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Message from the Chair

Dear Colleagues and Friends, 

I hope this message finds you at the end of a productive spring season. Please take a moment to enjoy our latest updates within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. From the world’s largest soft robotics conference, to the creation of a pacifier device to assess how well newborns nurse, to a faculty member’s election to the Royal Society, the breadth of our research and community is vast and expanding. Explore our news below!

Stefan Llewellyn Smith
Professor & Chair

UC San Diego MAE Faculty Lead World's Largest Soft Robotics Conference

RoboSoft 2024 unveiled cutting-edge developments in soft robotics, spanning surgical aid, underwater robots, and precise object handling. Organized by three faculty members from UC San Diego's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the conference featured sessions focused on design, modeling, sensing, and actuation for various applications, shedding light on groundbreaking research and drawing over 500 participants to downtown San Diego. Read More>>

Honors in Research: Nigel Goldenfeld Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society

Nigel Goldenfeld, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics and affiliated faculty in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego, has been elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences. Goldenfeld's research spans multiple scientific fields, including condensed matter theory, turbulence and fluid mechanics, biophysics, and computational epidemiology. Read More>>

Modified Pacifier and AI Algorithms: Revolutionizing Newborn Feeding Assessment

James Friend, a mechanical engineering professor at UC San Diego, spearheaded the creation of an innovative system consisting of a simple pacifier device and AI software utilizing machine learning algorithms. This system provides clinicians with rapid and precise diagnostic capabilities to objectively assess newborns' nursing mechanics, potentially preventing unnecessary surgeries and addressing breastfeeding challenges more effectively. Read More>>

Driving Safety in Systems Biology: Sylvia Herbert Named Hellman Fellow

Sylvia Herbert, assistant professor in mechanical engineering at UC San Diego, was named a Hellman Fellow for her group's work on developing a fast algorithm for safety analysis and control to be used in systems biology applications. This research combines dynamic mode decomposition and the Hopf formula to help systems ensure safety and adapt to real-world conditions. Read More>>

Powering China's Green Revolution: The Race to Carbon Neutrality by 2060

China's aim for carbon neutrality by 2060 requires a substantial increase in wind and solar installations, including a large role for distributed solar power. A study by Tsinghua University and UC San Diego Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Michael R. Davidson highlights the critical role of coordinated land use policies and massive infrastructure development in achieving this goal, vital for both China's emissions reduction and global climate efforts. Read More>>

Three MAE Professors Clinch Award for the Advancement of Equitable Learning at UC San Diego

Associate Teaching Professor Huihui Qi, Assistant Teaching Professor Zahra Sadeghizadeh, and Associate Teaching Professor Jennifer Mullin from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego were granted an award for their proposal in curriculum assessment and reform for equitable outcomes in MAE courses. Read More>>

Breathing New Life: Greenwater Scientific's Air Synthesizer Wins Triton Innovation Challenge

At the 11th annual Triton Innovation Challenge, Greenwater Scientific, founded by UC San Diego mechanical engineering undergraduate Dhruv Mehta, received the grand prize for their groundbreaking air synthesizer technology. Their innovative solution leverages oceanic plankton and algae to produce oxygen and capture carbon dioxide, combating climate change by offering natural, negative-emission air purifiers. Read More>>

Celebrating Excellence: Sanidhya Jain Wins Best Poster Award at UC San Diego Research Expo

Sanidhya Jain, a mechanical engineering doctoral student working with Professor Sutanu Sarkar, won the Katie Osterday Best Poster Award at the 42nd annual Jacobs School of Engineering Research Expo for his work titled, “Stratified Wakes Past an Inclined 6:1 Prolate Spheroid: Dynamics and TKE Budget”. Research Expo gathered hundreds of graduate students enthusiastic to share their research with a broader audience. Read More>>

Robotics and Rigor: Rachit Chhabra’s Journey at UC San Diego

Rachit Chhabra, a UC San Diego mechanical engineering alumnus, shares insights from his journey through his master’s program, including his reasons for selecting UC San Diego, the courses that impacted his career, and his current life as a professional at Qualcomm. Read More>>

Jacobs School Unveils New Master's Specializations in Systems Engineering for Professionals

The Jacobs School of Engineering is pioneering two new master’s degree specializations for working professionals in fall 2024, focusing on Cyber-Physical Social Systems and Value Supply Chains. These specializations expand the well-regarded Architecture-Based Enterprise Systems Engineering (AESE) program, which is designed for those in senior engineering roles who hope to rise in their career. Read More>>