April 2023: Unleash • Create • Inspire

April 2023

Message from Magnus

Last month, we launched our new strategic plan. This plan will position the Samueli School as a leader in defining what a highly connected, innovative, inclusive and forward-thinking engineering program could and should look like. The strategic plan is centered around the concept of Engineering+. On the educational side, what this means is that what happens outside of the classroom is oftentimes as important as what happens inside the classroom to our students’ academic success and sense of belonging. And, in the research space, what Engineering+ means is that only through multidisciplinary endeavors can we go after the really big and impactful questions we are facing as a local community and a global society. The Environmental Changemakers certificate program discussed in this issue is a great example of this idea, where students take courses in engineering, public policy and basic science.

Best,

Magnus Egerstedt, Ph.D.

Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering

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UCI team develops novel tools for biomanufacturing useful chemicals

UCI researchers Han Li and Gregory Weiss have joined forces on research to improve clean energy processes with new innovative tools that could make the chemical reactions in cells easier to control.

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UCI researchers create E. coli-based water monitoring technology

People often associate Escherichia coli with contaminated food, but E. coli has long been a workhorse in biotechnology. Scientists at UCI have demonstrated that the bacterium has further value as part of a system to detect heavy metal contamination in water.

Flood watchers

Floods in California rarely attract the sort of attention that earthquakes, wildfires or even shark attacks do. Perhaps it has something to do with the severity of an unprecedented, yearslong drought that is far from over.

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Environmental changemakers certificate now available

The schools of Social Ecology, Physical Sciences and Engineering have launched a new certificate program for students interested in becoming “environmental changemakers.”

Highlighting women in engineering

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are sharing three stories of engineering faculty members: Martha Mecartney, Michelle Digman and Iryna Zenyuk.

Engineering students celebrate E-Week

This year’s National Engineering Week celebration at UCI, Feb. 27 – March 3, coincided with the arrival of an atmospheric river that threatened record amounts of rain.

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