BE Undergraduate Newsletter
Announcements
Rare Opportunity to take a class with the Director of the Genomics Institute!
Still looking for an interesting course to take this Fall?
In "Scientific Principles of Life with dynamic professor David Haussler you will:
- Learn basic principles of life as it exists on this planet
- Explore the future of life in machine learning and adaptation, AI, genome editing, and fully artificial life
- Satisfy Scientific Inquiry 5-course credit requirement!
BME 18 - M,W,F, 1:20 PM - 2:25 PM. Enroll at my.ucsc.edu using class # 11228
Internships and Job Training from Google: STEP & SWE coming to UCSC
If you are interested in a career in computer engineering - specifically one at Google - you're strongly encouraged to look into these programs!
Here are the links in the flyer below (you may not be able to click them from the image).
STEP Newsletter: https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/coe-c-step-swe-newsletter/forms/registration
Careers: https://careers.google.com/students
Explore Careers in AI, Games, HCI, NLP & Semiconductor Engineering at the Silicon Valley Career & Internship Fair!
Interested in a career in AI, Games, HCI, NLP, and Semiconductor Engineering? Recruiters from Intel, Cadence, NVIDIA, Marvell, Bloom Energy, and other great companies will meet with UCSC students and alumni with skills in AI, Games, HCI, NLP, and VLSI. Sign up on Handshake to attend this event with top Silicon Valley employers at our campus in Santa Clara: https://ucsc.joinhandshake.com/stu/career_fairs/41502Engineer Change: Help Nonprofits with UCSC Blueprint
UCSC Blueprint is a club that aims to create various tech solutions for nonprofits and organizations that do not have the resources to do so. Student teams made up of developers and designers will connect with several nonprofits to help develop a full stack application that allows the non-profit to better reach their audience. In addition to developing a full stack application during the school year, UCSC Blueprint is also running a learning group where students will be able to attend various workshops teaching Git, tools used by industry professionals, introductory Web Development, and much more.
To sign up for the learning group please fill out this form. You can also join our mailing list, and find important other links in our linktree.
If you have any questions please email us at ucscblueprint@gmail.com
Slug Security - Embedded Security Competition 2024
Slug Security, UCSC's Cybersecurity Club, is looking for competitors for UCSC's 2024 MITRE eCTF team. Additional information on the Embedded Capture the Flag Competition can be found on MITRE's eCTF site. The competition is split into two phases, the design phase and the attack phase. The design phase is where the team will be building some embedded application on a microcontroller, while ensuring security requirements are met. The attack phase is where the team will be attacking other teams' designs to capture flags.
In the 2023 competition, UCSC's team secured 2nd place. Our eCTF 2023 blog post is available online and our previous codebase is public for anyone to view on GitHub.
If you are interested, please review the information document and apply at this Google Form (CruzID restricted) by December 1st, 2023.
For any questions please reach out to SlugSec@ucsc.edu or visit slugsec.ucsc.edu.
Scholarship Opportunity for Women in Engineering
The Applied Materials Momentum Fund
Applied Materials is now offering support for female identifying engineering students to help them overcome unexpected financial obstacles and to empower their educational careers in the form of three core grants:
1. Rapid-response emergency financial assistance
2. Bridge grants
3. Last Mile grants
Qualifying students may be eligible for all three grants!
Additionally, recipients of these grants and other interested parties are encouraged to consider internship opportunities with Applied Materials.
Check the application page to learn more about the scholarship funds.
Find out more about internships with Applied Materials here.
STEP Prep: Getting Ready to Apply with Google
Did you know about Google's STEP?
It is the Student Training in Engineering Program, and if you are reading this, you MUST check it out!
Follow this link to Google's STEP page to learn more about the highly coveted training and job prep this program provides.
The STEP program is designed to prepare budding engineers like you for a job in complex computer engineering and technology at Google, but the application pool is competitive, the program has qualifications, and submitting your application materials requires some preparation.
That is why Google is hosting a series of virtual events that will help prepare students to apply to STEP.
The events include info sessions with Googlers (Google engineers) and STEP Interns, resume workshops, opportunities for application feedback, connections with industry professionals, and much more.
If you are a 1st or 2nd year student interested in a computer science/engineering career - specifically one at Google - then this conference is made for you!
STEP is not only designed for aspiring computer engineers in general, but strives to provide this specialized knowledge and training to historically underrepresented groups in the industry. BIPOC, Latinx, Hispanic, non-gender conforming, and differently abled engineers are strongly encouraged to attend these prep courses and apply to STEP!
Register for the prep courses here!
Introducing SlugLoop: Revolutionize Your Campus Commute!
Ever found yourself stranded, waiting for a campus shuttle that's late or lost? Do you wish you had real-time updates on exactly when your ride is arriving? If so, SlugLoop, a new app from UC Santa Cruz, is here to transform your transit experience!
Born out of CruzHacks 2023, SlugLoop is a student-created app aimed at making transportation around the UC Santa Cruz campus more efficient and convenient. We've worked tirelessly since our beta phase, refining and enhancing features based on your feedback.
We're always eager for more suggestions on how we can improve. Your input will help us make SlugLoop an indispensable tool for all UC Santa Cruz students. Together, we can make campus transportation as seamless as possible.
Check us out at https://www.slugloop.tech. If you have any questions, suggestions, or bugs to report, don't hesitate to use our "Contact Us" form on the SlugLoop website. We're all ears and ready to make your commuting experience better!
Upgrade your campus commute today with SlugLoop!
Research Mentoring Internship Program
The Genomics Institute's Research Mentoring Internship (RMI) program is a research training program for UCSC undergraduates. RMI scholars receive hands-on experience performing wet-lab, computational, or faculty-directed research into the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic research. Award recipients will also receive a $3,000 quarterly scholarship and professional development and networking opportunities. Application cycles occur twice a year in the fall (transfer students only) and spring. Visit the RMI website to learn more about the program and RMI sponsored workshops that are open to all students.
For more information, contact Alondra Figueroa Olivo at afigue30@ucsc.edu.
Join the Baskin Day team!
Baskin Day is an annual student-run event open to everyone, where we celebrate the Jack Baskin School of Engineering, its students, faculty, and its achievements over the years. We aim to hold Baskin Day 2023-24 on Friday, October 13 (tentative). The event will feature various activities and educational events for everyone to enjoy — highlights of last year's Baskin Day included faculty research panels, a career recruiting event, and an engineering-themed Jeopardy! game, plus cool swag like stickers and T-shirts.
We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate students to join our planning committee over summer break and in fall quarter to help organize our event. If you are interested, please fill out this short application form and we will get back to you!
https://tinyurl.com/
Open committees:
- Media
- Logistics
- Sponsorship
- Internal
- External
Hope to meet you soon, and thanks for your interest in helping us with this annual event. Go Slugs!
If you have any questions, feel free to email the organizers: Alison <allasun@ucsc.edu> or Yogita <ysenthil@ucsc.edu>
Introducing the New Baskin Engineering Makerspace Initiative!
As part of the dean's Creative EDG2 initiative, the Baskin School of Engineering recently held Sustainable Sewing and Screen-Printing workshops in their new experiential learning and creative space (working title: SlugWorks) located in the basement of the Jack Baskin engineering building (JBEB 55).
Two successive 3 hour workshops were held in collaboration with the Rachel Carson College Earth Week festivities. Students learned about the life cycle of textiles and sustainable design practices, while creating tote bags and shirt designs to screenprint. The students and staff offering workshops in the new facility are eager to create and host casual yet progressive learning experiences where UCSC students, regardless of major, previous experience, or socio-economic background, can feel supported in making anything they can imagine using the tools and equipment available.
All students who submitted feedback were interested in further involvement, or proposing a future workshop. They also agreed that after the workshops, they could now find their way back to the SlugWorks location without guidance, overcoming the current wayfinding barrier. Lastly, the majority of students felt better connected to the Baskin Engineering facilities and what they have to offer.
Be on the lookout for upcoming Workshops and opportunities to get involved this upcoming Fall!
Students creating stencils to screen-print shirt designs.
Create Circuits, Control Motors, and Learn The EDA Toolchain!
Design-Build Experience: Electronic Circuit Design & the EDA Toolchain
By Undergraduate students like you!
The electronics circuit design module of CMPM 17 will introduce the basic concepts of electricity, circuit design, and circuit building by taking participants through the full manufacturing process of a printed circuit board. Students will initially learn the physics and measurement skills needed to design and troubleshoot their circuit on a breadboard before working through the entire Electronic Design Automation (EDA) workflow to build a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that controls the speed and direction of a motor for a desktop fan. In addition, the use of soldering for circuit construction and the process of sourcing electronic components is introduced. Taking this class will prepare you to streamline your own personal electronics projects and give you the skills to participate in engineering project clubs like UCSC Rocket team, Autoslug, Formula Slug, and Slugbotics.
The class has been designed to teach skills from the ground up, starting with a theoretical basis and quickly progressing into hands-on labs and activities designed to build upon each other and coalesce into a unified final project.
Link to the syllabus.
3D Design and Printing: Bring Your Creativity to Life This Fall!
Design-Build Experience: Introduction to 3D Design and Fabrication
The Introduction to 3D Design & Fabrication section of CMPM 17 is a class designed to give students the opportunity to learn introductory level skills associated with 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing. CAD software is frequently used by different types of engineers and designers. CAD software can be used to create two-dimensional (2-D) drawings or three-dimensional (3-D) models.
Students will learn how to use the industry standard 3D design software, SolidWorks, to design their own projects that will later be manufactured using3D printers. Students will be introduced to SolidWorks through mini-design exercises ( e.g. learn how to design and 3D print lego pieces) that will prepare them to create a final fabrication project design of their own choosing. Concepts such as rapid prototyping and iterative design will be explored and will culminate in a final project in which students get the freedom to design and fabricate something of entirely their own design. Students will gain an array of skills including: Post Processing ; CAD design(Solidworks) , 3D Printing (Prusa Mini), STL Slicing (Ultimaker Cura), Sourcing/ importing parts, Creating Mechanical Drawings and how to keep an engineering notebook. This course is designed to be both challenging and fun, while giving students the opportunity to apply their new-found skills to create something they can be proud of.
See the Course Syllabus for more detailed info.
CMPM 17 Design-Build Experience: Fall 2023
General Course Information
The goal of Design Build Experience is to introduce and practice a variety of concepts, skills, and strategies fundamental to engineering design and creative projects. Students will be trained in the engineering design cycle through project iteration and implementation from a holistic perspective, taking into account economic viability, resource efficiency, social resilience, ecological impact and ethical responsibility. Students will learn discipline-specific concepts while designing and building a tangible product that necessarily requires the safe use of tools and equipment available in a makerspace facility. Due to the 10-week time constraint design projects will, of necessity, be limited in scope. In-person lab attendance is required and it will be difficult to make up this time if classes are missed.
After completing this Design Build Experience, students are welcome to apply what they have learned to their own personal projects or to form/join a collaborative design team or student club within SlugWorks. In most cases, the completion of the course will result in a learner being approved to use specific equipment on their own.
Note that each instance of Design Build Experience focuses on a specific technical topic with associated final project, equipment-use, and foundational knowledge. Thus, students can elect to enroll in any variant featuring a topic or skill of personal interest. Design-Build courses can be repeated for credit and do not have prerequisites.
Empowering Computer Engineers in Pasadena, CA this October!
The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) is holding their 35th academic conference in Pasadena, CA this year: The Great Minds in STEM Conference from October 11th to the 14th.
The agenda includes research presentations, professional development sessions, computing workshops, cyber security competitions, and keynote speeches from industry leaders!
Graduate students and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Scholarship support to cover travel and registration expenses is available for qualifying students. Follow this link to the conference website for details. Follow this link to the application.
Black Staff and Faculty Organization (BSFO) Annual Scholarship
The University of California, Office of the President’s Black Staff and Faculty Organization (BSFO) is encouraging systemwide UC-enrolled African American students to apply for BSFO’s Annual Scholarship.
In these days and times, scholarships are used to help towards the astronomical costs of completing your educational goals and meeting daily expenses. BSFO recognizes the hard work, sacrifices, and dedication it takes to reach your educational goals. We provide a $1,000 scholarship annually to students to use towards items of your choosing and help lighten some of your financial obligations.
We want to hear from you, tell us a little about yourself, your passions, motivations, and examples of your persistence throughout your educational journey. Tell us about your academic achievements, professional goals, and scholastic endeavors. The Application process is simple, complete and submit UCOP’s BSFO Scholarship Application by December 31, 2023. You will not need to wait long to receive the funds, BSFO notifies selected students of their selection status by the end of January 2024 and funds are provided by the end of February 2024. Selected students will also have an opportunity to speak at BSFO's Scholarship Awards Ceremony that will be held in February 2024.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Events
UCSC Silicon Valley Career & Internship Fair! 10/10
Event Date and Time: 10/10/2023 4:00 pmEvent Location: UCSC Silicon Valley Campus
Ready to kick-start your career in AI, Games, HCI, NLP, or Semiconductor Engineering?
At the UCSC Silicon Valley Career & Internship Fair, you'll meet top recruiters from industry giants like Intel, Cadence, NVIDIA, and Marvell. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with Silicon Valley’s finest and build relationships that could flourish into rewarding careers. You don’t want to miss this!
UCSC students can register through Handshake.
UCSC Extension students & alumni: Register here.
Save the date: Tuesday, October 10, 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: Silicon Valley Campus, Event Center.
Hit the Brakes!: $20,000 Prize Pool for Automotive Data Hackathon in Sunnyvale
Event Date and Time: 10/13/2023 7:00 amEvent Location: Sunnyvale, California - Brembo HQ
The Brembo Hackathon
The Data Science, Machine Learning, and Generative AI Solutions Challenge
October 13th-15th in Sunnyvale, CA
Participants will be hacking on Machine Learning, Data Science, and Generative AI challenges that utilize historical data sets and exclusive industry access from Brembo – the global leader in brake production.
The Brembo Data and AI Hackathon aims to leverage the power of data-driven models to discover and create innovative methods for new brakes and improve data models for warranty claims that enhance performance.
At the heart of the hackathon lies a vast and diverse dataset provided by Brembo. This dataset encompasses a wealth of information on various car models, their braking systems, performance metrics, and real-world driving scenarios. With this data, hackers will be tasked with building innovative machine learning models to predict and optimize brake designs, or solve warranty database issues to improve Brembo’s current model.
Registration is Free! UCSC engineering students who possess relevant hacking and data analysis skills are encouraged to compete!
Follow this link to the Brembo website for registration and further details.
Wiki-a-thon for BIPOC Engineers and Scientists
Event Date and Time: 11/08/2023 1:00 pmEvent Location: Jack Baskin Engineering B2 180
Join us for an afternoon of creating and editing pages for BIPOC engineers, scientists, and technologists! Bring your laptop and a friend and enjoy some pizza while making a difference!
Wikipedia overwhelmingly recognizes the achievements of white people. This wiki-a-thon works to reverse this trend, highlighting the often overlooked accomplishments of BIPOC leaders in science and technology, and ensuring that the next generation can see role models who look like them.
NO EXPERIENCE NECESARY - We will provide a list of scientists who don't yet have pages, as well as training on how to contribute to Wikipedia.
Hosted by the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and the Jack Baskin School of Engineering. All are welcome!
UCSC Genomics Website.