UC Berkeley Engineering

Researchers develop energy-efficient memory sensor for wet, salty environments - Berkeley Engineering Innovative design uses phase-shifting material, enabling electronic sensors to function like biological neurons

Researchers led by MSE professor Junqiao Wu have developed an energy-efficient memory sensor for wet environments.

The design uses vanadium dioxide, a compound known for its ability to shift between insulating and metallic states, to enable electronic sensors to function like biological neurons.

Civil engineering is more than bridges and buildings—it’s the systems that keep our world moving. Hear how Berkeley engineers are shaping cities, solving infrastructure challenges and building a better future.

Listen now → engineering.berkeley.edu/exploringengineering

A smarter approach to designing metamaterials - Berkeley Engineering AI-driven framework creates defect-tolerant materials with complex functionality

A Berkeley-led team of researchers has developed a new AI-driven framework that can more efficiently design 3D truss metamaterials — a type of structure with extraordinary mechanical properties, sound absorption capabilities and tunability.

From COVID to cancer, new at-home test spots disease with startling accuracy - Berkeley News A new technology created by UC Berkeley engineers uses the "coffee-ring effect," paired with plasmonics and AI, for rapid diagnostics.

A new, low-cost biosensing technology could make rapid at-home tests up to 100 times more sensitive to viruses like COVID-19. The diagnostic could also expand rapid screening to other life-threatening conditions like prostate cancer and sepsis.

UC Berkeley scientists uncover neural mechanisms behind long-term memory - Berkeley News For the first time, neuroscientists have recorded activity from hundreds of neurons simultaneously in bats, providing new clues into how memories are stored.

For the first time, neuroscientists have recorded activity from hundreds of neurons simultaneously in bats, providing new clues into how memories are stored.

A headshot of Nichols in doctoral regalia. (Courtesy)

“My success is a testament to the value of a strong support network, and I encourage those in our community to reach out to the Berkeley community for help when they need it." – Aqshems Meten Nichols (M.S.‘17, Ph.D.‘25 CEE)

Full #VoicesOfBE profile: bit.ly/3ifpSXy

Wildfire season is here. UC Berkeley scholars are helping Bay Area communities prepare. - Berkeley News UC Berkeley Professor Michael Gollner and his students are applying advanced wildfire simulation tools to help neighborhoods understand their specific wildfire risks.

For the past two years, Michael Gollner, wildfire expert and associate professor of mechanical engineering, has partnered with Berkeley Hills residents to help reduce the risk of severe wildfire in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus.

YouTube video by UC Berkeley Morphing Matter explained in 101 seconds | 101 in 101

From self-folding chairs to self-planting seeds, UC Berkeley’s Morphing Matter Lab is transforming what's possible in engineering design with their biomimetic materials. youtu.be/sV_MbbFObAc?...

Curious about engineering but not sure which path to take? Listen to our new podcast, Exploring Engineering at UC Berkeley — your inside look at the majors, careers and stories shaping tomorrow’s innovators.

engineering.berkeley.edu/exploringengineering

This robot can collect blocks, rotate a Rubik’s cube, and even write its own initials — and it’s all open source for anyone to make!

With the Berkeley Humanoid Lite, engineers set out to create a customizable design, offering beginners an entry into robotics.

Read our story: bit.ly/4lhVOcn

@berkeleyengineer.bsky.social PhD students Zhe Fu, Linda Lim, DCRP PhD student Michael Montilla were in DC as 2025 Eno Transportation Fellows for a week-long experience engaging with dozens of nationally recognized experts, key policymakers, industry leaders, & fellow transportation enthusiasts

Berkeley engineers develop customizable, 3D-printed robot for tech newbies - Berkeley Engineering The open-source Berkeley Humanoid Lite provides an entry point into the robotics field

A team from @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social has developed Berkeley Humanoid Lite, a low-cost, open-source robot made of 3D-printed parts, providing an entry point into the robotics field. engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2025/06...

Leadership and legacy - Berkeley Engineering Dean Tsu-Jae King Liu reflects on her tenure at Berkeley Engineering as she prepares to step down.

Today, Tsu-Jae King Liu steps down as the dean of Berkeley Engineering, the first woman to hold the position.

She will transition to her new position as the president of the esteemed National Academy of Engineering. But first, she sat down with us to reflect on her experience as dean.

150 years of women in engineering - Berkeley Engineering In 1870, the UC Regents unanimously approved a resolution to admit women “on equal terms in all respects” with men. Berkeley Engineering is celebrating the 150th anniversary of this historic milestone...

Happy International Women in Engineering Day!

Our female faculty, students and alumni are at the cutting edge of our work at Berkeley Engineering: holding tenured positions, serving as mentors, leading innovative research and founding breakthrough startups.

Cracking the code of life - Berkeley Engineering The Evo 2 machine learning model enlists the power of AI in the fight against diseases.

In February, researchers released the largest AI model in biology: Evo 2, a machine learning model that enlists the power of AI in the fight against diseases.

Attendees fill the Elijah & Joshua Widjaja Study Lounge during the Grimes Engineering Center’s opening celebration at UC Berkeley on April 21. (Photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)

Overhead view of motion-blurred attendees at the Grimes Engineering Center’s opening celebration. (Photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)

Three attendees pose in front of the Chuk Wong Terrace entrance. (Photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)

From left: student Ryan Kuo, B.S. ‘26 EECS & MSE, Co-President, Engineering Student Council; Janelle Grimes; Oski Bear; alumnus Michael Grimes, B.S. ’87 EECS; Chancellor Rich Lyons; alumnus Eugene Jarvis; College of Engineering Dean Tsu-Jae King Liu; SOM architect Michael Duncan, XL Construction Senior VP Craig Ellis; and student Vivian Chung, B.S. ‘25 BioE & MSE; cut a ribbon during the Grimes Engineering Center opening celebration. (Photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)

The new Grimes Engineering Center will welcome the first class of Berkeley Engineering students this fall!

Read the Berkeley Engineer cover story: bit.ly/4kMLuZS

Berkeley Engineer cover featuring the Grimes Engineering Center. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

The summer issue of Berkeley Engineer magazine is out now!

We highlighted everything from the architectural wonders in the new Grimes Engineering Center to researchers creating the largest AI model in biology.

Read the issue: engineering.berkeley.edu/magazine

Two attendees laugh while laying atop inflatable bumper balls. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Attendees look on as a person breaks out in dance. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

One attendee performs a breakdance move. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Three attendees wearing inflatable bumper balls, one falling over. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Our Pre-Engineering Program (PREP) picnic on May 2 had no shortage of action shots!

PREP offers professional development opportunities, community building events and a seminar students can take for units to set themselves up for success.

Learn more about the program: bit.ly/45MhI2o

UC Berkeley Researchers Offer a Smarter Way to Price With Stability and Impact in Mind - UC Berkeley IEOR Department - Industrial Engineering & Operations Research With inflation, tariffs, and shifting consumer habits, setting the right price has never been more complicated or more crucial. But new research from UC Berkeley’s Department of Industrial Engineering...

With inflation, tariffs and shifting consumer habits, setting the right price has never been more complicated or more crucial. But new research suggests that simplicity might be the key to navigating today’s complex markets.

Berkeley IEOR Students Bring Machine Learning to Local High Schoolers - UC Berkeley IEOR Department - Industrial Engineering & Operations Research This spring, a team of UC Berkeley Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) students partnered with the Dado and Maria Banatao Center for Global Learning and Outreach from Berkeley Engine...

This spring, a team of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) students launched an innovative course introducing Bay Area high school students to the fundamentals of machine learning!

Attendees gather around a booth for a project on “The storytelling caterpillar.” (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Four attendees gather around a project featuring a black vest with wings. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

An attendee wears a headset and holds two remotes. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

“The storytelling caterpillar” figurine on a synthetic grass mat. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Here’s a look back at the 2025 Spring MDes Showcase at the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation on May 9!

During the three-day exhibition, student designers presented projects, prototypes and research developed in Jacobs-hosted courses.

(Photos by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Excited to announce @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social Professor Scott Moura will serve as Acting Director for the 2025-26 academic year! CEE and DCRP Associate Professor Marta Gonzalez will serve as Acting Faculty Director at PATH! Read more: its.berkeley.edu/news/moura-n...

In turbulent times, 2025 University Medal finalists excelled through idealism, hard work - Berkeley News Students in the UC Berkeley Class of 2025 worked against a backdrop of historic social and political instability. The University Medal finalists met challenges head-on, and their early accomplishments...

Carlos Quezada (B.S.’25, M.S.’27 CEE) was named a 2025 University Medal finalist, excelling through idealism and hard work amid a backdrop of historic social and political instability.

This university alliance is training students to strengthen tribal food, energy and water systems - Berkeley News The Native FEWS Alliance, a multi-university consortium led by UC Berkeley and the University of Arizona, is one of hundreds of programs affected by National Science Foundation funding cuts.

The Native FEWS Alliance is training students to strengthen tribal food, energy and water systems. But the future of the program is now in jeopardy after its funding became one of approximately 380 NSF grants unexpectedly terminated earlier this month.

New MRI method offers deeper insight into brain physiology - Berkeley Engineering Technique traces blood flow sources ‘in reverse’ to study brain function and disease

Researchers demonstrated how their new imaging method, Displacement Spectrum MRI, maps blood flows “in reverse” to reveal the source of blood in the brain’s veins. This approach could answer long-standing questions about brain physiology.

Congratulations for all your achievements to @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social, Berkeley CEE & @berkeleyits.bsky.social doctoral students and SafeTREC alum Han Wang, Qianhua Luo & Aqshems Nichols! 🌟 🎓 #Excellence #ClassOf2025 #CalGrad

Text: “Researchers devise simpler way to achieve clear microscopic images.” Graphic showing RDM’s image sharpening on a live tardigrade sample. (Courtesy Kohli)

Berkeley researchers have devised a simpler way to achieve clear microscopic images! Professor Laura Waller’s lab is behind a computational technique that leverages the cylindrical shape of microscopes to correct blur.

You can find the study in Nature: go.nature.com/4dCHXdN

Happy Graduation to the @berkeleyengineer.bsky.social ITS affiliated doctoral students! Congratulations, you did it!

Berkeley Engineering celebrates class of 2025 - Berkeley Engineering Newest grads seek to build technologies that benefit humanity, touch lives

UC Berkeley Engineering celebrated its newest graduates over the course of three ceremonies last week, honoring more than 2,000 bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degree recipients. 🎓🎉 #BEGrad25

Read our event roundup: bit.ly/3Hf0Gjk

Graduate in academic regalia smiles while walking at commencement, sprouts decorated on a mortarboard. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

A red graduation cap featuring Mario characters. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

Graduate wearing a decorated cap with electronic components and wires. (Photo by Adam Lau / Berkeley Engineering)

A graduate smiles while wearing a golden crown above a graduation cap. (Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

Hats off to our Berkeley Engineering graduates for their creative caps!

(Photos by Brittany Hosea-Small and Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering) #BEgrad25 #CalGrad