In The News

The latest from the College of Engineering

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  • Mahasweta Sarkar was the first female faculty member hired in the College of Engineering. (Taylor Slane/SDSU)

    Q&A with Mahasweta Sarkar: Balancing STEM leadership, motherhood and research

    Eighteen years ago, San Diego State University alumna and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Mahasweta Sarkar was hired as the first tenured female faculty member in her department. Today, she also serves as senior associate dean of Global Campus and on several committees across campus. Born and raised in India, Sarkar was surrounded by strong role models, including her father and aunt who are both civil engineers. This sparked her desire to also become a professional in the STEM field. However, during the 90’s it was not as common as it is today for women to pursue an undergraduate degree in a foreign country. Still, Sarkar has excelled in numerous ways, becoming a leader in her field and an inspiration to other aspiring engineers.

  • The Chemistry Graduate Student Association Demonstrating Science Experiments at the 2023 STEM Festival (SDSU Photo)

    SDSU set to host 2024 STEM Festival at Snapdragon Stadium

    “I remember attending this STEM festival in the Petco Park stadium when I was younger and it aided in the career path I choose today. I encourage the SD community to attend the STEM festival to connect with fellow San Diegans and to allow them to find a passion they did not know they had,” said Bernice Gudino, President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and bioengineering student.

  • Assistant Professor Marta Miletic Earns 2024 San Diego Outstanding Engineering Educator Award
  • From left: SDSU doctoral student Qingqing He, Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering Yang Yang and USC graduate student Yushun Zeng in the laboratory.

    Engineering a smart and robust protective body armor

    What if there was a way to strengthen our understanding of the impact football players undergo? Or, to create elderly protective gear that alerts help upon a fall? What if we could produce a smart spacesuit material that monitors force and shields astronauts? Our engineers are creating an advanced sensing technology with a lightweight, organic material (cuttlefish bone) to 3D print and advance body protection gear with alarm systems and data collection capabilities built in.

  • (From left) Daniel Chang, Cai Li Chang, Chris Mi and Dean Eugene Olevsky

    Daniel and Cai Li Chang are fueling SDSU’s innovation in transportation

    A major gift to the Cai Li and Daniel Haiming Chang Center for Electric Drive Transportation will support research and development in electric and hybrid automotive technologies. Led by Distinguished Professor Chris Mi, the center was renamed in a Dec. 11 ceremony.

  • Professor Katz Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

    Professor Joseph Katz Earns AIAA San Diego Lifetime Achievement Award

    Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Joseph Katz has earned the AIAA San Diego Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding dedication and passion for his work. Over the past four decades of his career, he has positively influenced the fields of aerospace, aerodynamics, and mechanical engineering disciplines. From his research on fluid mechanics, combustion engines, and passenger car safety, to aviation piston engine cooling, transonic wings, and so much more, Katz has played pivotal roles in advancing the machinery and technology that we use in the modern world.

  • From left: SDSU doctoral student Qingqing He, Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering Yang Yang and USC graduate student Yushun Zeng in the laboratory. (Taylor Slane/SDSU)

    Aerospace engineering faculty members rank in top 2% of authors worldwide

    In an October 2023 Stanford University study, three San Diego State University aerospace engineering faculty members ― professors Ping Lu, Luciano Demasi, and Joseph Katz ― ranked in the top 2% of aerospace and aeronautics authors worldwide.

  • Alumna Establishes the C&C Probett Excellence in Aerospace Endowed Fund for Senior Design Projects

    Alumna Establishes the C&C Probett Excellence in Aerospace Endowed Fund for Senior Design Projects

    Christine Probett (‘85, ‘87, ‘97) has established the C&C Probett Excellence in Aerospace Endowed Fund for Senior Design Projects in honor of her late husband, Chris Probett, who also led a successful engineering career. Her gift will offer engineering students access to resources necessary to excel in the Senior Design Course, currently led by Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Joseph Katz. Fundamental for every senior to complete, the course provides students with the communication and presentation skills that give engineers a competitive edge.

  • Joe Kiani (left) was SDSU President Adela de la Torre's guest for the President's Lecture Series in the Theatre at Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.

    Page Medical Tech Innovator Returns to SDSU for President’s Lecture Series

    When Joe Kiani first enrolled at San Diego State University he was typically the youngest (15) kid in the room. That was rarely a hindrance for the student who immigrated from Iran, now CEO of a medical technology company and a presidential adviser, but the same can’t be said for his original plan for his education. “I wanted to be a doctor but I realized quickly I wasn’t good at chemistry,” Kiani said in remarks Thursday morning at the President’s Lecture Series at Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. “Fortunately I was good at physics, it came naturally to me.”

  • Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Theresa Garcia

    An SDSU Staff Member’s Ongoing Support of Engineering Students

    As a two-time alumna of San Diego State University, a staff member for over three decades, and a dedicated donor, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Theresa Garcia ('91, '09) has demonstrated steady support for College of Engineering students. Beginning her career with the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program in 1991, Garcia was surrounded by students who were interested in STEM but had yet to realize their path forward.That’s when she became passionate about helping students identify their dreams. When Garcia became director of MESA in 1997, she began giving back to the college every month through the payroll deduction program.

  • Ignacio Sepúlveda Oyarzun

    SDSU Researchers Innovate Tsunami Modeling Tool To Enhance Warning Systems

    Ignacio Sepúlveda Oyarzun, assistant professor at San Diego State University’s College of Engineering, and his team invented a dynamic tsunami modeling system that will enable researchers to significantly advance warning methods to save lives and mitigate the cost of damage in oceanfront areas. Through the creation of the new instrument, Sepúlveda found that planetary winds play a critical role in the formation of tsunamis — something that has never been proven before.

  • College of Engineering Assistant Dean Theresa Garcia

    Theresa M. Garcia Named 2023 Ray Landis Impact Awardee

    Theresa M. Garcia, a first-generation college student and SDSU Aztec for life, with more than 30 years of supporting students in STEM, will be this year’s Ray Landis Impact Award winner.

  • Assistant Professor Huang in his computer laboratory

    SDSU Researchers Working to Protect Power Grids Against Natural Disasters and Cyberattacks

    Under a $1.5 million federal grant, San Diego State University researchers are developing ways to protect the current power system from the effects of natural disasters and cyberattacks that leave people and utility companies vulnerable to data breaches and widespread blackouts. Their work aims to help utilities withstand events that carry the threat of pervasive power outages at a time when energy systems need to be redesigned to accommodate the growing use of renewable energy sources. Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Tong Huang and Distinguished Professor Chris Mi received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) ASCENT (Addressing Systems Challenges through Engineering Teams) program to further their research.

  • SDSU Associate Professor Hassan Davani discusses storm water management on Fox 5 News

    Fox 5 News: Civil Engineering Professor Discusses Storm Water Management Research

    Associate Professor Hassan Davani joined Fox 5 News during Hurricane Hilary to discuss his research on storm water management and flood prevention.

  • Three SDSU professors in their laboratory

    Galactic Guac: SDSU’s Sustainable Superfood For Space Travelers

    San Diego State University researchers in biology, nutritional science and aerospace engineering received awards from the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) initiative for their innovative projects in algae-infused space guacamole and drone highways.