This newsletter reflects on what an incredible year 2015 was for Engineering at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). In December, four distinguished members of our faculty became elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) recognized for their "highly prolific spirit of invention," including Professors John Bowers, Craig Hawker, Umesh Mishra and Galen Stucky. Also, Professor Arthur Gossard received the 2015 National Medal of Science and Innovation. Professor Gossard is one of only eight recipients of the White House's highest honor for advancing science and technology. We also have become one of the top universities in the US to participate in a nation-wide effort to encourage more manufacturing of high tech products in the US. We hope you will read on to learn more about these efforts and to log onto our "
Industry Center" website, designed to keep all of our colleagues in industry become better informed of
opportunities for collaboration on campus..
We hope to encourage you to visit the campus as well,
Engineers Without Borders - UCSB is an eighty member student chapter. We implement sustainable solutions to technology and infrastructure
problems impacting communities worldwide. To continue this mission, we need your help. Interested in sponsoring our organization?
UCSB Participates in 3 National Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation- co-Leads 1
In July, UCSB was named as the co-director of the
American Institute for Manufacturing of Photonics (AIM Photonics) consortium in collaboration with the State University of New York. Spearheaded by Professor John Bowers, UCSB is leading the West Coast division. With $110 million in funding from the government, the new consortium aims to create a standardized platform for the manufacture of all integrated photonic chips. Photonics is used in a wide range of applications including: telecommunications, laser based radar, Datacom, sensing, and many others. It currently powers the Internet as we know it today.
Two other
National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) programs that are a part of includes the Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE MII), announced in August 2015, and Power America (PA). The objectives of the NNMIs are to align America's research strengths with our development prowess to revitalize critical sectors of the country's manufacturing economy. FHE MII is an emerging manufacturing capability that enables the integration of thin silicon electronic devices, sensing elements, communications, and power on non-traditional flexible substrates. Materials Professor, Michael Chabinyc is the UCSB campus lead. The Institute's activities will benefit a wide array of markets, from defense to automotive to transportation. PA, led by NC State, leverages the use of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors to increase the energy efficiency and reliability of power electronics. The inefficiencies in power conversion wastes 10% of all generated energy in the U.S. today. Electrical and Computer Science Professor, Umesh Mishra is the campus lead.
Tools to Help Industry Find What You Need
UC Santa Barbara clearly focuses on applying our discoveries in ways that are applicable to industry. We continue to see our partnerships with industry grow, as verified by the
2016 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placing UC Santa Barbara in the top 0.1% globally for industry funding of directed research.
We hope that you will take a moment to learn more about how Corporate Programs helps corporations gain access to UCSB's unique skills in helping industry succeed. We are glad to meet with you and help develop a plan to launch a strategic effort with UCSB. We have also created a
more user-friendly website that will give you a strong basis of understanding the spectrum of things we can do for your company.
We always appreciate any input you may have on how we can improve, so please don't hesitate to send us your feedback. We would especially appreciate your input on the new Industry Center website at:www.industry.ucsb.edu
