eWeek is just around the corner! This year’s theme, 'Welcome to the Future,' is about celebrating today’s achievements and paving the way for a brighter and more diverse future in engineering. eWeek kicks off on Friday, February 17 with our Engineering Art Show Artist Reception, followed by Hack-4-Humanity and daily activities! Everyone is invited to help us close out the week at our 6th Annual School of Engineering Research Showcase on Friday, February 23, from 4-6:30 p.m. The Showcase features poster presentations of School of Engineering research performed by faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and undergraduate, Master's, and Ph.D. students. You are also invited to come and visit this year's Engineering eWeek Art Showcase from Feb. 16 to Feb. 25. Schedule of events.

Kamak Ebadi Ph.D. '20, following an extensive year-long interview and application process, has been chosen by NASA as an Analog Astronaut. Kamak is set to participate in a simulated journey to Mars inside a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. These missions, designed to be analogous to real space missions, play a crucial role in preparing astronauts for future missions to both the moon and Mars. As of January 26th, Kamak will be living and working on a spacecraft alongside three other crewmates, simulating Mars exploration scenarios. The primary objective of this mission is to develop and validate countermeasures aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of isolation, confinement, and work in high-stress environments. These efforts are crucial for enhancing the well-being and safety of astronauts and ensuring the success of future deep space flights. Keep a lookout for a featured story in our Spring Engineering Newsletter. Congratulations, and good luck, Kamak! Read more.

What's the latest? Alumni/ae, we would love to celebrate your remarkable accolades, achievements, and awards. If you have an intriguing story to tell, we're all ears! Please share your news here.

Ed Maurer and the Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Department were honored with Valley Water’s Volunteer Recognition Award for District 2 of Santa Clara Valley. Since 2015, the department has been responsible for the regular cleanup of a section of the San Tomas Aquino Creek. He initiated this effort and annually leads his spring quarter CENG 140 class on a field trip that includes creek cleaning. In the fall, he collaborates with our student chapter of ASCE to organize a creek clean-up. Additionally, he has created an instructional website about the San Tomas Aquino Creek. During the COVID pandemic, Ed coordinated with department faculty to ensure they maintained their commitment. Congratulations, Ed and the Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering!

Kinetic Art Challenge Winners:
Congratulations to the following winners:

Best of Show: "Rhincodon typus" by Peter Schumacher and Karl Schumacher

Honorable Mention: "MALCOLM - The Mech Bird" by Roman Junes, Jack DeMeulemeester, and Ryan Toy

Honorable Mention: "Great Horned Owl" by Ben Garver

Inspired by 'The Mechanical Horse,' a life-size horse made of metal and moving gears by artist and metal sculptor Adrian Landon, the Kinetic Art Challenge ran from September 25, 2023, to January 19, 2024. The challenge invited students to design and fabricate unique, artistic devices that incorporate mechanical motion. These devices showcased the motion of animals, people, natural objects, characters, and/or man-made objects. Entry categories included Passive Artistic Devices, Powered Artistic Devices, and Reactive Artistic Devices. Congratulations, to all!

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the five student organizations to receive this year's Diversity Works Award from the Career Center. These five organizations stood out for their high-impact programming and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Santa Clara. The Diversity Works Expo & Awards will be held on Tuesday, February 13, from 5-8 p.m. at the Locatelli Student Activity Center. Congratulations, NSBE!

Congratulations to the 2024 SCU Devcon Fellows: Isabel Andaya, EIT '24, and Emily Leane '26 (both Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering). The Devcon Diversity in Construction Fellowship Award provides financial support to selected students of SCU's Construction Management Program who spearhead initiatives and organize campus events to educate the campus community about the construction industry and its career prospects.