A groups of UCR undergraduate students design and build from the ground up a showcase house that will use solar electricity so wisely it doesn’t need to be connected to the grid.

Engineering students receiving a total of $46,000 in scholarships were encouraged to connect outside the classroom hannar Thu, 07/27/2023 - 10:34 More News July 27, 2023Our scholars got dollars. Nearly 40 future engineers received financial support this past academic year in the form of scholarship awards ranging largely between $1,000 and $2,500. While this financial support assists Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) students in covering some of the costs of their education, the scholarship-application process is meant to do something more: encourage them to make critical connections with the campus community beyond the classroom. In reviewing scholarship applicants, committees review student engagement. Examples of such engagement includes participating in the Highlander Orientation Peer Leader and Supplemental Instruction Leader programs, engineering-oriented professional societies, undergraduate research, and internships. The more terms students engage in such activities, the more they increase their chances of receiving a scholarship. Student engagement are equally considered with academic performance, said Rod Smith, BCOE’s director of student affairs.  An undergraduate engineering student conducts research in a laboratory. “Student engagement is deeply important to the success of our future engineers,” he added. “Research suggests that when students are broadly and deeply engaged with the campus community, there are positive impacts to their learning, their satisfaction, and their achievement. When our engineers connect in meaningful ways with our Bourns and UC Riverside communities, good things happen!” The 39 scholarship recipients that were selected last academic year were drawn from a pool of 314 applicants. The total amount of scholarship funds awarded was more than $46,372. Of all these scholarships, the minimum amount that was awarded—with the exception of one $500 scholarship—was $1,000. The goal is to award between $500 and $1,000 annually per scholarship recipient, and to distribute the funds equally across first-year students and seniors. Another goal is to award between $2,000 and $3,000 to scholarship recipients over their entire time at BCOE, Smith said. There are generally four types of scholarships BCOE students may receive. Some scholarships are specific to the college, such as the Allen Van Tran Award in Engineering Fund scholarship, a legacy left by a first-generation graduate Allen Van Tran, the youngest BCOE alumnus to establish an endowment at UCR. The American Honda Science/Engineering Endowed Fund scholarship is geared to women or students from underrepresented communities in the Honors Program who are working on their senior thesis project. Other scholarships are specific to a department, such as the Roberta Nichols Yakel Endowned Scholarship, which is intended for juniors who are Mechanical Engineerng majors. The Alexander Scott Bilderback Endowed Bioengineering Scholarship is geared toward undergraduate or graduate students in the Bioengineering program. The Mark and Pamela Rubin Endowned Scholarship is a UC Riverside-wide scholarship that is specifically intended for engineering students. Other scholarships not tied to BCOE are connected to the UCR Alumni Association, the UCR Foundation, and the Office of Financial Aid. The scholarship application period is typically in winter with the selection of awardees and notification taking place the following April. Tags MARLAN AND ROSEMARY BOURNS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Bioengineering Chemical and Environmental Engineering Computer Science and Engineering Computer Engineering Data Science Electrical and Computer Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Robotics Share This

Senior Design allows future engineers to get hands-on learning and tackle industry problems hannar Thu, 07/27/2023 - 09:53 More News July 27, 2023Part mascot. Part machine. All Scotty. A team of mechanical engineering students recently developed a wheeled, robotic version of our university’s beloved mascot Scotty Highlander. Dubbed “RoboCUB” or “ScottyBOT,” it is capable of navigating on its own, avoiding obstacles, and basic communication. And while this autonomous robot platform may be used for campus tours, announcements, and advertising, it served a greater purpose: preparing them for their future engineering careers. Three engineering seniors pose with their constructed ScottyBOT.“ScottyBOT” (designed by Kevin Montufar, Reilly Parker, Jonathan Garcia, and Mario Abarca) is just one example of the dozens of Senior Design projects completed last spring by seniors working in teams from across the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering’s (BCOE) five departments. The projects and accompanying courses are required components of students’ degree program curriculum. They provide students the opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge and technical skills they learned in class to hands-on, real-world industry problems and engineering challenges. Projects spanned a wide range: an autonomous robot capable of delivering food and packages, the next generation of solar-powered drones, an improved 3D-printing process for manufacturing process, and flight computers and communication systems for satellites small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. “Senior Design allows students to get involved in real engineering problems spanning from the hands-on state-of-the-art industry-type to cutting-edge leading research projects,” said Farbod Khoshnoud, a mechanical engineering faculty member and a project advisor. These projects are crucial in providing students the opportunity to sharpen their scientific and technical skills and engage in job-ready experiences such as working productively in teams, written and oral communications, risk analysis, environmental and ethical issues, and occupational health and safety. Recent chemical engineering graduate Stewart Shining worked on designing a petrochemical process that would be useful for the oil-refining industry. “For me, personally, it really opened my eyes to how engineers are tasked with applying knowledge to create solutions,” he said. “I underestimated the amount of presentations and preparation that engineers have to do for meetings and propositions, but it makes sense in hindsight that this would be the case since most of the people that we will have to propose to will not be engineers, but investors and senior management at companies or government bodies.” A mockup design of ScottyBOT.Senior design projects are highlighted on campus with public displays, poster presentations, and special events, such as department open houses and the Bioengineering and Materials Science Senior Design Showcase held on May 12 and the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Poster Exhibition on June 5. “A senior design project enables students to practice knowledge they learned in previous courses, work on real-world engineering projects, and gain valuable project-planning, teamwork, and presentation skills,” said Jiamin Zhang, assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering. Such experiences are amplified when industry sponsors or mentors provide support. Examples of sponsors include Howmet Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of aircraft components that has collaborated with Dmytro Zagrebelnyy, assistant teaching professor of materials science and engineering, and Loma Linda University Medical Center, one of the state’s top hospitals that has worked with Rob McKee, assistant teaching professor of bioengineering. Prospective industry sponsors are encouraged to contact Associate Director of Corporate & Strategic Partnerships Mike Allen at mrallen@engr.ucr.edu. Tags Mechanical Engineering Bioengineering Materials Science and Engineering Chemical and Environmental Engineering MARLAN AND ROSEMARY BOURNS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Share This

Masaru Rao named a senior member of the academy

University of California Riverside’s BCOE Launches #MakeRspaceMillion Campaign to Equip Three MakeRspaces hannar Thu, 06/09/2022 - 09:07 More News June 09, 2022 Support the New MakeRspaces to Inspire Innovation and Creativity The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) is adding three new makerspaces in Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, as well as enhancing the existing Mechanical Engineering machine shop. The spaces will be accessible to all engineering departments and allow students to collaborate with other departments on a wide array of interdisciplinary engineering projects. “At BCOE, our students have a track record of developing engineering solutions outside of the classroom,” said Dean Christopher S. Lynch. “These spaces will provide immediate support to bring out students’ creativity and help turn their innovate concepts into reality.” The college is launching the #MakeRspaceMillion campaign to build the three unique spaces. Once the rooms are finished, the college’s makeRspace footprint will nearly double, exposing students to the latest technologies and immersing them in high-tech environments that encourage inspiration and entrepreneurship.  “Having these new spaces is a game-changer,” said Queenie Xu, a third-year student in bioengineering. “Makerspaces amplify what we learn in the classroom and develop a mindset focused on what’s next.” BCOE aims to raise one million dollars to outfit the new makeRspace facilities, have staff accessible to train students on the latest technology, and have the resources and supplies readily available for students.  Thanks to generous donations from UCR Foundation Trustee Nora Hackett and parents of BCOE students, new gifts between $100 and $25,000 (up to $260,000 total) will be matched towards #MakeRspaceMillion. All contributions for the project will go to the BCOE Dean’s Innovation Fund. All those who donate $100 or more will be recognized by name on a permanent display for the new makeRspaces. In honor of the Class of 2022, any current BCOE student who gives $22 or more by June 30, 2022 will also be recognized. To give towards the #MakeRspaceMillion to support our students’ bright ideas, visit https://crowdfunding.ucr.edu/o/university-of-california-riverside/i/ucrcrowdfunding/s/makerspacemillion. Help us inspire tomorrow’s innovators, engineers and entrepreneurs! Tags Bioengineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Share This

Eight BCOE alumni earn a spot on UCR's 40 Under 40 hannar Wed, 06/01/2022 - 11:37 More News June 01, 2022Celebrating UCR's young alumni making a splash across industries and around the world Read the full story in UCR Magazine's Spring 2022 edition: https://news.ucr.edu/ucr-magazine/spring-2022/40-under-40  Tags Chemical and Environmental Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Share This

BCOE’s first ever Family Weekend brings together engineering families to experience life as an engineering student hannar Thu, 05/26/2022 - 09:33 More News May 26, 2022Parents and families of engineering students at the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) experienced a slice of college life at the first ever Family Weekend on Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14. Through MakeRspace activities, classroom lectures, tours of BCOE, and more, families experienced firsthand their student’s campus life and engaged fellow parents, faculty and staff. “We extend a warm thank you to the families who visited BCOE in support of their student, and a thank you to our BCOE Parent Advisory Council, faculty and staff who made this possible,” said Dean Christopher S. Lynch. “At BCOE, we are building a community of engineers, and value families’ integral role in that community.”  BCOE Parent Advisory Council co-chair Tracy Wang is all smiles after throwing out the first pitch of the UCR baseball game.With more than 200 participants, the inaugural Family Weekend kicked off with tours led by current BCOE students. Highlights included the Center for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, home to the new Robotics program; piano-playing soft robots in the laboratory of William Grover, assistant professor of bioengineering; and beloved BCOE landmarks in the #BCOESelfieHunt, such as four trees planted in honor of the four children of Marlan and Rosemary Bourns.  Throughout the day, parents popped in to visit BCOE classrooms, gaining insight into students’ perspectives in lectures. Friday’s festivities concluded with a BCOE Tailgate and UCR vs. UCI Baseball Game at the Riverside Sports Complex. BCOE Parent Advisory Council co-chair Tracy Wang threw out the first pitch and families enjoyed dinner and the game. “It was such a joy to see families put themselves in the shoes of their engineering students,” said Wang. “With this support and engagement from families, the BCOE student experience will continue to advance and attract the brightest future engineers to choose UC Riverside engineering.” Wang’s co-chair Cecil Lawson, information technology manager of the City of Campbell, will step down from his position this spring when his daughter graduates from BCOE. Wang will be joined by new co-chair Deborah Martin, retired vice president and assistant general counsel at Pfizer and parentof a second-year Mechanical Engineering student. “Whether you’re passionate about students having access to top technology for their experiments and creations or strongly believe in the value of career development, there are so many ways to get involved,” said Martin. “We look forward to hosting future events to engage our students’ strongest supporters.” On Saturday, the BCOE Parent Advisory Council hosted a donor breakfast and subsequent coffee with Dean Lynch. Dean Lynch gave a speech thanking families for attending the event and emphasized BCOE’s commitment to building MakeRspaces for multiple engineering programs.  Dean Christopher Lynch and a BCOE parent chat during the donor breakfast.Launched in May 2022, BCOE’s #MakeRspaceMillion Campaign aims to generate $1 million in philanthropic support to nearly double the college’s MakeRspace footprint, expose students to the latest technologies and immerse them in high-tech environments that encourage inspiration and entrepreneurship. For a limited time, donors can double their impact thanks to $260,000 in matching funds available for all new gifts between $100 and $25,000. Family Weekend attendees enjoyed a preview of the developing Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Electrical Engineering (EE) and Bioengineering (BIEN) MakeRspaces – and tried their hand at their own engineering projects. Teams competed to build the best catapult and test which one would launch a pom-pom ball the farthest. Families also embarked on tours of the ME machine shop, a 4,300 square-foot facility full of advanced instruments and tools to help students bring their creative concepts to life as prototypes. Faculty from several different departments offered mini-lectures and tours, including Huinan Liu, professor of bioengineering, Robert McKee of bioengineering, Jia Chen, assistant teaching professor of electrical and computer engineering, and assistant teaching professors of computer science and engineering Allan Knight and Paea LePendu. After lunch, parents got to know several student professional organizations on campus, which displayed their latest projects: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Cyber@UCR, Engineers Without Borders (EWB), Highlander Racing, Formula SAE, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). While families explored the college, students networked with BCOE faculty and top engineering professionals in industry at Beyond College and LinkedIn, Part 2. Nearly two dozen engineers, many of them BCOE alumni, offered their guidance about career opportunities in intellectual property, development operations, battery technologies, public utilities, biotechnology, and social media.  Students and families compete to build their best catapult in the Mechanical Engineering MakeRspace.Additional campus partners for Family Weekend included the UCR Career Center, which provided tours and an introduction to the professional development resources available to students. Parents or family members looking to get involved in future college activities can sign up to receive email updates and join the UCR BCOE Parent Community Facebook group. Tags Bioengineering Chemical and Environmental Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science and Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Robotics Mechanical Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Share This

Four UC Riverside students have been selected to receive highly competitive Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation.