Jacobs School Of Engineering
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The Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering is an undergraduate and graduate-level
engineering school Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve systems. Modern engineering comprises many subfiel ...
offering BS, BA,
MEng A Master of Engineering (abbreviated MEng, ME, M.E. or M.Eng.) is a professional master's degree in the field of engineering. International variations Australia In Australia, the Master of Engineering degree is a research degree requiring com ...
, MS, MAS and
PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
degrees at the
University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. The Jacobs School of Engineering is the youngest engineering school of the nation's top ten, the largest by enrollment in the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
system, as well as the largest engineering school on the West Coast and the ninth-largest in the country. More than thirty faculty have been named members of the National Academies. The current dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering is Albert P. Pisano.


History

Engineering programs began at
UCSD The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing ...
during the 1964 academic year with a broad applied science department in the areas of aerospace engineering, solid mechanics, bioengineering, and materials science. The first chair of the Department of Aeronautical (later Aerospace) and Mechanical Engineering Sciences (AMES),
Sol Penner Stanford Solomon Penner (5 July 1921 – 15 July 2016) also known as Sol Penner, was a German-American scientist and engineer, a major figure in combustion physics, especially in rocket engines, and a founder of the Engineering program at Universit ...
, recruited numerous experts in their fields from the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...
. The first four faculty members recruited including Penner were
Hugh Bradner Hugh Bradner (November 5, 1915 – May 5, 2008) was an American physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, University of California who is credited with inventing the neoprene wetsuit, which helped to revolutionize scuba diving and sur ...
, Forman A. Williams and Sinai Rand, who were followed by Paul A. Libby and others. Penner would later recollect that "Roger Revelle's dream of building a State University with emphasis on distinguished graduate work had immediate appeal for me because it was consonant with what ehad become familiar at the California Institute of Technology." These recruits included the second and third chairs of the department,
John W. Miles John Wilder Miles (December 1, 1920 – October 20, 2008) was a research professor emeritus of applied mechanics and geophysics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. He was well regarded for his pioneering w ...
and
Eric Reissner Max Erich (Eric) Reissner (January 5, 1913 – November 1, 1996) was a German-American civil engineer and mathematician, and Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was recipient of the Theodore von Karman Medal i ...
. During Miles' tenure, the department would be renamed to the Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, distinguishing it from the second engineering department. Founded in 1965 by Henry G. Booker as the Department of Applied Electrophysics, it would be renamed the Department of Applied Physics and Information Science. Both departments quickly achieved international acclaim for the high-quality research they supported. Additionally, undergraduate engineering instruction began in 1968 with a BA degree in
information and computer science Computer and information science (CIS; also known as information and computer science) is a field that emphasizes ''both'' computing and informatics, upholding the strong association between the fields of information sciences and computer scienc ...
. Research achievements in the 1970s included faculty member
Hannes Alfvén Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén (; 30 May 1908 – 2 April 1995) was a Swedish electrical engineer, plasma physicist and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). He described the class of MHD waves now ...
's receipt of the 1970
Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...
and
Kenneth Bowles Kenneth L. "Ken" Bowles (c. 1929 – August 15, 2018) was an American computer scientist best known for his work in initiating and directing the UCSD Pascal project, when he was a professor of computer science at the University of California, San ...
's development of
UCSD Pascal UCSD Pascal is a Pascal programming language system that runs on the UCSD p-System, a portable, highly machine-independent operating system. UCSD Pascal was first released in 1977. It was developed at the University of California, San Diego (UC ...
. In 1982,
UCSD The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing ...
combined the engineering departments into the Division of Engineering, led by the first dean, Lea Rudee. Ten years passed until the Division of Engineering was renamed the School of Engineering. This time, Robert Conn, an expert in plasma physics and semiconductors was chosen to lead the new School. In 1997, when
Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software and services related to wireless techn ...
founder and former UCSD engineering professor Irwin Jacobs and his wife Joan Jacobs provided a $15 million endowment for the School, the School went through a final name change leading to the current name in their honor. Six years later, Irwin and Joan Jacobs added to the endowment with a $110 million gift for scholarships, fellowships, and faculty support.


Campus

The School of Engineering occupies ten buildings on 20 acres in and around Earl Warren College on the UC San Diego campus. These buildings are Jacobs Hall (Engineering Building Unit 1), Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall, Atkinson Hall ( Calit2), Computer Science and Engineering Building, Engineering Building Unit 2, Structural and Materials Engineering Building, Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems Laboratory, High Bay Physics Building, Science and Engineering Research Facility, and Center for Memory and Recording Research. The primary thoroughfare, Warren Mall, runs from
Geisel Library Geisel Library is the main library building of the University of California, San Diego. It is named in honor of Audrey Geisel, Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel, the latter of whom is better known as children's author Dr. Seuss. The building's di ...
's '' Snake Path'' at its western end to EBU 2 at its eastern terminus. Two new collaborative and learning spaces, the Design and Innovation Building and the Franklin Antonio Hall, were opened in November 2021 and September 2022 respectively.


Public art

Warren Mall features four recognizable works of public art belonging to the
Stuart Collection The Stuart Collection is a collection of public art on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. Founded in 1981, the Stuart Collection's goal is to spread commissioned sculpture throughout the campus, including both traditional scu ...
. The oldest of these,
Bruce Nauman Bruce Nauman (born December 6, 1941) is an American artist. His practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance. Nauman lives near Galisteo, New Mexico. Life and work ...
's ''Vices and Virtues'', was completed in 1988 as a series of neon signs superimposing the
seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...
and
seven virtues In Christian history, the seven heavenly virtues combine the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude with the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The seven capital virtues, also known as seven l ...
over the Powell Structural Systems Laboratory.
Alexis Smith Margaret Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian-born American actress, pin-up girl and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Aw ...
's ''Snake Path'' was built to link Warren Mall to Geisel Library in 1992. Tim Hawkinson's 2005 work ''Bear'' frames the academic courtyard north of Warren Mall, and in 2012 Do Ho Suh's '' Fallen Star'' was mounted slightly askew on top of Jacobs Hall.


Academics and research

The Jacobs School of Engineering is currently home to six distinct engineering departments, offering eighteen undergraduate majors, sixteen
master's degrees A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
, and twelve Ph.D. programs. Undergraduate admission to each of these departments is capped, meaning that applicants who are not directly accepted to the major as freshmen or new transfers must apply for acceptance.


Bioengineering

Th
Department of Bioengineering
was founded in 1994. It began in 1965 under the leadership of Y.C. Fung as part of the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Sciences Department, at which time it was the first
biomedical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare applications (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic purposes). BME also integrates the logica ...
program in the nation. In 2016, the department housed 24 faculty, 633 undergraduates, and 245 graduate students. Undergraduates can choose from four majors within the department, namely
bioengineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number ...
,
biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
,
bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field of science that develops methods and Bioinformatics software, software tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses biology, ...
, and biosystems. The first two majors are
ABET ABET (pronounced A-bet), formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied ...
-accredited. Programs for students pursuing graduate degrees include a five-year BS/MS, an MAS degree in medical device engineering, MS degrees, PhD degrees, and a joint MD/PhD with the
School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
.


Computer Science and Engineering

Th
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
is the largest engineering department in the UC system. It houses 67 faculty, 1,933 undergraduates, and 873 graduate students. The department was spun off in 1987 from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. Undergraduate students in the department may obtain a BS or BA in
computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...
, a BS in
computer engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...
, or a BS in
bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field of science that develops methods and Bioinformatics software, software tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses biology, ...
. The data science program at UCSD is jointly operated by the CSE, Mathematics, and Cognitive Science departments. Graduate students may obtain an MS, MAS, PhD, or combined BS/MS degree.


Electrical and Computer Engineering

Th
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
was founded in 1987 as part of the former Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences' split. The department has 52 faculty members, 1,132 undergraduates, and 673 graduate students. Undergraduates may choose a BS program in electrical engineering, engineering physics, or computer engineering, or they can pursue a BA in "electrical engineering and society." Graduate students pursuing a master's or PhD can pursue a specialization in applied ocean sciences, applied physics/electronic devices and materials, communication theory and systems/magnetic recording, computer engineering, electronic circuits and systems, intelligent systems, robotics, and control, medical devices and systems, nanoscale devices and systems, photonics, or signal and image processing.


Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Th
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
was founded in 1964 as AMES, the first engineering department at UC San Diego. It was renamed to MAE in 1999. The department has 44 faculty members, 1,092 undergraduates, and 547 graduate students. Undergraduate students pursue BS degrees in aerospace engineering, environmental engineering, and mechanical engineering. Graduate students may obtain MS, MAS, and PhD degrees in the areas of applied and solid mechanics, material sciences, fluid mechanics, energy, thermal sciences, engineering physics, dynamic systems and controls, environmental engineering, biomechanics, and design.


Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering

Th
Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering
founded in 2007, is the youngest engineering department in the Jacobs School. It is the first nanoengineering department in the United States to offer both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. As of 2019, it has 30 faculty members, 722 undergraduates, and 200 graduate students. In fall of 2008, NanoEngineering took administrative control of chemical engineering. The undergraduate nanoengineering program was awarded ABET accreditation in 2010, the first of its kind in the nation to receive such accreditation. Undergraduates can choose an engineering focus in bioengineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or materials science. Graduate students can obtain MS and PhD degrees in either nanoengineering or chemical engineering.


Structural Engineering

Th
Department of Structural Engineering
split from the former Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences in 1999. However, its independence from the department predates this split, as the Structural Systems Research group was separately administered beginning in 1993. Presently, the department has 24 faculty, 517 undergraduates, and 201 graduate students housed in the Structural and Materials Engineering building. Undergraduate students are limited to pursuing a degree in structural engineering. Graduate students may obtain an MS in Structural Engineering or Structural Health Monitoring, as well as a PhD in structural engineering with various specializations.


Research centers

The Jacobs School is also affiliated with several academic centers and institutes. These include: * Institute for Materials Discovery and Design * Center for Extreme Events Research * Center for Wearable Sensors * Center for Algorithmic and Systems Biology * Center For Energy Research * Center for Microbiome Innovation * Sustainable Power and Energy Center * Center for Memory and Recording Research * Center for Networked Systems * Center for Wireless Communications * Charles Lee Powell Structural Research Laboratories * Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics * Gordon Engineering Leadership Center * IDEA Engineering Student Center * Information Theory and Applications Center * Institute of Engineering in Medicine * Moxie Center for Student Entrepreneurship *
San Diego Supercomputer Center The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) is an organized research unit of the University of California, San Diego. Founded in 1985, it was one of the five original NSF supercomputing centers. Its research pursuits are high performance comput ...
*
Qualcomm Institute Qualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software and services related to wireless technology. It owns patents critical t ...
(UC San Diego Division of California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology) * Whitaker Center for Biomedical Engineering * Institute for the Global Entrepreneur


Reputation

The Jacobs School of Engineering overall ranks 9th in the United States, and 5th in the nation among public universities according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. The Jacobs School of Engineering maintains up to date rankings information o
the rankings page on their website
Graduate program rankings from the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings published in March 2020: Aerospace / aeronautical / astronautical engineering ranks #18 Bioengineering #4 Chemical engineering ranks #56 Civil engineering ranks #21 (Structural engineering Dept) Computer engineering: #12 Electrical / electronic / communications engineering ranks #14 Materials engineering ranks #31 Mechanical engineering ranks #17 Computer Science graduate programs (ranked most recently by US News in 2018) Computer systems #11 Computer science (overall) #16 Computer science theory #14 Programming language #13 The Jacobs School of Engineering is also the 10th best in the world for engineering/technology and computer sciences, according to an academic ranking of the top 100 world universities published online in February 2008 by the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.


Leadership

Albert P. Pisano (born 1954) is Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering at the
University of California San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
(UC San Diego)
a position he has held since September 2013
Pisano served on the mechanical engineering faculty of the University of California at Berkeley College of Engineering (UC Berkeley) from 1983 t
2013Pisano was elected
to the
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...
in 2001 “for contributions to the design, fabrication, commercialization, and educational aspects of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).”


See also

*
University of California San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
* Engineering colleges in California


References


External links


University of California San DiegoJacobs School of EngineeringJacobs School of Engineering Family TreeRankings information for the Jacobs School of EngineeringCenter for Wearable Sensors
at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs School Of Engineering University of California, San Diego colleges and schools Engineering universities and colleges in California Universities and colleges in San Diego Educational institutions established in 1964 1964 establishments in California