Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation (SCDI) is open! State-of-the art classrooms and teaching laboratories were ready on Day 1 of the fall quarter and last week we celebrated its grand opening at the Dedication Ceremony. The integrated STEM complex—which includes both the SCDI and nearby Heafey-Bergin buildings—has many reimagined teaching and collaboration spaces that provide new, exciting opportunities for student growth and learning for many years to come. Read more.

New MS Degree in Robotics and Automation. The new offering, run through the world-renowned Robotic Systems Laboratory (RSL) will provide students with knowledge about the design, control, and automation of robotic systems and smart machines. The program also features in-depth R&D opportunities consisting of work on an industry design problem or conducting research leading to a publication. Read more.

Meet our new faculty! The School of Engineering is delighted to introduce four new faculty members joining our community of scholars this year. They bring a passion for teaching and provide a depth of experience in their research that will captivate our students and enhance our program.

Sean Choi, Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, 2019, Stanford University, Stanford, California
Concentration: Cloud Computing, Distributed Systems

Sharon I-Han Hsiao, Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, 2012,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Concentration: Information Systems

Maria Kyrarini, Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, 2019, University of Bremen, Germany
Concentration: Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

Hoeseok Yang, Associate Professor 
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, 2010, Seoul National University in electrical engineering and computer science 
Concentration: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Betty Hou, a Computer Science and Computer Engineering double major from Redmond, Washington has won a Hackworth Fellowship in Applied Ethics for the 2021-22 academic year. Hackworth Fellows engage more deeply with the application of ethics to a topic of concrete concern and complete an important project related to that concern, growing as an ethical leader through the process.

Emre Araci, Associate Professor of Bioengineering, has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award of $518,406 in support of his work on next-generation wearable movement sensors that can help improve the lives of Parkinson’s Disease patients and stroke survivors, advance sports medicine, and so much more. Read more.

Congratulations to Joanna Padua! Joanna recently passed the State Bar of California after earning her Juris Doctor degree from SCU Law in 2020. An attorney at the Law Office of Kellan Patterson, Joanna is also a member of our School of Engineering Graduate Programs staff, serving as Director of Admissions & Marketing.

This fall the School of Engineering must bid farewell to three long-term faculty and staff as they begin the next chapter of their lives in retirement. Read more about the many contributions of Dr. Tim Hight, Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Dan Lewis, Computer Science and Engineering, and Ms. Heidi Williams, Director of Communications for the School of Engineering. Read more about their many contributions here.

The Deans' Reception during Grand Reunion Weekend brought back many alumni/ae to the new SCDI campus in a creative way of connecting that had never been done before: a joint reception for both the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. Over 700 alumni, faculty, and staff celebrated seeing the new building and especially seeing each other.

Class of 2020, after waiting patiently this past year, celebrated their well-deserved commencement during Grand Reunion Weekend. The graduates and their guests participated in a procession through campus, walked the stage in front of the Mission, heard their names read aloud, and received their diploma covers. Congratulations to all the graduates of this resilient class!