UCLA Engineer Spring 2013

Page 1

SPRING 2013, Issue No. 29

leaders in the NANO REALM

ITA: lab to launch, incubating new firms


FROM THE DEAN

A

t the atomic level, the distinctions between different engineering disciplines start to disappear. Electrical engineers, materials scientists, biomolecular engineers and others working at the nano-scale are venturing into new territory, making strides by rearranging particles one thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. The possibilities strain the imagination: transparent solar cells placed on windows that generate electricity from sunlight; polymer capsules that carry proteins directly into cells to slow cancer; new materials that allow handheld devices to deliver more data while running more efficiently. Here at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, we have taken a leadership role in these areas of research, as the article on page 6 illustrates. The school hosts three national nanotechnology centers of excellence, with a fourth to be launched with the completion of Phase I of the Engineering VI building.

Dean

Vijay K. Dhir associate Deans

Richard D. Wesel

Academic and Student Affairs

Jane P. Chang

Research and Physical Resources

Department chairs

Jenn-Ming Yang

Bioengineering

Tsu-Chin Tsao

Benjamin Wu James C. Liao

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Jonathan P. Stewart

Assistant Dean

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Chief Financial Officer

Computer Science

Mary Okino

Jens Palsberg

M.C. Frank Chang

Electrical Engineering

The cross-disciplinary nature of nano-scale research is just one reflection of the collaborative emphasis at UCLA Engineering, both in the lab and the classroom. Six years ago, the school distinguished itself by requiring that undergraduates take a set of three technical breadth courses in a discipline other than their major, preparing them for careers in which they will be able to innovate and solve complex problems across disciplines. UCLA Engineering also has developed close ties to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and other top research centers to help sustain our technological leadership in the world. This dedication to interdisciplinary education and research is a hallmark of the school, and will remain so.

Sincerely,

Vijay K. Dhir Dean

Materials Science and Engineering

Matthew Chin

Communications Manager and Writer

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

HauChee Chung

ExternaL Affairs Communications

Office of ExternaL Affairs

Sheila Bergman

Executive Director

Bill Kisliuk

Media Relations and Marketing Director

Designer

(310) 206-0678 www.engineer.ucla.edu uclaengineering@support.ucla.edu


S PR I NG 2 01 3  |   Issue No. 29

02 | By the Numbers 04 | Breakthroughs 18 | School News 22 | New Faculty 26 | Alumni News

6

TINY SOLUTIONS

UCLA researchers take the lead in the realm of nanotechnology

12

ITA: THE INCUBATOR A center within UCLA

Engineering launches firms founded on school research On the cover: An illustration of a nanoscale submarine, no larger than a red blood cell, that could be developed to navigate the human circulatory system. Submarine illustration by Joshua Hockel. Page 6

16

anchor for innovation Construction begins on

Engineering VI, a state-of-the-art research hub


UCLA ENGINEERING

— by the numbers —

100+ More than

14,100 students applied for freshman admission for Fall 2012.

619 enrolled.

scholarships will be awarded in 2012-13 school year The average weighted GPA of those enrolled is

4.35 2,110 and average SAT score is

out of 2,400.


The school is ranked

The school is ranked

4

in the world by Microsoft Academic

in the world by the Times Higher

Search for H-index over the past 10 years.

Education World University Rankings

The H-index measures scientific influence

in 2012-13. Criteria include: Teaching,

based on the number of papers published

International Outlook, Industry Income,

and the number of times papers are

Research and Citations.

cited by others.

3

7

th

th

UCLA ENGINEER  | 

23

faculty are members of the National Academy of Engineering


breakthroughs

An App for Food

allergens

q

A portable device tests foods for potential allergens in roughly 20 minutes.

Aydogan Ozcan, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and

A

re you allergic to peanuts and worried that cookie might have some?

Now your cell phone can tell you.

Researchers have developed a lightweight device, known as the iTube,

that uses a phone’s built-in camera along with an application that runs

a sophisticated test of allergens – such as nuts, eggs and gluten – in food

samples. While available allergen detectors require bulky equipment, the iTube weighs less than two ounces. The test takes about 20 minutes.

Aydogan Ozcan, principal investigator on the research, said the device

“could be very valuable, especially for parents, as well as for schools, restaurants and other public settings.”  n

Tiny capsules take on

cancer and alcohol

Yi Tang, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, member of the California NanoSystems Institute

Yunfeng Lu, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

I

n discoveries that could improve cancer treatment and help people

quickly reduce their blood-alcohol levels, researchers have delivered tiny capsules full of specialized proteins to cells in mice.

A team led by Yi Tang developed degradable nano-scale shells to

carry proteins to cancer cells and stunt the growth of tumors without

damaging healthy cells. Tang's group continues to research ways of more

UCLA ENGINEER  |

4

precisely targeting tumors and prolonging the shells’ effectiveness.

Yunfeng Lu and his team devised shells carrying two complementary

p

Proteins in a thin polymer shell can process alcohol in a way similar to the liver.

proteins that speed the body's reaction to the consumption of alcohol.

"With further research, this discovery could be used as a preventative measure or antidote for alcohol intoxication," Lu said.  n

www.engineer.ucla.edu/nanoshell-cancer    www.engineer.ucla.edu/nanocapsule-alcohol

www.engineer.ucla.edu/cellphone-allergens

Bioengineering, member of the California NanoSystems Institute


Bacteria

on the march GeraRd Wong, Professor of Bioengineering, member of the California NanoSystems Institute and the UCLA Center for Biological Physics

Wenyuan Shi, Professor of Oral Biology at the UCLA School

of Dentistry

Karin A. Dahmen, Associate Professor of Physics at the University

of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

M

icroscopic bacteria have something in common with earthquakes,

and in the long term that discovery may lead to methods of stopping harmful microbes.

Researchers studying Myxococcus xanthu have found the bacteria

move in fits and starts, much like the earth’s tectonic plates. The pace of movement is so slow that most scientists rely on time-lapse

photography to observe the bacteria. UCLA bioengineering professor photography to capture their finer movements. Researchers found

that bacteria use tentacle-like appendages known as pili, which act as

grappling hooks that pull them along in short bursts between long

periods of rest. Both earthquakes and the bacteria follow a mathematical

model that describes so-called “avalanche” motions.

In addition, researchers found that molecules serving as the

glue allowing the bacteria to stick to surfaces also act as a lubricant, helping them glide along a surface. This gliding movement is what

allows bacteria to invade human tissues, and understanding it may be the key to finding new ways to combat pathogens.  n

5

p

Researchers used high-speed photography to watch bacteria move and made a discovery that could help fight disease.

UCLA ENGINEER  |

www.engineer.ucla.edu/bacteria-quake

Gerard Wong’s team went in the opposite direction, using high-speed


Big Ideas Tiny Solutions By Matthew Chin and Bill Kisliuk


From clean energy to smaller, faster devices, UCLA Engineering researchers take the lead in the nano realm

T

he UCLA Henry Samueli School of

Engineering and Applied Science is a

world leader in nano-scale engineering. The school has been awarded tens of millions of dollars to launch nanotech-

t An illustration of a nano-scale

remote submarine, no larger than a red blood cell, which could be developed to navigate circulatory systems and collect vital data.

disciplines, faculty are leading efforts to exploit nanotechnology for advances in energy, healthcare, electronics and other areas.

UCLA ENGINEER  | 

two in the last several months. Across

7

nology research centers, including


FAME director Jane P. Chang

Agency (DARPA) – unveiled FAME and five other centers, and announced FAME would receive $35 million over the next five years. FAME’s director is Jane P.

UCLA ENGINEER  |

8

http://fame-nano.org

p

Graphene on a transistor device offers exceptional performance that goes beyond siliconbased transistors. Photo: .Alexander Balandin, UC Riverside and FAME member.

FAME

Chang, UCLA Engineering associate

It’s not just smaller for the sake of

dean and the William Frederick Seyer

being smaller. Conducting research at

Professor of Materials Electrochemistry

the atomic scale unlocks phenomena

in the Department of Chemical and

inaccessible at larger sizes.

Biomolecular Engineering.

Finding ways to take advantage of

“This is truly an interdisciplinary

these phenomena – such as the spin

research center where science and

of an electron, a material’s magnetic

engineering are integrated to enable

properties, or the manipulation of

innovation in solid state devices," Chang

magnetism by an electric field – is the

said. "The unique and fascinating

mission for the Center on Function

functionalities that we can tailor by

Accelerated nanoMaterial Engineering

manipulating matter at the atomic scale

(FAME). Specifically, FAME is creating

will open up enormous opportunities to

and investigating nonconventional

design devices that can achieve what was

materials and structures for innovations

considered impossible just a decade ago.”

in electronic devices. In January, the two sponsors of the

FAME includes a team of 35 principal investigators, at 16 of the

center – the Semiconductor Research

nation’s best research universities. They

Corporation (SRC), a consortium of

are working on integrating theoretical

semiconductor industry companies, and

and experimental approaches to realize

the Defense Advanced Research Projects

the center’s objectives.


Manipulating matter at the atomic scale will open up enormous opportunities phrase from long-running strip by

of analog, logic or memory devices

Chester Gould. “In our case, controlling

by many orders of magnitude will

magnetism with multiferroic materials

push the envelope of electronics and

provides a pathway to revolutionize

information technology over the next

nanoscale electromagnetic devices.”

several decades,” she said. “We are doing research in truly exciting times.”

Carman directs the Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems (TANMS), a

TANMS

National Science Foundation Nanoscale

When mechanical and aerospace

Engineering Research Center established

engineering professor Gregory Carman

in September with an $18.5 million,

describes nano-scale research, he cites

five-year grant. The center’s roster

a cartoon strip that was way ahead

includes the best engineers and

of its time – and not just because the

scientists in multiferroic materials

protagonist wore a wristwatch-radio.

at UCLA and four partner

“There’s a line from the old ‘Dick Tracy’ comic strip, ‘The nation that

universities. They’re working toward a paradigm

controls magnetism will control the

shift in consumer

universe,’” said Carman, quoting a

electronics

TANMS director Gregory Carman

q

An array of nickel magnetic bit elements, only 150nm long, on a substrate of a piezoelectric material. Photo: Hyungsuk K.D. Kim and Joshua Hockel

http://tanms.ucla.edu

“Advancing the performance


New materials could produce substantially smaller devices

u

TANMS researchers have used an electric field to turn a magnetic field off (left) and on.

by engineering new electromagnetic

order of a red blood cell – capable of

materials in the nanoscale.

complex operations and navigation inside

Today’s electromagnetic systems use

human circulatory systems.

current to produce power. Current is much like water flowing through a pipe.

MEEM

As the size of the pipe decreases, so does

It may take changes at the molecular

the amount of electromagnetic energy

level to make solar panels a more viable

that can be produced. However, recent

source of power, and that is the focus of

discoveries have demonstrated that

researchers at Molecularly Engineered

certain materials – called mutliferroics

Energy Materials (MEEM).

Researchers seek to develop a super-capacitor with a high capability for both energy storage and delivery.

– can intrinsically produce magnetic states and can be switched on and off through an electric

field. As a result, miniaturization does not negatively influence power produced.

UCLA ENGINEER  |

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These new materials and systems

In a laboratory setting, today’s solar cells convert into energy only about 10% of the light that strikes them. “That is about the minimum needed to be economically competitive,” said Vidvuds Ozolins, director of MEEM and a professor of materials science and engineering. “In the field, solar cells only

could produce substantially smaller

convert 3% or 4% of available light. The

electromagnetic devices such as memory,

goal is to create solar cells that would be

antennas, and motors – the three focus

very high efficiency.”

areas for TANMS. Its researchers are

Ozolins and his colleagues are

working on increased Efficiency, reduced

synthesizing molecules and manipulating

physical Size, and increased Power

variations of carbon clusters known

output (ESP). How much smaller, more powerful

as buckyballs – named for pioneering engineer R. Buckminster Fuller – to

and efficient could devices be? Carman

design molecules that will self-assemble to

imagines a robotic submarine – on the

more efficiently store and transmit energy.


such as memory, antennas and motors will be supported by the Western Institute of Nanotechnology on Green

capabilities of lithium-ion batteries

Engineering and Metrology (WIN-GEM).

with the high energy delivery rate of

Phase I of the forthcoming Engineering

capacitors – for applications such as

VI building will house WIN-GEM. The

the smart electric grid and regenerative

facility will include laboratories to study

braking, which recovers energy lost to

low-power, nonvolatile nanoelectronics;

heat when a driver hits the brakes.

carbon nanoelectronics and topological

“It is difficult to get power and energy density into the same device,”

insulators; and green manufacturing of novel energy generation, storage and

Ozolins said. “A super-capacitor would

management technologies. Engineering

be transformative.”

VI also will have a basement lab with

The center, launched in 2009 as

vibrational isolation and electromagnetic

one of the Department of Energy’s

interference shielding to support highly

Energy Frontier Research Centers,

sensitive instrumentation that probes

includes members of several UCLA

materials and devices at the

departments as well as researchers

atomic scale.  n

from four other institutions. Cutting-edge nanoscale research throughout UCLA Engineering also

MEEM director Vidvuds Ozolins

q

A composite material of carbon nanotubes and niobium oxide, synthesized at MEEM, with nano-scale wires to extract energy efficiently.

http://meem.ucla.edu

Ozolins seeks to develop a super-capacitor – combining the storage


The

ITA: Incubator By Bill Kisliuk

B

Dwight Streit and UCLA Engineering’s Institute for Technology Advancement are making capital gains on campus discoveries.

uilding a bridge from the laboratory to the marketplace,

the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied

Science is helping launch technology firms and aggressively mining industry expertise to help shape research. Working with the school of engineering’s Institute for Technology Advancement (ITA), professors have incorporated eight companies and placed eight more in the pipeline. The firms are attracting investor interest and research funds, while at the same time contributing to the engineering school’s financial

UCLA ENGINEER  |

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health. The Institute for Technology Advancement also works to identify multi-disciplinary research projects attractive to granting agencies and healthcare, electronics and other firms.


UCLA ENGINEER  |

13

Photo: Ann Johansson


Institute for Technology Advancement

“We’re reaching out to the private sector

interdisciplinary experts — from federal

and key agencies, and we’re getting

agencies including NASA and the

investment in return,” said Dwight Streit,

Department of Energy and companies

director of the institute and a former

including Alcoa and Boeing — to support

executive with Northrop Grumman

UCLA Engineering faculty. As a result,

and TRW Space & Electronics. “We can

ITA has become a one-stop shop for professors looking to launch a start-up,

‘We’re reaching out to the private sector and key agencies, and we’re getting investment in return.’ ITA Director Dwight Streit

license a product or win a grant. “A lot of the time, professors are happy to stay in the academic world and publish research,” said Marla Sanchez, a member of ITA’s industrial advisory board and a Silicon Valley consultant for technology firms. “But the research they

provide speed and flexibility for organiza-

are coming up with is potentially very

tions interested in getting into new areas

beneficial for the world, and there is a

of research. And the companies created

big transition to getting it out there.”

by faculty or students donate equity to the school.” q A slide of skin tissue obtained with the portable LUCAS microscope, a pocketsized holographic device developed by Holomic.

Streit, who holds more than 30

Sanchez, a former chief financial officer at the fiber optics firm Avanex Corp. who co-founded Cupertino-

U.S. and international patents and

based InSite Partners, said ITA

is a professor with appointments

advisory board members work to find

in UCLA’s departments of Materials

backers for promising projects and

Science and Engineering and Electrical

advise researchers on optimizing the

Engineering, has gathered a team of

commercial potential of their work. Founded in 2007 with a grant from the Samueli Foundation and bolstered in 2009 with a gift from the Easton Sports Development Foundation, ITA has launched three firms that already have attracted outside investment and paid dividends to the school.

WaveConnex—Based on the work of Frank Chang, the Wintek Chair in Electrical Engineering at UCLA and chair of the department, the company is developing a silicon chip about the size of a grain of rice that could dramatically improve Internet connectivity and data transfer on wireless devices.


an associate professor of electrical

William Ouchi, Sanford and Betty

engineering and bioengineering, Holomic

Sigoloff Chair in Corporate Renewal at

inventions include portable microscopes

the Anderson School, said ITA is

and lightweight diagnostic tools that

helping overcome years of academic

can perform sophisticated blood, water

reluctance to go entrepreneurial – a

quality and other analyses, transmitting

hangover from the days when federal

information from the field to labs and

funding agencies controlled intellectual

hospitals via a standard smartphone.

property and universities had not

Easel Biotechnologies—Easel is pioneering methods of biosynthesizing harmful pollutants and developing low-emission biofuels based on the

Now, Ouchi said, “There is very broad agreement across campus

Professor James C. Liao, chair of

and across disciplines

Engineering Department. In each case, the companies have

that our three missions – teaching, research and

University labs have increasingly caught the interest of companies attempting to break new ground.

serving the community –

donated equity to UCLA Engineering,

are greatly enhanced if we have everyone

ensuring that the school will see

take the fruits of their scholarship all the

long-term benefits should the firms

way to the outside world.”

prove successful. ITA also encourages students to

Streit noted that high-performing university labs increasingly have

think big through an annual entre-

caught the interest of companies

preneur competition. Teams – which

attempting to break new ground.

must include at least one student each from UCLA Engineering and the UCLA Anderson School of Management – compete to develop a new piece of

based on the work of UCLA Engineering faculty – Easel Biotechnologies, Holomic and Waveconnex – have already paid dividends for the UCLA School of Engineering.

seen the upside to working with the private sector.

work of Ralph M. Parsons Foundation the Chemical and Biomolecular

p Three companies

“We have outstanding faculty with brilliant ideas,” Streit said. “The door is open to partner with UCLA, and the bottom line is it is very good for

technology and a viable business strategy

the school.”  n

for launching it. With Kay Family

http://www.ita.ucla.edu

15

biophotonics work of Aydogan Ozcan,

Foundation support, the top teams in 2013 will share a $50,000 prize.

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Holomic—Founded on the


building a new anchor for innovation


t (left

to right) Associate Dean Jane P. Chang, Rep. Henry Waxman, Dean Vijay K. Dhir, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry Samueli, NIST executive Stella Fiotes and National Technical Systems founder Aaron Cohen at the Engineering VI groundbreaking.

Support from alumni and friends of the school is the driving force for Engineering VI, which will have wet and dry labs, student study spaces, three centers of excellence and a 250-seat learning center.

cutting-edge research, UCLA Engineering

broke ground in October 2012 on its newest

building, Engineering VI. Rep. Henry Waxman

‘Engineering VI will… promote collaboration between our researchers and others throughout the region to make important technological advances.’   – Dean Vijay K. Dhir

The state of California is not providing

any of the estimated $120 million to $130

million needed for Engineering VI. The first

phase of construction received a $6 million

(D- Los Angeles) joined UCLA Chancellor

grant from the National Institute of Standards

c0-founder, Chairman and Chief Technology

alumni, foundations, corporations, the school

Gene Block, Dean Vijay K. Dhir, Broadcom Corp.

and Technology as well as support from

Officer Henry Samueli and others in plunging

and the campus. Work on Phase I is slated for

the ceremonial first shovel into the soil.

Engineering VI will house laboratories –

including a sophisticated basement facility

completion in 2014. Fundraising is ongoing for the second and final phase of construction. “Engineering VI will do more than

shielded against electromagnetic and

expand our facilities for students and faculty.

nology centers, office space for 30 faculty

researchers and others throughout the region

vibrational interference – three nanotech-

members and the school’s entrepre-

neurial arm, the Institute for Technology

Advancement (ITA). The building, in the heart of campus and adjacent to other

It will promote collaboration between our

to make important technological advances

with broad social implications,” said Dhir.

“Without relying on state support, we have

received – and hope to continue to receive –

engineering buildings, will meet LEED Gold

generous assistance from donors and alumni

and design elements.

this important work forward.”  n

standards for use of sustainable materials

who want to see the school carry

17

dding 150,000 square feet of space for

UCLA ENGINEER  |

A


1

school

News

No.

By Bill Kisliuk

Unshaken by three dozen rival teams, in February a group of UCLA civil engineering students took first prize in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s 10th annual Seismic Design Competition. It is the second straight year UCLA won the award. In the contest, teams of undergraduates designed and built a model of a skyscraper that could survive an earthquake with minimal financial damage. The competition took place in Seattle, and teams had to offer a replacement for the Space Needle as the city’s signature building. Captain Emily Yagi and her colleagues designed a tower that survived shake tests and won the top prize under criteria that also included architecture and presentation. Yagi consulted with civil and environmental engineering associate professor Jian Zhang and others on the project and relied on teammates Norman Chak and Seema Barua for key logistical support. Yagi also was on the winning team captained by Jennifer Huynh in 2012. Both Huynh and Yagi are seniors. Yagi said the biggest challenge for her team was constructing the intricate model made of balsa wood and glue. “It took a month of working five days a week, two hours a day,” she said.

18

The 2013 team also included: Anthony Ambrosio-Meir, Maxwell

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Armenta, Winston Boyce, Dennis Cha, Sam Cummings, Bill Faught, Victoria Lam, Paul Lee, Andy Luu, Steven Tindula, Benjamin Wong, Mary Xue and Jane Zhu.  n Photos: Emily Yagi


t At

left, Hong Mei, Peking University engineering school dean, and UCLA Engineering Dean Vijay K. Dhir forge an agreement. Below, Dhir and UCLA Chancellor's Professor of Computer Science Jason Cong, a Peking University alum, in Beijing.

UCLA Engineering faculty may also visit the

in China, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of

schools and may be invited to participate in joint

student and faculty exchange programs with

call for the universities to share rights to intellectual

in Nanjing. A third agreement, with the University

part in the exchange.

being finalized.

institutions,” Dhir said.

his counterparts at the Chinese universities during

UCLA Engineering with these leading Chinese

Engineering and Applied Science has agreed to

projects with Chinese researchers. The agreements

Peking University in Beijing and Hohai University

property developed by faculty and students taking

of Science and Technology of China in Hefei , is still UCLA Engineering Dean Vijay K. Dhir met with

“These agreements will strengthen all of our

“We believe that by sharing the resources of

a visit to Asia in January 2013.

centers, we will be able to deepen our students’

programs will have the opportunity to earn degrees

and produce innovative research.”  n

Students participating in the exchange

from a Chinese university and UCLA Engineering.

learning experience, enhance faculty interactions

19

orging ties with leading research institutions

UCLA ENGINEER  |

F

UCLA, top Chinese schools launch exchange programs


Faculty

Honors and Awards James C. Liao elected to

National Academy of Engineering By Matthew Chin

The academy recognized Liao for advances in engineering microorganisms to develop more clean and efficient fuels

J

ames C. Liao, UCLA's Ralph M. Parsons

to “engineering research, practice, or

Foundation Professor of Chemical

education,” the academy announced on

Engineering and chair of the Chemical and

February 8.

Biomolecular Engineering Department

“Jim has made pioneering advances

at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of

in applying metabolic engineering and

Engineering and Applied Science, has

synthetic biology techniques to solve

Engineering.

biological production of fuels and the

been elected to the National Academy of

critical and intertwined problems in the

Election to the academy is one of

combating of greenhouse gases,” said

the highest professional distinctions that

UCLA Engineering Dean Vijay K. Dhir, a

UCLA ENGINEER  |

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can be awarded to an engineer in the

National Academy of Engineering member.

United States.

“He is truly deserving of this very highest

The academy's citation recognized Liao

“for advances in metabolic engineering of microorganisms to produce fuels

and chemicals.” He joined 68 other new

members and 11 foreign associates elected for their outstanding contributions

of honors.”

p Liao uses plants and micro-

organisms in his research on metabolic engineering, synthetic biology and systems biology to produce fuels and chemicals.

Liao has received much acclaim for his

work developing more efficient biofuels.

He has genetically modified bacteria to

both consume carbon dioxide, a harmful

greenhouse gas, and produce the liquid


Photo: Ann Johansson

‘This great honor should go to my previous and current group members, who really have made all the difference in the world.’ ­—James C. Liao

fuel isobutanol. In essence, he and his research team have turned exhaust into fuel in a series

of biochemical reactions powered by sunlight. Liao has also developed a way to turn

electricity into liquid fuel and a method for

converting proteins into fuel. He has used his techniques to address obesity by increasing

metabolism rates — research that showed

successful results in mice.

Liao says his ultimate research goals are to

“This great honor should go to my previous

and current group members, who really have made all the difference in the world," Liao

said of his election to the academy. ”I also

appreciate the support of my colleagues, the department and the school."  n

UCLA ENGINEER  |

processing and to treat metabolic diseases.

21

use biochemical methods to replace petroleum


Faculty

UCLA Engineering New Faculty

UCLA ENGINEER  |

22

News

JONATHaN B. HOPKINS Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

J

onathan B. Hopkins’ research goals are to

Hopkins is on the research staff of the

design, analyze and fabricate flexible materials

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,

and structures that have extraordinary

working in Precision Systems and Manufac-

capabilities, such as shape and size mutability,

turing, and at the Center for Micro & Nano

elastic energy storage and release capacity,

Technology. He will join UCLA Engineering

and the ability to move with complexity while

full time in July.  n

being controlled simply.


Christina Fragouli Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Ph.D. – UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

C

hristina Fragouli’s research interests include network information flow

theory and algorithms, network coding, wireless networks, sensor networks

and security. Fragouli is an associate professor at the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland. She will arrive at UCLA Engineering later this year. Prior to EPFL, she worked at AT&T Labs’ Information Sciences Center in Florham Park, N.J., and visited the Bell Labs’ Math Center in Murray Hill, N.J. She served as an editor for IEEE Communications Letters, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, IEEE Transactions on Communications and for Elsevier's Computer Communications, and is currently an editor for IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. She is also a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Information Theory Society. She received the Fulbright Fellowship for her graduate studies, the Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award 2000-2001, UCLA, Electrical Engineering Department, the Zonta Award 2008 in Switzerland

UCLA ENGINEER  |

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and the Young Investigator ERC grant in 2009.  n


Areas (CS) Computer Science Computer Networking

Advanced Structural Materials Electronic Materials

The primary purpose of this program is to enable employed engineers and computer scientists to enhance their technical education beyond the Bachelor of Science level, and to enhance their value to the technical organizations in which they are employed.

(EE) Electrical Engineering Integrated Circuits Signal Processing & Communications

(MAE) Mechanical Engineering Aerospace Engineering Manufacturing and Design

(MSE) Materials Science

(EN) Systems Engineering

Distinctive features of the program • Each course is fully equivalent to the corresponding on-campus course and taught by the faculty members who teach the on-campus course. • The online lectures are carefully prepared for the online student.

Additional information and online applications available at: msol.ucla.edu

Online Masters


I n

M emoriam

David Okrent 1922-2012

mechanical and aero-

space engineering,

who made pioneer-

ing contributions in

nuclear reactor design and safety,

design. During his

tenure he advised 50

Ph.D. students.

“David did not

believe in giving

a prescription to

After receiving his Ph.D.,

Laboratory in Illinois, starting out

as an associate physicist. He be-

came the manager of the lab’s Fast Reactor Physics and Safety in 1957,

“He was a brilliant scholar, a great thinker, a superb mentor of

for nuclear reactors.”

Okrent received many presti-

ing a Guggenheim Fellowship, the

joined UCLA Engineering as a

Award of the American Nuclear

world-leading research program

tional Academy of Engineering .

dynamics, nuclear reactor theory

and design, and probabilistic risk

assessment, and he led graduate-

level courses in reactor safety and

joining Yale University’s faculty in the

Metallurgy Department. He became a U.S.

Materials Department. He held several admin-

George C. Laurence Pioneering

in nuclear safety. He taught

He emigrated to the United States in 1959,

influence spread far and wide in

establishing a culture of safety

Argonne National Lab, Okrent

undergraduate classes in thermo-

Born in Germany, Wagner earned

citizen in 1969.

all, he was a true gentleman. His

gious honors for his work, includ-

faculty member and established a

on the structure of liquid, amorphous and

nanocrystalline materials, and on residual

graduate students and, above

a position he held through 1971.

After spending 20 years at

was internationally known for research

his Ph.D. from from Saarland University.

Engineering Dean Vijay K. Dhir.

Okrent joined Argonne National

home in Palm Desert. He was 85. Wagner

questions of his own,” said UCLA

degree from Stevens Institute of from Harvard University in 1951.

engineering, died on Dec. 31, 2012, at his

stresses in plastically deformed materials.

answered questions with great

Technology. He earned his Ph.D.

emeritus of materials science and

research, and, instead, he always

died Dec. 14, 2012. He was 90.

Okrent received his bachelor’s

hristian N.J. Wagner, a UCLA professor

In 1970, Wagner joined the UCLA

istrative posts until his retirement in 1991.

He was a fellow of ASM International

and was a member Tau Beta Pi and several engineering organizations.  n

www.engineer.ucla.edu/memoriam-wagner

Society and election to the NaOkrent retired from UCLA

in 1991, but continued teaching

classes and mentoring graduate

students for several years.  n

www.engineer.ucla.edu/

memoriam-okrent

25

avid Okrent, UCLA

professor emeritus of

C

1927-2012

UCLA ENGINEER  |

D

Christian Wagner


alumni

News Catching up with

Gail Kulisch MS ’90

By Bill Kisliuk

Kulisch said the crossdisciplinary approach at UCLA Engineering helped her during her 28-year Coast Guard career.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Gail Kulisch (ret.) really

cleaned up after she earned her master’s

degree in 1990. In 2010, she led the Coast

Guard’s special operations forces in their

response to the Deepwater Horizon spill that

spewed 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf

of Mexico. In 2001, she directed a multi-agency

response to the terrorist attack on New York’s Twin Towers and the anthrax scare on

career started before she arrived

Gail Kulisch with President George W. Bush, during a briefing after the 2001 terror attacks, and, right, as a student at UCLA.

in between her first and second

Engineering professor Vincent Vilker in 1991

Capitol Hill. She served as captain of

the port in Boston from 2007 to 2009. Kulisch’s 28-year Coast Guard

on campus. In the summer of 1989,

years as a UCLA student, she helped

after the Exxon Valdez spilled oil

into Alaska’s Prince William Sound.

The Valdez response, she said, was a

pioneering example of bioremediation and

cooperation, as the Environmental Protection Agency tested microorganisms that could consume toxins even

as emergency responders cleaned the site.

A paper Kulisch

co-authored with UCLA

p

explored the use of bacteria to fight chemical

spills. Kulisch said her Coast Guard career

paralleled the multidisciplinary approach she

encountered at UCLA, requiring consideration of several angles at once.

“Nobody wants or invites a crisis,” she said.

“In response, you do not abandon science, and you do not abandon health and safety.”

Kulisch retired from the Coast Guard in

February 2012. She has since launched BTG

Ventures, an environmental consulting firm

focused on security, safety and sustainability. n


Three of a kind: From left, Melvin, Charley and Erik Kline, all of whom earned Ph.D.s at UCLA.

t

Three generations of Ph.D.s By Bill Kisliuk

In a phrase that rings across three generations, a member of the Kline family just earned a Ph.D. in engineering from UCLA.

worked with Professor Leonard Kleinrock on the develop-

Erik Kline finished his computer science degree in Fall

Kline said, his most significant Boelter Hall memory

research on routing security for the Information Sciences

his wife, at a computer club gathering.

His grandfather, Melvin Kline, who died in 2010, earned

his Ph.D. at UCLA in 1966 before becoming an electrical

engineering consultant and then teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. One of Melvin

Kline’s advisors was founding Dean Llewellyn M.K. Boelter. Melvin’s son, Charley Kline, earned three degrees at

UCLA, including a Ph.D. in computer science in 1980. He

Stanford Research Institute on Oct., 29, 1969. However,

involves meeting Lanaii, the woman who would become Charley Kline said that when he was in junior high

school, his father brought him onto campus to try his hand at programming. Erik said he knew nothing of the UCLA

campus before applying. He opted for UCLA solely on the

alignment of the school’s strengths and his interests. “I had no real preference to go to UCLA,” he said. “The decision I made was based on what the programs were about.”  n

27

Institute at USC.

missions on the ARPANET from 3420 Boelter Hall to the

UCLA ENGINEER  |

2012, working with Professor Peter Reiher. He is now doing

ments that led to the Internet, sending the first trans-


alumni

Notes

1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

1950s

comets and for leading the NEAR mission to

Joe Spradley ’54, MS ’55, PhD ’58, emeritus professor of

Eros;” the Space Pioneer

physics at Wheaton College in Illinois, had two reference

Award for Science and

Physics and Chemistry of the Earth,” and “Great Lives from

National Space Society;

books he edited published by Salem Press: “Earth Science:

Engineering from the

History: Scientists and Science.”

certificates of appreciation from the U.S. Department

Gary MacDougal ’58 continues making a difference

of Defense for honorable

in the lives of the disadvantaged. His October 2012 essay

service in the Korean War

discussed how the $1 trillion the government allocates

Science Division for

in The New York Times, "The Wrong Way to Help the Poor"

annually to poverty programs would be enough if

spent more intelligently. The op-ed piece drew bipartisan praise and was named one of the Times’ top five articles of the week.

Academic Advisor at Harbin Institute of Technology in

China. Farquhar’s memoir, “Fifty Years on the Space Frontier: Halo Orbits, Comets, Asteroids, and More” was recently

1960s

PhD ’67 recently had his textbook

Program ’62, a retiree from Boeing, has been rehired

“Spread Spectrum Systems for

GNSS and Wireless Communi-

28

leadership in solar system exploration. He was also named

a Distinguished Visiting Professor and Chief International

published by Outskirts Press.

Jack K. Holmes ’60, MS ’63,

UCLA ENGINEER  |

and from NASA’s Planetary

William Vietinghoff ME Engineering Executive by Boeing to provide

presentations to schools

cations,” published in Chinese.

and other organizations

Artech House in 2007.

engine development at the

It was originally published by

Robert W. Farquhar MS ’61, executive for space

exploration at KinetX Aerospace, received several honors in 2012, including election to the National Academy of

Engineering “for deep space missions to asteroids and

on the history of rocket

company’s former Santa

Susana Field Laboratory in California.


Share news about your personal life, career, honors, awards, and more! Send to: uclaengineering@support.ucla.edu 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

transportation and commercial aviation.” AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace

2006, was elected in 2012 to the executive committee of

profession. AIAA Fellows are persons of distinction who

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He first joined

sciences or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.

has two daughters, one of whom graduated from UCLA Engineering. He currently runs a consulting practice.

1970s

Lawrence C. Akers ’66 retired in 2002 after 33 years

full-time model railroader and babysitter. With three

the Advisory Committee of Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) of

the committee in 2008 and is now in his second term. Ray

at Pfizer Inc. as a chemical engineer and patent attorney. He now lives in New York.

Donald Brown ’66 recently moved to Ocala, Fla.,

to continue his second career of teaching advanced

mathematics courses at Trinity Catholic High School.

Brown and his wife Cathy are enjoying living in Florida horse country.

Robert Barker ’68, MBA (UCLA Anderson) ’70 was

recently appointed to the advisory board at Fastor

Systems. Fastor Systems is engaged in bringing solutions to the rapidly growing cloud and enterprise solid-state

drive markets.

have made notable and valuable contributions to the arts,

Raymond Hoppes ’71, MS ’75 has retired to become a

grandchildren all under 3, he notes he has a busy life. He is a member of the Near Sighted Narrow Gaugers

model railroad club.

Vinton G. Cerf

MS ’70, PhD ’72 was

appointed by President Obama in January to

the National Science

Board of the National Science Foundation.

The 25-member board sets policies for the

NSF as directed by the President and Congress. The

Asad M. Madni ’69, MS ’72, distinguished adjunct

board also serves as an independent body of advisors

elected a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics

science and engineering. Cerf is vice president and

professor of electrical engineering at UCLA, has been

and Astronautics for “seminal contributions and

distinguished leadership in the development and

to the President and Congress on policy related to

chief internet evangelist at Google.

29

president overseeing generation and wholesale energy in

commercialization of sensors and systems for aerospace,

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Harold Ray ’63, who after 35 years of service to

Southern California Edison retired as executive vice


Van N. Schultz ’74, MS ’75 retired from Aera Energy in November. He

completed his term as chair of the UCLA Alumni Association in June,

(2012-14) of the IEEE Systems,

on the Chemical and Biomolecular

is past president (2007) of the

Engineering Department’s advisory council.

Robert Skelton PhD ’76 was elected to the National

Academy of Engineering in 2012 for “contributions to robust

control, system identification, and methodology for control-

structure interaction.” He also received a research award

from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. His book

“Tensegrity Systems,” co-authored by Mauricio de Oliveira, was published in 2009.

Armando Benavides MS ’77, a systems engineer at Boeing since 1992, received a patent for “systems and

method for determining propellant mass and center of

gravity for a space-based asset.” This is his fourth patent with Boeing, and sixth overall. He currently supports

Boeing’s GPS and WGS programs.

Kenneth W. Privitt ’77, MS ’80 and Nancy G. (Winter) Privitt ’78 plan to visit all 58 U.S. national

Man, and Cybernetics Society. She IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.

Leo Mascarinia ’87, CEO

of Network-911, Inc., welcomed his daughter Emma Ann Mascarinia, born in November.

1990s

Raymond T. Chen ’90, who currently serves as the

deputy general counsel for intellectual property law and solicitor for the U.S. Patent and

Trademark Office, was nominated in February by President Obama to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Jerome Solomon ’91, a

17-year film and video game

industry veteran, has joined

parks. Ken recently retired from Intel Corp. after 24 years

Cogswell Polytechnical College,

Gas and Electric after 32 years of service.

assistant professor in the Digital

of service, and Nancy will be retiring from San Diego

1980s

Brian Wong ’83 was elected to the board of directors

at silicon photonics innovator Kotura, Inc. Wong is currently president and CEO of Enevate Corp., a leading rechargeable

30

elected president-elect (2013)

and vice president publications

and is now one of two UC Alumni

Regent Designates. Schultz is also

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Ljiljana Trajkovic PhD ’86, a professor at Simon

Fraser University’s School of Engineering Science, has been

in Sunnyvale, Calif. , as an

Arts & Animation Department.

Additionally, Solomon sits on the National Committee for ACM

SIGGRAPH 2013.

Kei Kogure PhD ’92 is a co-translator from English to

energy storage technology company.

Japanese of “Business and Society – Corporate Strategy,

Nader Karimi ’86 has become the chief information

published by McGraw-Hill. The book has been widely

officer at BCBG Max Azria, a fashion retailer.

Public Policy, Ethics” by Post, Lawrence and Weber,

used as a textbook for many years. The translation was published by Minervashobo in Japan in 2012.


Brian Clark ’95 was appointed regional vice president

Aasim Jukaku

of sales for CLS Investments, one of the country’s

’02 and his wife

was a regional vice president at Nationwide, covering

launched the Web site HerBabyShower.com, which features

largest third party money managers. Clark previously

the western United States.

Hatifa have recently

unique and personalized baby shower favors, as well as

games, party supplies and gifts.

YashaR Mira ’04, MBA

(UCLA Anderson) ’12 is now a vice president and principal

at Heatscape, the thermal management design and

manufacturing company

for Northrop Grumman.

Sharat Batra ’05 and Marnelli Tabbada ’01

Jason K. Hui ’97, MS ’98, PhD ’02 was selected to receive

Both work for the City of

Sustained Service Award for “sustained and significant

members of the

Technical Committee, and for dedicated

Association Governing

Ryan A. Lorenzini ’98 celebrated the birth of his third

Rajindra Handapangoda ’05

contributions to the Guidance, Navigation and Control

service to AIAA.”

child in December . Also, in 2012 he received the prestigious MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute, and was

promoted to vice president at Hulberg and Associates.

2000s

Tanya Faltens PhD ’02, an engineering educator, is

transitioning from Cal Poly Pomona to Purdue University,

where she will be the educational content creation

manager for the Network for Computational Nanotechnology. Faltens will work with partners at nano centers

and universities to develop and distribute high quality

educational content, including simulation tools and other

materials, via nanoHUB.org.

Los Angeles. Both are Engineering Alumni Board of UCLA.

passed the California

Geotechnical Engineer

(GE) licensing exam in October.

Taline Khansa ’06 is serving as a Kiva Fellow in Jordan, Lebanon and Sierra Leone. Fellows work in support of

global microfinance. Khansa is pursuing a career in solving humanitarian issues after spending six years in the

aerospace industry.

Laura Balzano MS ’07 has joined the University of

Michigan as an assistant professor of electrical engineering

and computer science.

31

an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

were married in December.

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Roderick Son ’95, MA ’97, MS ’99, PhD ’05 and Beckie Chan ’01, MS ‘02 were married in January 2013. Both work

he joined in 2009.


’08, an assistant professor of

2010s

Cockrell School of Engineering

California Executive Fellowship program. Based at

Austin, received a CAREER

branch to experience first-hand how public policy

Halil Berberoglu PhD

Devon Laduzinsky ’10 was selected for the 2012-13

mechanical engineering at the

at the University of Texas at

Cal State Sacramento, fellows work in the state’s executive

Award from the National

is developed.

Science Foundation, to support

research on algal biofilms for sustainable biofuels.

Morris Hsu

’09 and Jammie

Peng ’09 were

Krystina Johnson ’11 has moved from being a

manufacturing engineer at Boeing in Portland, Ore., to

an assembly automation engineer for Boeing Research &

Technology in Charleston, S.C.

married in

September 2012. Both work for

Lab126. Hsu was president of

Eta Kappa Nu,

and Peng was

vice president of the school chapter of the

American Institute of Chemical Engineers while at UCLA.

Julia Pasternack ’09 has traveled to more than 40

countries since graduation. She also received her master’s

a UCLA grad student in electrical engineering.

linear controls. Pasternack was recently selected for the

Daniel Haberberger PhD ’12 is at the Laboratory for

International Leadership

Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, in

Development Program at

New York, working on techniques for probing high

in England, and notes her

his wife, Lusnail, welcomed their first child, Jose Daniel

GKN, a large engineering firm passions for engineering and travel were fostered through

32

married in December in Vietnam. Huynh is currently

in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech, where

she pursued interests in mechatronics and advanced

UCLA ENGINEER  |

Hien Huynh ’12 and Duc (Ly) Hoang were

engineering clubs at UCLA.

temperature and density plasmas with lasers. He and

Haberberger, in February.

Scott Enserink PhD ’13 has started working for Trellis

Ware Technologies in San Diego as a systems engineer on wireless communication problems.  n

Please send the latest news and photos regarding your career, personal life, awards, etc. to: uclaengineering@support.ucla.edu


building for the future With your support, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is building on its decades of achievement with construction of Engineering VI, a state-of-the-art facility with new labs, a nanotechnology center focused on green energy and much more. Be a part of the progress by supporting Engineering VI.

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