Media Watch
Jeremiah Abraham on opening doors for more AAPIs in Hollywood, one movie at a time
GMA News Online -
If there is one Filipino who is trying to help AAPIs (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) to be recognized more and get into Hollywood, it is Jeremiah Abraham. Born in Manila and with a degree in computer engineering from the University of California Irvine and a masters of communication from the University of Southern California, Abraham shifted his interest toward the entertainment industry after working several years in technology related jobs. Read More
Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future?
PBS Newshour -
As leaders around the world search for cleaner energy solutions to fight climate change, a question has emerged: Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future? … Jack Brouwer is director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. He is convinced a future that runs on hydrogen … is finally around the corner. … “You could actually design a fuel cell engine that can be just as fast as any battery engine,” [said Brouwer]. Read More
Video: Squid-inspired film developed by UCI
Engineering 360 -
Engineers at the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) have invented an adaptive composite material inspired by cephalopod skin that could one day be used for insulating beverage cups, to-go restaurant containers, shipping containers and parcel boxes. … According to Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the large-area composite material regulates heat via reconfigurable metal structures that separate and then come back together amid different levels of strain. Read More
University Teams Fly High in Airport Designs of the Future
NASA -
Concepts from eight teams participating in the 2022 Gateways to Blue Skies: Airports of Tomorrow (Blue Skies) Competition have been selected to present their design concepts to a panel of industry experts at the 2022 Blue Skies Forum, slated for June 2-3, 2022. … The 2022 Blue Skies judging panel has selected eight teams as finalists in this year’s competition: … University of California, Irvine — Project Title: Blue Skies, Green Fuels, Bright Future — Advisor: [assistant professor of engineering] Dr. Jacqueline Huynh …. Read More
Research team develops insulating material inspired by skin cells of squid
Packaging Europe -
Engineers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have developed a composite material that mimics the expansion and contraction of chromatophores on the skin of squid that control infrared light and heat transmission, which it claims can be cost-effectively scaled for insulating applications such as beverage cups. Developed in the laboratory of Alon Gorodetsky, UCI associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, the infrared-reflecting metallised polymer film reportedly regulates heat through reconfigurable metal structures that can reversibly separate from one another and come back together under different strain levels. Read More
Squid skin inspires heat-regulating coffee cup
Freethink -
Researcher says retooling flood control systems could help beaches
Spectrum News 1 -
Brett Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCI walked along a flood control channel in Fountain Valley and scooped up a handful of gritty material piled up on the side of where the water flows through. … Sanders said the sediment could be used at beaches with eroding shorelines, like the stretch of sand north of San Clemente. Instead, the sand is stuck along the concrete that makes up the Santa Ana River, an unintended consequence of a flood control channel, according to Sanders. Read More
Droughts are cutting into California’s hydropower. Here’s what that means for clean energy.
MIT Technology Review -
During high-stress times on the grid, the reduced reliability of hydropower is already causing problems, says Brian Tarroja, an energy researcher at the University of California, Irvine. … These difficulties are likely to continue, Tarroja says. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns and causing higher temperatures, even if overall precipitation stays constant. The effects are likely to challenge hydropower in the coming decades. Read More
Squid-inspired packaging keeps contents not too hot, not too cold, but just right
Anthropocene -
Inspired by the way squid skin changes color, researchers have made a temperature-regulating material for coffee cups, takeout containers, grocery delivery bags, and shipping boxes. … “There is an enormous array of applications for this material,” said University of California, Irvine chemical and biomolecular engineering [associate] professor Alon Gorodetsky …. Read More
Rainfall Totals: 1+ Inch of Rain in Parts of San Diego County Not Enough to Pull From Drought, Expert Says
NBC San Diego -
UC Irvine professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Amir AghaKouchak said while the rainfall was significant, it is not likely enough to pull the region out of drought. … “It's better than last year, but we will remain under drought situation this year, at least that's how it looks like. … From an ecosystem perspective, wildfires around us are increasing over the years and drought is a major contributor," AghaKouchak said. "With prolonged drought, chance of wildfires increase and with that, poor air quality, potential health impacts, even long-term chronic impacts." Read More