UC Davis ECE

Congrats to May COmEt COmmEndation recipient, Michelle, who executed a SNG Retreat for Grad Coordinators; set the agenda, organized guests & ensured attendees fully participated. From the retreat, CoE refined recruitment, streamlined info dissemination & created shared resources.

The Ding Prize for Scholarly Excellence in ECE has been awarded to Vivian Nguyen. The Prize recognizes a top grad student whose academic achievement reflects exceptional dedication, intellectual rigor & excellence in their discipline. Learn more: ece.ucdavis.edu/news/computer-…

Dr. Gupta's research lies at the intersection of machine learning, healthcare & secure computing systems. He developed predictive models for healthcare applications such as critical care decision support & predicting neurological disorders, while designing novel secure frameworks

Omer developed periodic subwavelength silicon photonic waveguides as a platform for engineering low-energy free-electron & photon interactions; focusing on photonic device development flow, including design, tape-out, & experimental characterization, to demonstrate interactions.

Congrats to Toluwa Odemuyiwa! Toluwa developed EDGE (ExtenDed General Einsums), a new mathematical notation & framework. EDGE allows researchers to reshape how they express, reason about, and design solutions for graph problems, bringing to life a systematic design space.

Congratulations to Luz Sandoval Manjarrez, recipient of the College of Engineering Outstanding Staff Award! Her leadership, dedication and commitment to the ECE community have made a lasting impact. We're proud to celebrate this honor. Full story: bit.ly/3QlZyiT

Understanding dementia starts at the cellular level, and AI may help us get there faster. ECE Prof. Chen-Nee Chuah and UC Davis Health Prof. Brittany Dugger lead AggieBrain, using AI to analyze brain tissue and accelerate dementia research. Read more: bit.ly/49WjzTJ

UCD is a core member of the "PINES", a regional node of the National Network for Microelectronics Education, or NNME, designed to strengthen and scale the semiconductor workforce across the western US. Learn More: bit.ly/4vBFdVP

Pranav Rawat had a moment of clarity when he took “Circuits I.” With circuitry, he finally found a way to create physical models of the systems he had toyed with in his head his whole life. Learn More: bit.ly/4u9eLSn

For many UCD students, the quarter is shaped by coursework and campus routines. For ECE student Rayan Mansoor, that routine includes helping other students make sense of AI. He is developing AI literacy materials designed to support UCD. Learn More: bit.ly/3Ptbv63

The College of Engineering at the University of California, Davis, has selected electrical engineering student Hari Rakul Ambethkar to receive its highest honor for a graduating senior, the M.S. Ghausi Medal. Learn More: bit.ly/3RAaiuf

What began as late-night study sessions in Shields Library has grown into one of the largest student organizations in ECE. With 150+ active members, COFFEE provides mentorship, community and professional opportunities for UC Davis engineers. Read more: bit.ly/4uhS92B

Congratulations to ECE alum Sagar Sajeev, M.S. ’25, recipient of the Jeffery C. Gibeling Master’s Thesis Excellence Award. Advised by Professor Bevan Baas, Sajeev developed an ultrafast processing framework for data-intensive computing. Read more: bit.ly/4nunNYb

For innovative research advancing the communication and information technologies of tomorrow, electrical and computer engineering alum Phat Nguyen has received the Zuhair A. Munir Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation in Engineering at UCD. Learn More: bit.ly/4nsPfFQ

The ECE Department is experiencing a profound strengthening of community, bringing together students, faculty, industry partners, and alumni to drive transformative progress. It’s inspiring to see our community come together to help shape the department’s future.

From robotics demos to groundbreaking research and Aggie traditions, this year’s Picnic Day (celebrating "The Journey Home: Destination Davis") highlighted the innovation, curiosity, and community that make UC Davis special. Read more: bit.ly/4eSH3wv

ECExpo 2026 brought students, alumni, and industry leaders together to connect and explore the future of engineering. Highlights included the opening of the André Knoesen ECE Teaching Lab and discussions on AI’s impact. Read More: bit.ly/4sHp9jw

Dr. Wang's research advances a new generation of AI agents powered by world models and reinforcement learning — enabling them to predict outcomes, recover from the unexpected, and continuously evolve through real-world experience and multi-agent collaboration.

We're excited for our next scheduled Distinguished Seminar next Friday, April 24th. Harvard University Professor Na Li will be presenting, "From Generative Models to Control: Representation-based Reinforcement Learning in Physical Systems." Abstract & bio: bit.ly/4cGwtH7

UC Davis students explore the distinct paths of computer science, computer engineering, and computer science & engineering—each offering unique ways to innovate through software, hardware, or both. Read More: bit.ly/4mcNBrd