Summer 2018 Newsletter

IDEA ENGINEERING STUDENT CENTER SUMMER 2018 NEWSLETTER

II | Summer 2018 Newsletter

C o n t e n ts : 01

IDEA Scholars Graduation Reception

05

Transfer Prep

09

Jacobs Scholars Graduation Reception

13

Ring Ceremony 2018

17

Summer Engineering Institute

21

Meet the Faculty Director

22

Diversity Organization Banquets

23

Welcome Aboard

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IDEA Scholars

Graduation

1|Summer 2018 Newsletter

Reception

On June 2nd, 2018, we celebrated 32 graduating IDEA Scholars at our 4th Annual IDEA Scholars Graduation Reception. The retention rate among our IDEA Scholars remains strong! By Fall Quarter of their Fourth Year, 80% of IDEA Scholars who started in 2014 are still enrolled in the Jacobs School, compared to 65% of non-IDEA Scholar freshmen from URM and first generation student groups who started in the same year.

Our student speaker and award recipients reflected on the role that the IDEA Engineering Student Center has played in their college experience...

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Rachel Miller Graduating Student Speaker BS in NanoEngineering “Most of my core group of friends especially in the transitional part of my college experience came from IDEA. The IDEA Center provided me with the opportunity to be a leader as an educator and have a supportive group of peers and mentors that have all been instrumental in my success in the Jacobs School.”

Ashley Qu

Community Service in Engineering Award BS in Mechanical Engineering “The IDEA Center has provided me the community and resources to succeed in engineering at UC San Diego and beyond. Without their constant love and support, I would not have developed the confidence to become involved with the JSOE community and to pursue my current aspirations.”

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Paula Quach Co-Recipient of the Academic Excellence in Engineering Award BS in Computer Science “The IDEA program has provided me a treasured support network. One of my closest friends is someone I met at Summer PrEP and through various events hosted by IDEA I’ve managed to keep in touch with a variety of other friends.”

Christopher Sanchez Co-recipient of the Academic Excellence in Engineering Award BS in Aerospace Engineering “The summer PrEP program helped me to meet many other incoming engineering students that I’ve gotten to know very well throughout my time at UCSD.”

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Transfer Prep 5|Summer 2018 Newsletter

On July 10th, 2018 eighty-five incoming transfer engineering students arrived on campus to participate in the Summer Engineering Transfer Prep program. Transfer Prep was a free, three-day, three-night program that gave students the opportunity to get a jump start on their transition to UC San Diego and acclimate themselves to campus. Students met engineering faculty and advisors, learned to navigate the campus, and connected with other incoming engineering transfer students.

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T

ransfer Prep students also connected with industry professionals and had the option of touring either Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems Site or the J. Craig Venter Institute. The engineers who led the Northrop tour also joined the Transfer Prep students at a dinner with industry professionals. Professionals from Qualcomm, NuVasive, ViaSat, San Diego Gas & Electric, and many more companies also joined the students to share their insights on engineering.

We asked the Transfer Prep students what was most valuable about Transfer Prep, and here is what they said: • “The friendships I’ve created and knowledge about the campus which I will use to hit

the ground running.”

• “Talking to professors and getting to know them. I got more comfortable with asking

questions and asking them about research opportunities in the future.”

• “Learning about campus resources, getting to talk to and ask questions to people with experience.”

• “Touring campus, being exposed to engineering facilities, and learning the locations of

different buildings” •” Making cool new friends!”

•” Meeting faculty, learning about research opportunities, and getting to know the

Transfer Prep leaders. Their insights were absolutely priceless.”

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Highlights of the program included: • Tours of Geisel Library, the EnVision Maker Studio, and student resource centers • Presentations by Academic Enrichment Programs, transportation, and undergraduate researchers • Meetings with engineering advisors and current transfer students • A lunch with faculty where students could engage faculty in small group conversations

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Jacobs

Scholars Graduation 2018

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On June 15th , Dr. Irwin and Joan Jacobs hosted the annual Jacobs Scholars Graduation Reception in honor of the nine Jacobs Scholars that completed their engineering degrees. During the reception, each of the graduating Jacobs Scholars spoke about the highlights of their time with the Jacobs School, discussed their future plans, and thanked the Jacobs family for supporting their undergraduate studies.

Afterward, Dr. Irwin and Joan Jacobs spoke about their careers in engineering and philanthropy and gave advice to the graduating Scholars as they started their post-college careers, encouraging them to give back and to have a positive impact on their communities throughout their lives.

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Thomas Gui BS in Computer Science

Future Plans: Software Engineer at Facebook

Charles Huang

BS in Bioengineering: Bioengineering Future Plans: PhD at Stanford University

Aswini Krishnan BS in Bioengineering: Bioengineering Future Plans: Churchill Scholarship 2018-2019 & Stanford University School of Medicine

Kevin Kuo

BS in Computer Science Future Plans: Software Engineering at Dropbox

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Lucy Li

BS in Computer Engineering Future Plans: Ph.D. in Computer Science at Cornell/Cornell Tech with focus in Applied Cryptography

Nathan Ng BS in Computer Science

Future Plans: Software Engineer at Facebook & PhD in Machine Learning at University of Toronto

Kevin Spiekermann BS in Chemical Engineering

Future Plans: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at MIT

Beverly Yu

BS in Bioengineering (Biotechnology) and Economics Future Plans: MD at Yale School of Medicine

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Ring

Ceremony 2018

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The Jacobs School of Engineering held its annual Ring Ceremony on Saturday, June 16th, 2018.

Over 400 students registered to participate in the ceremony and nearly 1,500 of their friends, family, and loved ones attended to show their support. The Ring Ceremony marked the culmination of many years of hard work for students whose majors spanned all engineering disciplines.

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Often misconstrued simply as a graduation ceremony for Engineers, the Jacobs School Ring Ceremony connotes a rite of passage for engineering students as they embark on their careers.

During the ceremony, students accept a ring engraved with the Jacobs School of Engineering name and recite the “Oath of the Engineer,” an oath taken by students to uphold ethical morals and standards in their profession. The ring, which is worn on the little finger of their dominant hand, therefore physically and metaphorically connects students to their Oath on each project they work on and each document they sign.

Nadah Fateih led fellow graduating students in the recitation of the Oath, and served as the keynote student speaker. UC San Diego alum Brandon Nixon (Class of ’87) served as keynote speaker for the Ceremony. Among the many themes, Nixon eloquently conveyed messages of “trusting your judgement,” and “leaving the herd,” words of wisdom he followed that followed on his journey to become CEO of Lytx.

In addition to the keynote speakers, students and faculty were recognized for their hard work and commitment to excellent. Mark Anderson (Mechanical and Aerospace) was awarded Faculty of the Year. Leah Guenter won the IDEA Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion, while Connor Smith was recognized as Student of Year.

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Summer Engineering Institute 17|Summer 2018 Newsletter

Sunday, August 5 th , 2018 marked the beginning of the IDEA Engineering Student Center’s Summer Engineering Institute for 111 program participants. The program, which first started at UC San Diego in 2011, has evolved over the years from a one-week program, to a five-week residential program.

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Participants in the Summer Engineering Institute took two courses during the second Summer Session: Engineering 10 and a course in their major field of study. The program allowed students to acclimate to UC San Diego prior to the start of the fall quarter. Students were housed in Marshall Upper Apartments and received support from Peer Facilitators, upperclassmen who live in the same apartments and offer mentorship, advice, and coordinate social activities for participants.

Participants are faced with a busy schedule which mimics that of many undergraduate students, but promotes the development of new time-management skills. In addition to taking six units during the summer, students participated in daily academic workshops that introduced them to various campus departments, programs, and resources. Campus partners included Geisel Library, the Office of Academic Integrity, CAPS, OASIS, RAZA Resource Centro, LBGTQ Resource Center, Women’s Center, Black Resource Center, California Space Grant Consortium, Academic Enrichment Program, Study Abroad, and the Career Center. Additionally, participants learned about the importance of research from current undergraduate students involved in research, as well as professors Darren Lipomi (NanoEngineering) and Shadi Dayeh (Electrical and Computer Engineering).

In addition to the academic focus, the Summer Engineering Institute strives to creative a warm and welcoming community for engineering students through evening and weekend social events. Students develop a strong sense of community and establish lasting friendships through events like Beach Day, Pie Your Peer Facilitator, Karaoke Night, and Crossing the Line.

The Summer Engineering Institute closed with a remarkable capstone project showcase for Engineering 10, which welcomed donors, campus and community partners, as well as friends and families to view the hard work students put into their projects over the previous five weeks.

The Summer Engineering Institute was funded in part by the Boeing Company, the California Space Grant Consortium, the Roberto and Colleen Padovani Endowed Scholarship, and the National Science Foundation.

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Professor Graeve

We are happy to announce that Professor Olivia Graeve will be staying on as the Faculty Director for the IDEA Engineering Student Center for another three years! Since Dr. Graeve took on this role in the Summer of 2015, we have successfully implemented our Student Success Initiative, which saw the creation and establishment of new programs aimed at promoting the academic success of all engineering students, including: Summer Engineering Institute, Engineering Learning Communities, and ENG 10 - Fundamentals of Engineering Applications. She also created an Industry and Faculty Advisory Board for the Center, and led the IDEA team through an exercise of strengthening our Center’s, vision, mission, and goals. Her first term as Faculty Director culminated with the publication of the IDEA Center’s inaugural Annual Report in Winter 2018. We look forward to another three years of continued growth under Dr. Graeve’s leadership, starting with the publication of the IDEA Engineering Student Center’s Strategic Plan for 2018-2021, which will be released shortly.

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Diversity Organization Banquets The end of each academic year is a transitional period for many students as the majority prepare for summer break and the graduating class prepares for their lives after graduation. The National Society of Black Engineers, Out in STEM, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and Women in Computing all used the end of the 2017-18 academic year as a period for celebration and reflection by coordinating end-of-the- year banquets for their respective organizations.

year at Rock Steady Real Jamaican Restaurant, while oSTEM, WiC, and SHPE celebrated in Qualcomm’s Conference Center.

During the banquets, each organization recognized recently elected officers for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year, as well as graduating students, faculty advisors, and outstanding volunteers. Lastly, all of the diversity organizations expressed their sincere appreciation for their donors, for whose contributions both small and large, made the 2017-18 year a tremendous sucBetween late May and mid-June, each organization cess. held their banquets in remembrance of all the hard work and effort placed into organizing annual events, general body meetings, as well as special events like hackathons.

SWE held their banquet in the Loft, NSBE celebrated the

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Welcome Aboard Ryan joined the IDEA Center as a Student Program Coordinator in December 2017. Before joining the IDEA Center, Ryan completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois and a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Starting in July 2017, he served as the Sloan Scholars Program Assistant with UCSD’s Graduate Division, which included supporting graduate students in the Jacobs School of Engineering and the Division of Physical Sciences. While in this role, Ryan spent half of his time in the IDEA Center, working on programs like the Jacobs Undergraduate Mentorship Program and the Transfer Engineering Mentorship Program.

Ryan has since joined the IDEA Center full time as a Student Program Coordinator. In his new role with the Center, Ryan serves as an advisor for engineering student organizations and as an advocate for the engineering undergraduate community as a whole. He oversees programs that promote student retention, foster leadership skills, and enhance the professional development of engineering undergraduates. Some of his main duties include serving as the staff advisor for the Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC) and the Jacobs School Scholars Society (JSSS), administering the IDEA Center’s Matching Funds Program, and many more. He also helps produce the Center’s signature events like Ring Ceremony, the Overnight Program, and the Summer Engineering Institute.

Through his work with the IDEA Center, Ryan hopes to foster an inclusive and supportive community for all undergraduate engineering students and to contribute to their personal and professional growth.

Marina comes to the IDEA Center from UCLA, where she served as an Office Manager in UCLA Special Events and Protocol. Her many years at UCLA encompassed various roles promoting the mission of UCLA External Affairs working in the Alumni Association, the Vice Chancellors Office and University Communications. Prior to UCLA, Marina and her sister co-owned a coffee house in Los Angeles for several years, worked at Los Angeles’ MOCA in supporting museum development efforts, and has served in several volunteer roles throughout her career.

Marina graduated from California State University Long Beach with a degree in Art History and visits museums during her travels to other cities and countries.

In her new role with the IDEA Center, she provides administrative, logistic, and fiscal support for the IDEA Center’s programs and activities. She also coordinates the IDEA Center’s communications and office operations. While serving as the IDEA Center Coordinator, Marina hopes to support the efforts of the IDEA Center to assist all engineering students at UC San Diego.

During her free time she loves exploring with her family some of San Diego’s many beautiful open spaces including hiking trails, the beach and the botanic garden.

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Lisa Trahan joined the IDEA Center in October 2018 as Director of Strategic Initiatives & Assessment. In this role, she develops and assesses new programs to support student success in alignment with the IDEA Center’s Strategic Plan.

Lisa has been part of the University of California community for more than a decade, first as a student and then as staff member at UC Berkeley. During her almost eight years with the Research Group at the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley’s public science center, Lisa conducted assessments of myriad STEM education programs to shape new educational strategies, improve their effectiveness, and measure participant outcomes. Several studies focused on expanding diversity, access, and inclusion in pre-college engineering education, with attention to changes in participants’ skills, attitudes, and career interests. Lisa has also been a champion for diversity and inclusion in organizational culture and practices, serving as Chair of the Lawrence Hall of Science Equity Committee and member of a Workplace Climate Task Force.

She also served on the Steering Committee for UC Berkeley’s Coalition for Education & Outreach, which provides learning and networking opportunities on elementary through post-doctoral outreach, diversity, and inclusion.

Lisa earned her B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Education from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Museum Studies— Education & Interpretation from John F. Kennedy University. Her Master’s Project, which focused on culturally responsive evaluation practices, received the Departmental Award for Scholarship in Museums & Social Responsibility.

Ruben D. Rodriguez is a native San Diegan, a graduate of Montgomery High School, UCLA, and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, he returns to San Diego after several years in Los Angeles and a year in Boston.

He started his career in education as an AmeriCorps VISTA member leading retention initiatives at Crawford High School through afterschool programs. Since his VISTA service, Ruben’s career has spanned many areas of higher education, including Admissions, Residential Life, Tutoring Services, Disability Services, and most recently Diversity and Inclusion.

His academic interests include retention for underrepresented students in STEM fields, using social media to increase student engagement, proactive (intrusive) advising, the development of self-identity, and subversive marketing.

He is a fan of Game of Thrones, live music, and witty comebacks.

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IDEA Engineering Student Center UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive #0429 La Jolla, CA 92093 Phone: (858) 534-6105 Email: idea@soe.ucsd.edu