Michael Gollner’s journey from UC San Diego student to Associate Professor at UC Berkeley highlights the impact of mentorship, hands-on learning, and a supportive community. From his first robot-building course to groundbreaking research in fire science, Gollner’s path reflects MAE’s tradition of curiosity-driven innovation and dedication to shaping future engineers. Read more. 

Tammy Ma’s path from UC San Diego to a lead scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory showcases the power of strong mentorship, collaboration, and groundbreaking research. With a passion for pushing scientific boundaries, she continues to drive innovation in energy research while inspiring the next generation of scientists. Read more.

Deniz Burnham, a UC San Diego graduate, became one of NASA's newest astronauts after completing two years of rigorous training. Her engineering skills in critical thinking and problem-solving paved the way for her success, as she joined a prestigious group of three UC San Diego alumnae—all women—in NASA’s astronaut corps. Read more.

UC San Diego alumna Jocelyn Lo turned her passion for engineering into a thriving career in consumer electronics and entrepreneurship. Discover how her experiences at MAE helped her launch multiple successful engineering firms. 

Arthur A. Boni, Ph.D., has dedicated over five decades to pioneering innovation and entrepreneurship, blending engineering expertise with leadership across academia, industry, and venture capital to tackle global challenges.

Founded by UC San Diego alumni Jack Spitser ’20 (international business) and Zack Reuter ’22 (mechanical engineering), Epic Drone Tours uses GoPro-equipped drones to capture indoor tours and broadcast large-scale outdoor events, including the first live drone footage at a San Diego Padres game.

Bart Raeymaekers, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, credits much of his academic success to the transformative years he spent at the University of California San Diego in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). 

Greg Warner’s journey from UC San Diego to Wall Street highlights how the university’s interdisciplinary approach, mentorship, and hands-on opportunities equipped him with problem-solving skills and adaptability that have shaped his successful career in engineering, business, and finance.

Albert Yu-Min Lin, a UC San Diego alumnus, blends engineering expertise with adventurous exploration. A National Geographic Explorer and award-winning scientist, Lin’s work spans from groundbreaking technology to inspiring education through exploration and innovation.

UC San Diego alumnus David Turnbull received the APS 2023 Thomas H. Stix Award for groundbreaking achievements in plasma photonics and contributions to laser-plasma applications like Raman amplification and inertial fusion.