Outstanding students from each discipline in the School of Engineering are recognized by the faculty of their department for academic excellence and notable contributions to the department and the school.
Congratulations to our graduating students!
What's Next: Visit UC Merced Commencement
Photo: Fall 2024 Outstanding Student Recipients
I chose UC Merced for its ongoing support for first generation college students. As a first generation student, it was important for me to find a university that supports their students. I quickly found that there are an abundance of resources and programs for first generation students in all disciplines to further their education and find opportunities, such as undergraduate research.
My interest in bioengineering began in highschool where I participated in a lot of engineering courses. I enjoyed learning how engineering concepts can be applied in biological processes, and became confident that I wanted to pursue a career as a bioengineer. As a bioengineering major, I can understand biological processes from the point of view of an engineer, and apply engineering concepts to answer the many challenges this field faces. Being an engineer provides an outlet for me to bridge biology and engineering to push the boundaries of science and medicine.
To my family and friends, thank you for your support throughout my undergraduate career. To my research advisor, Dr. Andrea Merg, thank you for giving me the opportunity to start my career in research early, and to Anthony Perez, for being the best graduate mentor I could ever ask for. I want to give my gratitude to everyone in the Shipman Lab at UCSF. Thank you for welcoming me into the lab. To the UROC team and UC LEADs, thank you for giving me multiple opportunities to conduct research as an undergraduate student. Without your support and belief in me, I would not be where I am today. Thank you all!
My most memorable experience has been the many research opportunities that I have experienced. As a UC LEADs scholar, I had the unique opportunity to conduct research at UC Merced as well as UCSF. During my time as a UC LEADs scholar, I’ve presented at multiple symposiums, I became a co-author for the Merg Lab, and won first place at the 2024 Emerging Researchers National Conference. I am grateful for all the opportunities I took during my time at UC Merced.
I am excited to continue my education at the University of California, San Diego. I will begin my new chapter as a bioengineering PhD student starting Fall 2024!
To all current and future undergraduate students, please take full advantage of the resources provided by UC Merced. I am where I am today because I received support from my instructors, mentors, and the entire UROC team. They helped shape me into the student and researcher that I am today. Seize the opportunity; email professors about undergraduate research, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn.
I chose UC Merced because I wanted to be a part of something new and growing. Also studying a new major on campus, I enjoyed the smaller community and more individualized support.
I have always been interested in how things are built, and as a kid I loved passing construction sites. Growing up, I excelled at math and problem-solving which pushed me toward engineering. I've always had a passion for sustainability, and with a degree in civil engineering, I hope to apply my skills to sustainable projects.
My family has been an integral part of my academic journey. They have always supported me without judgement which allowed me to grow into who I am today. Additionally, the civil engineering faculty are passionate about the new program and continually advocate for student success.
I have enjoyed many of my classes here at UC Merced, and appreciate the opportunity to take classes outside of my major. One of my electives is a remote sensing class, where we learn about satellite imagery and how to use it for our own research. I find it fascinating how we can connect the impacts of human activity on the environment through space, strengthening my passion for sustainability.
After graduating, I will be moving to Maryland for a job at a construction contracting company. I am excited for a new adventure and to apply my skills from school to the field.
I chose UC Merced primarily due to its location. Having grown up in bustling urban environments, I was keen to experience the tranquility of a smaller city. UC Merced's setting offers a serene backdrop conducive to focused academic pursuits, without the distractions often found in larger metropolitan areas. Additionally, UC Merced's emphasis on research opportunities greatly appealed to me.
I decided to major in Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) because of my love for technology and computing. Growing up, I've always had a strong interest in computers. So when it came to choosing my major, it's obvious what kind of career path would suit me best: one where this passion can be put to good use while also making some sort of impact within the constantly evolving field of technology. CSE was the right choice for me because it offers a diverse set of abilities that can open up numerous job paths. From making software to designing algorithms or exploring data analysis, CSE provides fundamental knowledge in computing principles that is useful in many types of work fields.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my family for their unwavering support and encouragement, propelling me forward throughout my college journey. Their belief in my abilities has been a constant source of strength. In terms of academic inspiration, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all my CSE professors, with special appreciation for Dr. Florin Rusu, Dr. Santosh Chandrasekhar, and Dr. Hyeran Jeon. Their guidance and dedication have been instrumental in shaping my academic journey, inspiring me to delve deeper into the world of computing. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement.
A significant academic experience would have to be the semester I took Thermodynamics. I started that class with fear of failing because I had heard it was really hard. Initially I had a very hard time learning the concepts and learning thermodynamics with a mechanical engineer perspective. I then made sure to take extra time to study, attend office hours and study sessions that eventually paid off. This is a big part of my success now because after I took that class I received an offer for a research lab assistant position from Dr. Palko. This was a sign that my hard work and determination was noticed and that no matter what the struggle is just ask for help and keep going.
One of my most memorable academic experiences stems from my involvement in group-based projects during my Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) classes, particularly in my capstone class. Collaborating with my peers proved to be both exhilarating and challenging. Through these projects, I not only learned a great deal but also surpassed my initial expectations, thanks to the collective efforts of my teammates. Their support and collaboration propelled me further than I could have imagined, transforming what could have been an ordinary academic endeavor into a truly enriching and fulfilling experience.
After graduation, my next step is to secure a full-time position in Software Engineering. I'm eager to apply and expand upon the skills and knowledge I've gained during my academic journey.
I chose UC Merced because, as a modern university, it followed new trends in academia and didn't shy away from trying new things in academia and pedagogy. Alongside its location in the Central Valley, the great financial aid, and the tight-knit community, it was clear that UCM was the go-to university to study at.
When I was younger, playing games like Minecraft and Touhou Project inspired me to get into programming, hacking, and even building small hardware projects - all of which I learned on my own through trial and error. Turns out, those skills also transfer into real-world applications. I chose Computer Science and Engineering because I was interested in how modern computing worked - starting from the high-level software development practices, all the way to the low-level hardware design. I hope to use my knowledge to help develop better tools to improve productivity, as well as pass on my knowledge to those who want to get into computer science but might not have the right resources to get started.
I am grateful to all of my professors and mentors here, however in particular I would like to thank Professor Cerpa and PhD Student/TA Jothi for making my CSE career worth it with his Computer Networking course. This challenging course not only flipped my perspective of networking, but also my approach to problem solving with all of the tough (but fun!) labs.
I also acknowledge Dr. Santosh Chandrasekhar and Dr. Stefano Foresti for organizing the Innovate To Grow capstone experience, which I enjoyed for the collaborative experience. It's perfectly designed to let students test out their knowledge against practical problems and create practical solutions, resulting in more experience and happy clients.
I thank Tom Wahlquist at Walpole ITS/Platform TA for my initial software development summer internship experience two years ago, which I am glad to still be a part of now. It has been a great opportunity to apply my skills to more real-world experiences, affecting and improving the work of many others.
Finally, I express gratitude to every student here at UCM (and some outside!) who have made my time here extraordinary. Many projects like my course searching and scheduling bot and the facility scraper tools have only been made possible because of their inspiration and motivation, and I am sincerely indebted to them.
For me, the Innovate To Grow capstone project was my most memorable experience, working with my three other team members to build a project. We developed an employee coaching tool for US Cold Storage to improve their data entry routine over a few months, and I'll never forget the stress from meeting project deadlines and the consequent relief. Fortunately, it won 1st in our I2G track and impressed our client, making the experience all the more rewarding.
For now, I'll continue working at my internship/job, however, I have plans to continue my research in running small neural networks on microcontrollers and better image searching/matching. Anything's up for grabs at this point, so let's see where life takes me!
Take it easy!!!
As a first-gen Latina, I was inspired to attend UC Merced because of the large Latinx/Hispanic community on campus. UC Merced was also one of the only schools that I applied to that offered Environmental Engineering in its curriculum, and when I was accepted, the excitement I felt made me realize UC Merced was going to be my top choice.
I chose Environmental Engineering from a career survey that I took in my middle school's AVID class. I was inspired by the focus on environmental injustices and protecting the planet’s natural resources.
I was fortunate to have Dr. Colleen Naughton as a professor and mentor for the majority of my undergraduate career. I started off as a course reader for Dr. Naughton in Spring 2023, then joined her FEWS-US lab the following academic year as an undergraduate researcher. I am grateful for all the opportunities she has provided!
My most memorable academic experience would have to be working on and completing my capstone project. I had such an amazing team that put in a lot of time and effort that paid off when we earned Top Finisher at Innovate to Grow!
After graduation, I will be continuing my journey with UC Merced in the Environmental Systems graduate program as a PhD candidate under Dr. Colleen Naughton!
I want to thank my family who have supported me every step of the way. I wouldn't have made it this far with your love and encouragement,
¡te quiero mucho!
It's a UC experience that's close to home with many available internship and undergraduate research opportunities.
Materials are the fundamental resource that every other applied engineering practice relies upon. Civil engineers, electrical engineers, bioengineers, and others use materials because they have specific properties that they want to take advantage of. Thus, materials engineers will always be needed. They understand what structures give what properties and what processes give what structures. The need for continued progress in materials understanding is what made me choose materials engineering.
Professor Leppert has been a key figure in the last few years of my education. Doing undergraduate research with her helped me apply skills that I had learned in previous courses, and it made my lab practices more refined. I can't put into words how much her electron microscopy course and materials characterization course put into perspective the amount of detail and work that goes into understanding what gives a material its properties.
Professor Viney is another inspiration. He has a lecturing style that dives deeper, on an intuitive level, than most textbooks can go. His lectures are unique and help students understand the thermodynamic and kinetic implications of materials processing. He's also quite the charismatic man - I look forward to learning guitar with him if he still wishes to.
Capstone was, and is, a great way of getting students familiar with industrial applications of their knowledge. Working with Innovate to Grow taught me the importance of planning, communication, and problem-solving on a level that no other course could.
A special thanks to Stefano Foresti, Christine Gemperle, Arnold Craig, Tim Lohman, and my team members Brian John Virtucio, Alejandro Lailson, and Yuriana Medina-Fernandez.
I'll get some more lab experience and hopefully start working in the industry. I'd like to get involved in semiconductor fabrication - even if it's just on the line.
Thank you. Simon, Abby, Danny, Neil - I won't forget you guys.
Born and raised in the Central Valley, I was nervous about the idea of leaving home and attending school in a large city. When I did my initial tours of the UC campuses, I felt out of place and small, with the exception of UC Merced, which made me feel welcomed. The campus had this sense of community that reminded me of my hometown.
Science and math have always been strong suits of mine. The concepts are interesting and keep me engaged. Mechanical engineering allows me to gain more insight into the theoretical explanations of how our world works, while also applying those concepts to practical, tangible applications; and me, I think that is so cool!
I’ve had a lot of inspiring figures in my life. My parents are such a pillar of support and really helped me to push through, truly cannot thank them enough. My brother has been such an inspiration with everything he’s accomplished academically and personally. My friends who have always been there to empathize with our shared struggles. Most importantly I want to thank my Grandfather. He was one of those naturally curious people that questioned everything. He was such a big part of my life and always pushed me to finish my degree. So when he passed away in 2022, it hit me hard. To say I was devastated would be an understatement, but it gave me more motivation to push through my degree, no matter how difficult it became.
One of the most memorable academic experiences was one of my smaller moments. It was just after my Spring 2023 semester and I received an email from one of my professors, offering me a position as an undergraduate researcher in their lab. It was a moment that took me by surprise and made me feel this overwhelming sense of accomplishment, knowing that someone so knowledgeable believed I had the ability to apply myself in a more demanding academic setting.
After graduation, I plan to take the fundamentals of engineering exam, so that I can work towards my goal of becoming a licensed engineer. I also plan to apply for a graduate program for the fall of 2025, in hopes of obtaining my master's in either mechanical or aerospace engineering, with an emphasis on fluid mechanics.
When I was attending high school, I had family members attending UC Merced and studying engineering. To me, UC Merced was one of, if not, the first choices for universities that I wanted to attend because I heard such great things about it. Also, UC Merced is a very diverse school and it has made me feel welcomed and part of its community as a student with a Latino background.
I chose to study Mechanical Engineering due to it being a very broad field. Mechanical Engineers need to study many topics from many specific engineering majors. To me, because it was difficult to choose one engineering practice to focus on, I chose to take an approach that would allow me to focus on different components relating to different engineering practices which is part of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. As for why I wanted to study engineering: I have always been interested in learning how things work, especially things people use like planes, rockets, cars, etc. Engineering allowed me to take my love of science, especially physics, and apply it to design, build, analyze, and improve systems to further technological advancements with the goal of learning more of what is unknown.
In a non-personal sense, my biggest inspirations would be Issac Newton and Albert Einstein. Not only who they were and what they stood for but also what they accomplished. These people drove my love for science and engineering. Newton tried to explain the unknown but was limited by the materials of his time, so he invented what he needed to explain his thoughts (calculus). Einstein took what we knew and flipped it and has given us a new way of looking at reality (relativity). These two have taught me that if one does not have the tools to do what one wishes, one can create new tools and to not be afraid to think differently from others.
On a more personal note, I will always consider my parents and siblings as my biggest inspirations and mentors. My siblings, though they chose different paths than me, will always be an inspiration because they have supported me every step of the way, and they have managed to navigate through life and accomplish so much which I hope to do as well. My parents are immigrants and have sacrificed so much for me to be where I am. They gave up so much of what they knew and have worked in labor intensive jobs all my life to support me and my siblings to give us a better life. I hope that I can show them one day that it was all worth it and how grateful I am.
A memorable academic experience of mine was my capstone project that I had in my fourth year (fall 2023 - spring 2024). This was memorable because it gave me a sense of what would be expected of me in the engineering industry. It sort of took me out of the classroom mindset and more a real world application mindset. This was memorable because it challenged me to apply all that I had learned in engineering to solve a real engineering problem.
After graduation, I plan to start a career in the aerospace industry because space is a personal interest of mine. I hope to one-day advance space exploration technologies. I also plan to potentially pursue a master's/PhD program with an emphasis in aerospace or mechanical engineering. I want to apply all of this experience to some real world engineering applications relating to space.
If anyone is interested in engineering, the number one piece of advice I can give is to be passionate about it. Passion is what gets you through difficult times. If you want to achieve your dreams, you need to want it more than anything else and be ready to give it all you've got.
