For at least one quarter a year, the Bates family has two polymer scientists on campus.
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Charlott Vallon, assistant teaching professor of mechanical engineering.
The new assistant teaching professor of mechanical engineering restructures the hierarchy of learning controls for complex cyber-physical systems.

Materials and mechanical engineering professor Jeff Sakamoto. Photograph by Lilli Walker
The UCSB professor is cited for leadership in the areas of electrochemistry and mechano-electrochemistry.

UCSB PhD students Payton Croskey (left) and Logan Winston received 2025 Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation.
Fellows receive $159,000 in financial support over three years to pursue impactful research.

2025 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship recipients Akinwole Akinbolagbe (left) and Towela Phiri
The university recognizes a pair of engineering students for their outstanding service to campus.

Professor Michelle O'Malley has been appointed interim chair of the Bioengineering Department.
While the search for a permanent chair continues, O'Malley will take over for founding chair Beth Pruitt.

Happy members of the Shellphish team are shown a year ago after making it through the semifinal round at DEF CON 2024.
After two years and several rounds of competition, the hacking collective aims for the $4 million first prize.

Dr. Weiyi Li receives the 2023 IEEE EDS Paul Rappaport Award from EDS President Bin Zhao during the 2024 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco. Photograph courtesy of IEEE EDS.
The breakthrough results could pave the way for higher-performing, lower-cost wireless systems.