In The News

San Diego State University College of Engineering seniors are prepared to envision, design, and build a better world. During the 2024 Senior Design Day, held May 1 at Viejas Arena, senior design teams presented innovative engineering projects to upwards of 2,300 attendees. In the intensive, two-semester Senior Design Course, students collaborate as an engineering team to identify and solve real-world problems, from conception to implementation. With support from sponsors, mentors, advisors, and faculty, the students put their technical knowledge, communication, and collaborative skills into practice. The students showcased various projects from growing plants on the moon and designing non-invasive health monitoring sensors to developing power line wrapping technology to prevent wildfires.

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.

“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.

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.

Tong Huang, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), received the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Technical Committee Prize Paper Award for his high-impact journal paper.

Q&A with engineer Saeed Manshadi, whose team uses artificial intelligence to calculate fire risk and help utilities decide when to shut off power.

Alumnus Joe Kiani ('84, '88) is making a difference in patient safety through his medical technology company's noninvasive patient monitoring devices.

San Diego State University Lunabotics team, Team Vulcan, returned from NASA’s 2023 Lunabotics Competition as winners of three awards.

Senior Danny Tisnado looks forward to commencement - where fellow SDSU freshman engineering student, brother Miguel, and his alumna mother Janet (‘99), will be cheering him on.

Incoming transfer student and SDSU STEM Pathways program participant James Allison concludes a decade-long journey at community college to start a new chapter and begin his research at SDSU.

There is something about being brothers that comes with an unspoken bond. You are connected through the ups and downs in a way that no one can understand but you. Electrical alumnus Octavio ('92, '00), civil alumnus Oscar ('00), and Omar ('92) Martinez know this bond, but they share an even more special bond: they are all graduates of San Diego State University.

Peggy Johnson (Honorary Doctor of Science) received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from SDSU in 1985.

Over 80 groups of engineering seniors are hard at work on the finishing touches for their sponsored projects in preparation for the biggest engineering event of the year.

Justin Lee, has been selected to be part of the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Program (NUPOC) currently on track to graduate SDSU in May 2024. With this selection Justin is offered the opportunity to recognize faculty that have been influential in his academic success.

Electrical engineering senior Cyrus Yousefian has been recognized with the 2023 Howell Walton Award by his Senior Design course for his excellent leadership, management, technical, and collaborative skills.