February 2024: The UCI Engineering+ Equation

February 2024

Message from Dean Egerstedt

UCI Homecoming is Saturday, March 2, and on behalf of the Samueli School of Engineering, I enthusiastically invite you to attend the festivities. The day will feature special engineering activities in the afternoon including display tables, tours, food, games and prizes.

Homecoming is one of my favorite events as it allows us to showcase what has transpired on campus during the past year, and to anchor our vision with alumni, friends and supporters. And, it is pretty fun to boot! Register here.

Best,

Magnus Egerstedt, Ph.D.

Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering

Engineering Student Codes Counterattack on Gore Raid

When biomedical engineering senior Vietbao Tran began coding for fun in high school, he likely didn’t imagine he’d use his skills to counter a gore raid on UC Irvine students’ online community.

Student Organization Provides Hands-on Experience Through Open Project Space

When Adam Wu arrived at UC Irvine as a first-year computer engineering major, he knew how to write computer code but didn’t have any experience with hardware. He wanted to gain hands-on project skills, so he turned to one of the Samueli School’s many student organizations for opportunities.

UC Irvine Engineers Invent Octopus-Inspired Technology that Can Deceive and Signal

With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling. Researchers at the UC Irvine have drawn inspiration from this natural wonder to develop a technological platform with similar capabilities for use in a variety of fields, including the military, medicine, robotics and sustainable energy.

Taha Extends New Theory of Lift to Fluid Mechanics

UC Irvine’s Haithem Taha applies mathematical principles from the Age of Enlightenment to discover new insightful concepts in the science of mechanics today. Last year, Taha, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and his group developed a new theory of lift to solve a century-old technical challenge in aerodynamics.

Exploring Metamaterials for Aircraft Surface Advances

Airplane wings are typically made of smooth metal surfaces — a design that has worked well for decades on aircraft ranging from commercial airliners to fighter jets. However, materials science and manufacturing advances have created new opportunities to engineer more sophisticated aircraft surfaces that interact with and control airflow in new ways.

Sorooshian to Share Water Resources Expertise as Hagler Fellow

UCI Distinguished Professor Soroosh Sorooshian was selected as a 2023-24 Hagler Fellow by Texas A&M University’s Hagler Institute for Advanced Study. He is one of 14 scholars who have distinguished themselves through outstanding professional accomplishments to be chosen this year.

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