News

2019 research highlights from the Jacobs School of Engineering

December 28, 2019

From building drones for early wildfire detection to studying plant viruses for treating plant and human health, researchers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are continually hard at work innovating solutions for today's global challenges. This year was no exception. Here's a look back at just a few of the ways our engineers made an impact in 2019. Full Story

News Obituary: Y.C. Bert Fung

December 20, 2019

Yuan-Cheng “Bert” Fung, known as “the father of biomechanics” and one of the founders of the discipline of bioengineering at the University of California San Diego, passed away Dec. 15, 2019 of natural causes. He was 100. Full Story

2019 Jacobs School of Engineering highlights

December 19, 2019

A lot happened at the Jacobs School of Engineering in 2019. Here's a look back at just a few of the ways we made bold possible. Full Story

2019 Jacobs School student highlights

December 19, 2019

Our students continually bring fresh approaches to solving our world's most pressing challenges, and 2019 was no different. Here are just a few of the ways Jacobs School of Engineering students made an impact this year. Full Story

Thin hair is stronger than thick hair, study shows

December 13, 2019

Despite being four times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is only half as strong -- that's just one finding from researchers studying the hair strength of many different mammals. Their work shows that thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair because of the way that it breaks. Full Story

Press Clips

Expect faster cell phones, better weather forecasts and cashier-less stores in 2020

The San Diego Union Tribune | December 29, 2019

Better weather forecasts. Faster cellular service. Quicker wildfire detection. Easier ways to buy MTS passes. And speedy, cashier-free convenience stores. They're all coming in 2020, brought along by advances in science and technology, including many innovations that were made or shaped in San Diego, a mecca for research. The focal point is UC San Diego, which recently began using self-driving carts to deliver mail. It's also improving weather forecasting. And early next year, the school will open a retail store that doesn't need or use cashiers. Full Story

'Father of biomechanics' has passed away at 100

Taipei Times | December 28, 2019

Chinese-born American bioengineer Fung Yuan-cheng (馮元楨), considered the "father of modern biomechanics," died on Dec. 15 at 100 years old, an obituary released on Friday last week by the University of California, San Diego said. Born in 1919, Fung, who was also called Bert, obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees at National Central University (then located in China and later reinstated in Taiwan), before earning a doctorate in aeronautics in 1948 from the California Institute of Technology, where he was an assistant professor and researcher for 20 years. Full Story

Father of biomechanics Fung Yuan-Cheng dies at 100

Focus Taiwan CNA English News | December 27, 2019

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Fung Yuan-Cheng (馮元楨), a bioengineer widely considered the "father of biomechanics," died Dec. 15 at 100 years old, according to an obituary released by the University of California, San Diego Dec. 20. Born in 1919, Fung obtained his bachelor's and master's degree in aeronautics at National Central University in China. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in the same field at the California Institute of Technology, and served as an assistant professor and researcher at the school for 20 years. Full Story

Superstrong Fibers Could Be Hairy Situation

Scientific American | December 24, 2019

Human hair tested stronger than thicker fibers from elephants, boars and giraffes, providing clues to materials scientists hoping to make superstrong synthetic fibers. Full Story

Y.C. Fung, Chinese Immigrant, Pioneered Bioengineering Research

The Wall Street Journal | December 24, 2019

Y.C. Fung might have spent his entire career as an aeronautical engineer if his mother hadn't suffered from glaucoma. Born in China, Mr. Fung had established himself as a professor at the California Institute of Technology and consultant on aircraft design. His mother's eye disease in the late 1950s prompted him to study the medical literature on glaucoma so he could send treatment advice to her doctors in China. Dr. Fung found that medicine wasn't simply a matter of chemistry. It also involved engineering to understand... Full Story