Grand Challenges in Engineering from the NAE

The National Academy of Engineering issues its Grand Challenges in Engineering last month at the AAAS annual meeting. Researchers at UC San Diego are working on various aspects of all 14 of the challengs. We have put together a blog in order to get information about the various projects all in one place.

And the challenges are...

Make solar energy economical
Provide energy from fusion
Develop carbon sequestration methods
Manage the nitrogen cycle
Provide access to clean water
Restore and improve urban infrastructure
Advance health informatics
Engineer better medicines
Reverse-engineer the brain
Prevent nuclear terror
Secure cyberspace
Enhance virtual reality
Advance personalized learning
Engineer the tools of scientific discovery

San Diego is Amazing

San Diego is famous for its beaches and sunshine and proximity to both Mexico and LA. But there is much more. And if you end up coming to UCSD to study or work, you'll have the chance to explore San Diego county. You hear people say that you can hike in the mountains, hang out in the desert and watch the sun set over the ocean all in one day, without leaving San Diego county. It's true. And it's cooler than it sounds. And when we get our winter rains, the wildflowers are amazing.

Career Fair Video

1000 engineering students from UCSD's Jacobs School jammed the Price Center on Feb 22to talk to potential employers at DECaF -- the largest student-run engineering career fair on the West coast.

Among the 90 companies recruiting companies was Walt Disney Imagineering. One of the recruiters was Joel Payne, a Jacobs School alum who was hired at this same fair back in 2002. At Disney, Payne is at work on a new roller coaster.

ENSPIRE student outreach event

Above: one of the cool straw desings created by 8th graders at ENSPIRE -- the huge outreach event run by Jacobs School undergrads. They pulled together 200 volunteers!




Ensprire rocked last week. It's a great new addition to National Engineers Week at UC San Diego. The 8th graders had a ton of fun and really got into the design projects and hands-on experiments. The good energy was infectious.

Engineers Games Video

Check out the 2 minute Engineers Games video from UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering.

Make a Hologram Workshop

As a part of National Engineers Week at UCSD, undergrads have taken it upon themselves to organize an outreach event. They are bringing 400 8th graders to campus today so that the kids can be exposed to life as engineering major. In fact, the busses are on their way right now (and hopefully the rain will hold off!)

One of the activities for the kids is a "Make a Hologram Workshop". You can read more about it on the blog of the student organizers of the event, which is called ENSPIRE.

Tau Beta "Peace" wins Golden Calculator

Tau Beta Pi took home the Golden Calculator trophy at the 2008 Engineering Games at UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering. They won in a run-off after the group tied for first place with the teams from two other engineering organizations.