The biomedical engineering department’s growth in the Samueli School has been rapid. The department merges UCI’s strengths in medicine, biological sciences and engineering. BME faculty are competitive in garnering extramural grants, with expenditures topping $30M on an annual basis. Strong ties with many of Orange County’s more than 300 biomedical device and biotech companies provide students and faculty with distinct opportunities to solve contemporary medical challenges.
Starting in the late 1960s as programs in civil and environmental engineering, the department has a long history of offering a rich and diverse educational experience to students. Courses are taught by world-class scholars who maintain connections with industry and are involved in developing innovative technologies in earthquake and structural engineering, transportation systems, water resources and environmental engineering. The department is dedicated to providing life-long development, instilling a sense of professional responsibility and serving society.
The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science maintains close ties to industry; in fact, all curricula are developed with partners and are constantly refined to meet real-world demands and rapid changes in technology. Laboratories in both hardware and software and a close affiliation with the university’s major research centers facilitate development of new technologies in such areas as nanotechnology, distributed computing and secure networks.
In the last decade alone, California has been hit with back-to-back cycles of historic drought followed by historic rain, snow and flooding. “I’m personally concerned about this because our levee systems are very, very old and basically made out of soil,” said Amir AghaKouchak, a UC Irvine professor.
Starting with a program in mechanical engineering in the early 1970s, the department has grown tremendously in numbers, infrastructure and reputation. The faculty are world-recognized experts in their fields and have achieved top honors and distinctions. The undergraduate programs blend fundamentals with hands-on design experience and include research opportunities in a variety of laboratories. Graduate programs are recognized nationally and internationally for their impact and scholarship.
“Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for decades. You see marathon runners wrapping themselves in them to prevent the loss of body heat after a race -- but the key drawback is that the material is static,” said Alon Gorodetsky of the University of California, Irvine (UCI). … Dr. Gorodetsky’s laboratory specializes in drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom. In this case they were influenced by the abilities of a certain species of squid, octopus and cuttlefish to camouflage themselves.
This page is intended to assist the faculty in identifying and obtaining research funding.
