenn, famously returning to space 36 years after he became the first American in orbit on feb. 20, 1962, aboard the friendship 7 Mercury capsule.

robinson always has remained faithful to his home-town supporters. In october 2005, when the IMAX film Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon premiered at downtown Sacramento’s esquire Theater, he was on hand to chat with local schoolchildren and media representatives. He returned in April 2010 and performed similar duties for the premiere of the IMAX film Hubble 3D, once again at Sacramento’s esquire Theater.

robinson also has been a popular speaker at UC Davis. A 2005 appearance filled the Mondavi Center’s Jackson Hall; that same year, he won the UC Davis Medal, the highest honor the campus accords an individual for contributions to the university, or the broader community of learning. An April 2010 presentation, as part of the College of engineering’s Dean’s Distinguished lecture Series, featured a slide show that concluded with an image of the UC Davis flag ... in outer space.

stephenRobinson

robinson logged more than 1,156 hours and 19.8 million miles in space.



When enriqUe lavernia served as emcee for UC Davis’ Centennial Convocation in September 2008, he made a point of acknowledging the UC Davis Symphony orchestra, then celebrating its 50th anniversary. Science disciplines too infrequently recognize the arts under such public circumstances, but this salutation was typical of lavernia, who goes out of his way to ensure that colleagues — whether fellow faculty members, research associates in other states or countries, or even brief professional acquaintances — understand how much he appreciates their time and effort.

lavernia became dean of the UC Davis College of engineering in September 2002. As a further indication of his commitment to all aspects of academic life, he temporarily stepped down from that position in January 2009, when he was appointed the UC Davis provost and executive vice chancellor. In this capacity, he served as the campus’ chief academic and operating officer until January 2011, at which point he resumed his responsibilities as Dean of the College of engineering.

His research work focused on the synthesis of structural materials and metal matrix composites, with particular attention to processing fundamentals and thermal spray processing; he developed a ground-breaking manufacturing technique, dubbed “spray rolling,” to produce aluminum products.

Mostly, though, lavernia has worked hard to ensure the continued growth and prestige of the UC Davis College of engineering. During his tenure as dean, it has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing engineering schools, with 14 undergraduate majors, more than 200 faculty and more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

His many honors include the 2013 ASM International gold Medal, and in february 2013 he was elected to the national Academy of engineering, for “contributions to novel processing of metals and alloys, and for leadership in engineering education.”

“lavernia has worked hard to ensure the continued growth and prestige of the UC Davis College of engineering.”

enrique lavernia, leftenRique laveRnia


vivita teChnologies

When UC Davis biomedical engineering doctoral student Maelene Wong joined leigh griffiths’ lab in 2009, her first project focused on confirming what they believed to be a dead end in transplant research: the notion that tissue replacement — for, say, patients needing new heart valves — could be enhanced to a degree that would prevent the recipient’s immune system from rejecting the new organ.

Imagine their surprise, then, when their breakthrough process successfully removed the substances that triggered a patient’s immune response, while still preserving the structural integrity and functional properties of the replacement tissue.

In the summer of 2012, griffiths and his team — Wong and fellow biomedical engineering graduate students regina MacBarb and Jennifer lee — attracted the attention of Jim olson, of UC Davis’ engineering Translational Technology Center (eTTC), the College of engineering’s in-house technology incubator. The result was the creation and incorporation of vivita, a start-up “home” for this tissue research.

The new company initially will target the roughly 65,000 replacement heart valve procedures performed in the United States each year, which represents an annual market of $755 million and a potential global market of $2.5 billion.

But the ViVita breakthrough doesn’t merely address the current shortage of organs for such procedures. Unlike current heart valve transplants, patients benefiting from ViVita’s technology would be freed from a lifetime of immunity-rejection drugs. The company’s tissue preparation process will create tissue replacements that will last the lifetime of the patient. It also will allow for better transplant methods for children, who often need new transplants, via additional surgeries, as their bodies grow.

looking not too much further into the future, ViVita plans to expand via the development of a much more diverse product pipeline: Heart muscles, small vessels, bone, liver and cartilage applications are under development.

griffiths fully expects to achieve the goal that he and his team set, just a few years ago: to one day meet somebody who is alive because of their technology.

from left, Maelene Wong, biomedical

engineering graduate student; leigh griffiths,

assistant professor of veterinary medicine and epidemiology; Jeni lee, biomedical engineering

graduate student; and gina MacBarb,

biomedical engineering graduate student.

“...patients benefiting from vivita’s technology would be freed from a lifetime of immunity-rejection drugs.”


engineering Translational Technology Center Adds new ClientsThe College of engineering’s engineering Translational Technology Center (eTTC) has grown considerably during the past year, thanks to the influx of new clients.

eTTC was established in 2010 as a “technology incubator” designed to identify and influence early-stage, high-value research from tenure-track faculty within the UC Davis College of engineering. eTTC’s primary goal is to help transform such UC Davis-developed intellectual property into a startup which then can attract support from external financial investors.

The Center was co-founded by Bruce White, a UC Davis dean emeritus and professor emeritus, who is a leading pioneer in environmental wind-tunnel research and an internationally recognized authority in wind engineering; and Jim olson, an entrepreneur who rejuvenated Hewlett Packard during a 21-year career at that company, and subsequently founded and became Ceo of the WestShore Management group, which provides consulting and development services for public and private venture-finance companies.

In August 2012, eTTC was named one of the “Ten College Business Incubators We’re Most excited About”

by bestcollegesonline.com. eTTC appeared on the list alongside Syracuse University’s Student Sandbox and Harvard’s Innovation lab.

Dysonics, a startup that is developing products designed to reproduce immersive sound via headphones, became eTTC’s first “graduate” in May 2012. In January 2013, the Center proudly announced its second graduate: ennetix, a startup formed to commercialize a software application called “energyPlus,” which optimizes energy use in IT networks and connected systems.

ettC’s current clients include:n ambercycle, which uses synthetic biology to engineer

custom-tailored organisms that degrade PeT plastic into high-value commodity chemicals;

n atocera, which is developing ceramic and semiconductor blades with custom 3D cutting-edge profiles that are just a few atoms across;

n Barobo inc., which aims to make robots more affordable, adaptable, reconfigurable and reprogrammable for education, research and industrial applications;

n hydroalumina, which creates and stores ultra-pure hydrogen at low temperatures and pressure, using a process that is both green and economical;

n immunosense technologies, which focuses on innovative methods for blood analysis;

n inserogen, which plans to commercialize a quick, scalable and cost-effective manufacturing platform

that uses tobacco plants as “biofactories” of high-value recombinant proteins, including life-saving therapeutics and vaccines;

n Picosense llC, which is developing the next generation of chip-scale sensors that will be capable of measuring picotesla magnetic signals;

n streamtex technologies, which will exploit a biomedical engineered textile that stays dry by forming moisture into droplets that drain away via a network of water-attracting threads within a water-repellent fabric;

n tacsense, which is developing small, flexible sensors for personal home health monitoring; and

n vivita technologies inc., which has developed a process that enhances tissue replacement to a degree that would prevent the recipient’s immune system from rejecting a new organ.

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UC DAVIS College of engIneerIng · College of engineering, UC Davis aDministration enrique J. lavernia, Dean Jean vandergheynst, Associate Dean, research and graduate Studies Jean-Pierre