Berkeley Engineering’s 2024 in review
We’ve made it to the final stretch of 2024, and it’s time to look back on Berkeley Engineering’s biggest stories! In a year full of incredible achievements and discoveries, we wanted to capture the spirit of each milestone. Check out our year-end review that puts the “super” in superlative:
Berkeley researchers took 3D printing to new heights by sending their microgravity printer — dubbed SpaceCAL — to space as part of the Virgin Galactic 07 mission. During 140 seconds of suborbital flight, it autonomously printed and post-processed a total of four test parts, including space shuttles and benchy figurines! Read the story here.
Dozing at the wheel? Not with these fatigue-detecting earbuds. Berkeley researchers led by Rikky Muller, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, have created earpieces that identify brain activity associated with relaxation and drowsiness. Read the story here.
What do sticky notes, surgical superglue and epoxy have in common? They could all benefit from Berkeley researchers’ new recyclable adhesives made of αLA polymers. “Most commercially available polymer adhesives are tailored for specific, sometimes narrow uses,” said Phillip Messersmith, professor of bioengineering and of materials science and engineering. “But these αLA polymers have shown that they translate well across a range of applications.” Read the story here.
California has seen nearly 8,000 wildfires in 2024, and the need for mitigation strategies is at an all-time high. Enter the Berkeley Fire Research Lab with a new wildfire simulation model that sheds light on how fires spread through communities in the wildland-urban interface. The researchers aim to help communities take proactive measures to improve their resiliency. Read the story here.
Radioactive metal, that is. Rebecca Abergel, associate professor of nuclear engineering and of chemistry, is harnessing the unique properties of radioactive metals to enact life-sustaining medical treatments. Among the novel applications? Delivering highly potent alpha radiation directly to cancer cells and removing heavy metal contaminants from the body. Read the story here.
The cover story from the latest issue of Berkeley Engineer magazine centers on how air pollutants impact people in different communities — and what kind of policies might improve equity in the realm of public health. Research by Josh Apte, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and in the School of Public Health, has identified surprising trends as far away as India while expanding our understanding of disparities on Bay Area streets. Read the story here.
As BB-8, the spherical robot of Star Wars fame, rolls across surfaces, it’s exhibiting holonomy.
That phenomenon was the subject of a study by Oliver O’Reilly, professor of mechanical engineering, and Theresa Honein, a Ph.D. student — and their work led to a live demo with the makers of a realistic BB-8 build on campus. Happy beeps here! Read the story here.
The patterns on shark skin, known as riblets, have inspired a research team led by Grace Gu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to design a textured surface that reduces drag and mitigates flow-based noise on the towed sonar arrays that aid in underwater exploration. Read the story here.
Daniel Villasenor (B.S.’27 CE) got his closeup on ESPN’s College GameDay when he took on the program’s field goal challenge. Wearing weathered Vans, the sophomore landed a 33-yard shot for $100,000 — and became a new and surprising legend in Cal football lore. Read the story here.
