On behalf of San Diego State University’s College of Engineering students, faculty, and staf, I express my sincerest gratitude for your philanthropic contributions. Your unwavering dedication to the College of Engineering has been a critical part of the progress we have made, including research opportunities, scholarship awards, and support of our students.
From enhancing the sustainability of our built environment, engineering methods to harness renewable energy, developing smart healthcare devices, designing more efcient and aerodynamic air travel systems, and so much more – together, we are improving not only our community, but the world.
With the ongoing support of our donors, the College has been able to make a marked impact thus far. Your commitment to our College helps us advance our mission and support the success of the upcoming generation of engineers.
Thank you for investing in the College of Engineering. Your generosity makes a diference.
Eugene Olevsky, Ph.D.; FTMS; FASME; FACerS; FASM Dean and Distinguished Professor College of Engineering
Changing Lives through Philanthropic Support
Daniel Haiming and Cai Li Chang Center for Electric Drive Transportation
The Daniel Haiming and Cai Li Chang Center for Electric Drive Transportation was named this year in honor of a generous gift to provide students and faculty within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with vital support for research endeavors and lab materials, machinery, and technology.
Tisnado-Garcia Family STEM Endowed Scholarship
The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) received generous gifts from SDSU alumni to establish the TisnadoGarcia Family STEM Endowed Scholarship. The funds from this scholarship will support underrepresented students in pursuing their goals in STEM, contributing to a diverse and inclusive community.
Paige and Richard Cronin Engineering Scholarship
The MESA Program received a gift to establish the Paige and Richard Cronin Engineering Scholarship, supporting students who have set their sights on pursuing a career in in math, science, and engineering felds.
From left: Daniel Chang, Cai Li Chang, Chris Mi, and Dean Eugene Olevsky
Living the Aztec Experience
Mason Cayaban, Class of 2024
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Engineering
Major: Mechanical Engineering
The path through San Diego State’s College of Engineering is anything but easy, and my journey was no diferent.
Alongside my classmates, I struggled through the foundation courses and nearly lost my way trying to balance life’s curveballs, but professors and friends helped me to regain my path and continue to fght through the long days and sleepless nights. Through all the classes and abstract problems, only one thing remained constant: they all revolved around sculpting my engineering mindset.
As engineers, we are trained to simplify complex problems into general steps. We begin with a clearly defned system before beginning to draw our free body diagrams. Each class and lab taught me fundamental processes to solve the problems I will face in the future.
Thanks to the College of Engineering, I developed the mindset and skills to successfully complete my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
“
Each class and lab taught me fundamental processes to solve the problems I will face in the future.
Montserrat Castel, Class of 2024
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: College of Engineering
Major: Mechanical Engineering
I am incredibly grateful for the community SDSU has fostered. My interactions with staf and faculty provided the resources that helped me graduate from the mechanical engineering program with the confdence and skills needed to enter the industry.
I had the privilege to participate in various research labs; these opportunities for hands-on experience in felds such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), material science, and robotics gave me greater insight into the content I was learning in class.
This experience empowered me to take on the lead role for my team during the Senior Design Capstone Program, the NASA Lunabotics Challenge. This project consisted of a joint mechanical engineering and electrical and computer engineering team, in which we designed and manufactured a robot to simulate a lunar mission. Managing this project required me to gain knowledge in systems engineering, project management, and budget management necessary for producing the system and competing in Florida. Creating a product from the design stage to mission deployment is a unique opportunity.
The support from the Engineering Department and donors was crucial in achieving these milestones. Thank you for making a profound diference in my life and the lives of many students.
“
My interactions with staf and faculty provided the resources that helped me graduate from the mechanical engineering program with the confdence and skills needed to enter the industry.
At San Diego State University, I found the ideal environment to cultivate my technical and professional skills in engineering.
The Senior Design Program provided me with the platform to build a robot from conception to reality, delving into every aspect from research to manufacturing.
This journey was made achievable thanks to the generous funding from SDSU donors, which facilitated access to essential resources like the machine shop and senior design room. Moreover, scholarships played a pivotal role in my academic journey, enabling me to devote myself entirely to my studies and pursue graduate-level education with unwavering focus.
SDSU's commitment to fostering innovation and supporting its students' aspirations truly set the stage for my success as an engineer.
“Moreover, SDSU's scholarships played a pivotal role in my academic journey, enabling me to devote myself entirely to my studies and pursue graduate-level education with unwavering focus.
Celebrating Shared Success
Statistics of Interest
An increase of 23.9% research dollars awarded to the college 3rd year for Joint Doctoral poster session @ SDSU highlighting the work of 25 students, with approximately 75 invited guests. The interest in the event and presentations has grown signifcantly, and in the fall 2024, the event will be held in Montezuma Hall. From 2018-2023, student organizations were awarded 1.2 million dollars in cash to design and build rockets and electric cars.
700+ Graduates in academic year 2023-2024: Undergrad: 660; Master's: 98; Doctoral: 7
Recent Highlights
Senior Design Day 2024 was held for the frst time in the Viejas Arena as it outgrew Montezuma Hall were the event was previously held. We also had record-breaking attendance with 2,300 visitors, and 75 student projects.
SDSU College of Engineering achieves American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Diversity Silver 2024-26 for DEI efort
SDSU College of Engineering hosted the 2024 STEM Festival at Snapdragon Stadium
In an October 2023 Stanford University study, three SDSU aerospace engineering faculty members ― professors Ping Lu, Luciano Demasi, and Joseph Katz ― ranked in the top 2% of aerospace and aeronautics authors worldwide.
Attendance Record
700+ Graduates in academic year 2023-2024: Undergrad: 660; Master's: 98; Doctoral: 7
Senior Design Day 2024 was held in Viejas Arena with record-breaking attendance of 2,300 visitors
Helping to Build a Brighter Future
Achievements:
Lingping Kong, Ph.D.
Title: Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
College: College of Engineering
Since joining SDSU in August 2023, Dr. Lingping Kong, an expert in electrochemical energy, has secured funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPAE).
This support recognizes her pioneering work on ultrahigh energy density solid-state Li-air batteries. She was also awarded the 2024 SDSU Seed Grant for her work on all-solid-state Li-metal batteries.
Dr. Kong's Electrochemical Energy Lab at SDSU is leading the charge in revolutionizing electrochemical energy storage. With a focus on boosting high energy density, longevity, and safety of next-generation batteries through advanced material and robust interface design, our innovative approach is paving the way for a new era of renewables.
“
... our innovative approach is paving the way for a new era of renewables. ”
Achievements:
Saeed Manshadi, Ph.D., Senior Member IEEE
Title:
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
College:
College of Engineering
Dr. Saeed Manshadi's contributions to the felds of energy resilience and sustainability have been recognized through several prestigious awards.
He received the National Science Foundation's "ERI: Resilient Operational Planning of Electricity Grid under the Risk of Wildfre" award, which highlights his innovative research focused on developing advanced operational planning frameworks to enhance the resilience of the electricity grid against the growing threat of wildfres.
Additionally, he was honored by the Southern California Gas Company through its "Climate Champions Program," acknowledging his outstanding eforts in promoting sustainable practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and fostering community resilience against climate change. Further showcasing his dedication to energy innovation, he's working with Cleantech San Diego and the California Energy Commission under "Southern California Energy Innovation Network" to support cleantech innovation within the region.
Dr. Manshadi's Smart Grid Lab aims to leverage cutting-edge artifcial intelligence techniques to lead our communities toward an afordable, equitable, and resilient zero-carbon energy supply.
To date, Dr. Manshadi has published more than 40 journal papers in prestigious journals.
“
Congratulations, Dr. Manshadi, on receiving the National Science Foundation's "ERI: Resilient Operational Planning of Electricity Grid under the Risk of Wildfre" award!
Achievements:
Ahmad Bani Younes, Ph.D.
Title:
Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering
College: College of Engineering
Dr. Ahmad Bani Younes was recently published for research on Spacecraft Attitude Testbeds (SAT), which explores the development of scaled-down testbeds specifcally designed for evaluating satellites.
As satellite sizes continue to decrease, the need for more intelligent and efcient control algorithms becomes increasingly pronounced. This research endeavors to establish a comprehensive and costefective testbed platform dedicated to the assessment of spacecraft attitude control and determination systems.
The design and in-house build afordable SAT to emulate the 3DoF satellite maneuver in space. SAT enables risk reduction hardware-in-the-loop experiments for spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) functions using a small-scale 3DOF of experimental attitude platform. This promoted to develop and test state-of-art control algorithms for ADCS of small satellites type missions.
“
Congratulations, Dr. Bani Younes, on being recently published for research on Spacecraft Attitude Testbeds!
SDSU Rocket Project
San Diego State University Rocket Project (RP) is SDSU’s very own collegiate rocketry team that provides students with hands-on opportunities in the design, testing, and launching of experimental rockets — and other aerospace projects — while encouraging and enabling technical and professional development.
RP strives to promote an environment of learning and technological innovation among its diverse and talented group of student members. Within the team’s difering sections, there is a place for almost every engineering discipline at SDSU to have the opportunity to focus on developing skills that will help in a future career.
Funding plays a critical role in their success, as it enables the team to acquire advanced materials, state-of-the-art equipment, and the resources needed for their ambitious goals.
RP’s liquid oxygen fueling team preparing to load cryogenic liquid oxygen into the test stand
Achieved 6 successful static hot fre tests of their studentdesigned engine, Anathema, with over 90 seconds of burn time.
Team Icarus competed in the prestigious Spaceport America Cup 2024, where 152 teams from other universities across the globe participated.
A team of students assembling the mount for the igniter
SDSU Rocket Project right before a successful 35second fre of their engine
Aztec Electric Racing
Aztec Electric Racing (AER) had a record-high member registration this past year, with over 200 members spanning across fve diferent SDSU colleges.
Following our competition in May 2024, where 25 members traveled to New Hampshire to compete with schools from all over the country, we are more prepared than ever to go into the new competition season. AER scored in the top half of the schools competing, taking 14th place out of the 35 schools that attended. With revised new member training programs and an emphasis on our interactive workshops, our members are well-equipped with impactful skills they can take into the workforce.
Additionally, AER has made an active efort to increase our community outreach through programs with local high schools as well as SDSU Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA). We also have record-high diversity, not only in terms of majors within our club but also in terms of gender representation; we took three times the amount of women to our competition than attended from our organization the previous year and nearly doubled the number of women serving in leadership positions for the 2024-2025 season.
A student working on the motor for AER’s vehicle.
Two students showcasing materials for AER’s vehicle.
A student working on the base frame of AER’s vehicle.
Society of Women Engineers
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a nonproft organization at SDSU that supports female-identifying students both academically and socially in the engineering feld. We strive to provide our members with numerous opportunities that will help them advance in the feld of engineering, as well as develop good leadership skills. Members are given the chance to meet with local companies, earn money through our organization’s scholarships, as well as have an impact on future women engineers through our community outreach events. Our mission is to provide women with the necessary resources and support to succeed in their careers.
A goal that our chapter has continued to work towards this year is SWENext, our community outreach initiative. The SWENext program connects young engineers in grades K-12 with collegiate and professional mentors. Through the implementation of a new executive position, the community outreach chair, we have been able to expand our participation in this program. Events such as science fairs, laboratory tours, and panel discussions have been organized in support of the San Diego community.
SWE's Executive Board for 2023-24
Along with community outreach, we continue to pursue our professional outreach goals. Our annual career fair and sit-down dinner, Evening of Professional Development, provides our members a networking opportunity with local engineering companies. Through this event, we hope to highlight a wide range of engineering careers within San Diego as well as introduce local companies and recruiters to our members. The sit-down dinner includes a woman engineer keynote speaker to inspire all those in attendance and build connections between women in the feld. Typically, around 30-50 students attend this evening event. SWE members can expand their network and pursue internships with the companies they connect with at the events.
Throughout the school year, SWE hosts biweekly General Body Meetings (GBMs) that are open to our members. These meetings ofer a diferent activity every other week and include guest speakers, workshops, and professional development. About 20-30 students/members attend these meetings, where lunch is also provided. Guest speakers inform our members about their journey and career. Regular social events are also an important part of SWE’s mission, as they allow women across all engineering disciplines to bond and form lasting social connections.
SDSU Aztec Baja Racing
The SAE Aztec Baja Racing team is a proud participant in SAE Baja Racing, an exciting collegiate competition where students design, build, and race of-road vehicles. The goal of SAE Baja Racing is to challenge students to develop practical engineering skills and solve real-world engineering problems through a rigorous series of competitions. Teams from universities around the world compete by designing their own cars to navigate a variety of challenging terrains, testing their engineering prowess and teamwork.
This past year has been incredibly exciting for the Aztec Baja Racing team. They embarked on a challenging and rewarding journey as they built a brand-new Baja SAE car. In May 2024, they competed in one of the SAE competitions held in Gorman, California. Their hard work and dedication were refected in their performance, when they achieved a remarkable top-20 fnish overall. Additionally, they excelled in the Suspension and Traction event, securing a second-place fnish and earning hardware in recognition of their superior engineering in this category.
Looking ahead, Baja SAE is preparing for its fnal competition of the year, scheduled for September 2024 in Michigan. This upcoming event will provide them with another opportunity to showcase their skills and continue our tradition of excellence.
Current and past awards of SAE Aztec Baja Racing team.
The SAE Aztec Baja Racing team and their vehicle.
Senior Design Day
Senior Design Day was held this year on May 1st, 2024, and included 75 student projects.
Due to demand from previous years, the College of Engineering hosted the 2024 Design Day in the Viejas Arena at SDSU, accommodating hundreds of students, industry, and community members and allowing for record-breaking attendance.
Students, under the guidance of an advisor, work in collaborative teams in their two-semester Senior Design Course, completing research, design, and construction of various industry-sponsored projects.
San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) San Vicente Energy Storage Project joined Stantec for a session for the Industrial Environmental Association Conference in May with Neena Kuzmich, Director of Engineering for Stantec. This was organized by Ed Othmer with Stantec, who is on the industry advisory board for Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and the primary sponsor for our program this year.
Team Wrap Tech with mentor and Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Saeed Manshadi (center). (Taylor Slane/SDSU)
Kevin Tran shows AI chessboard to President de la Torre, Interim Provost Dr. William Tong, VP of Research and Innovation Hala Madanat and Dean Eugene Olevsky. (Taylor Slane/SDSU)
Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program
MESA Virtual Alumni Chat provided 99 students the opportunity to engage with alumni from similar backgrounds who can tap in from various parts of the world. These conversations include academic and professional experiences and ofer insight into varying STEM careers.
43 Undergraduates are conducting stipend-supported research for eight weeks in a SDSU faculty-led lab. Donor support assists with lab supplies and poster presentation materials.
Donor generosity has increased MESA’s Scholarship Endowment to over $500K.
Through the Shadow Day program, 185 MESA students were exposed to the professional environment of an engineer/scientist.
MESA students and donors attending a scholarship breakfast.
Two MESA students presenting their research.
A MESA student working on a project.
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a student organization at San Diego State University with the mission “To increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community."
NSBE ofers a space for students to explore job opportunities, give back through philanthropic endeavors, attend NSBE events, and provide a community for students.
This year, NSBE hosted various general body meetings and events, such as an NSBE Zone Summit, where students hiked Sunset Clifs and networked with local NSBE chapters. They also held meetings discussing career advancement.
NSBE SDSU also attended the NSBE 50 Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Students at NSBE 50 connected with companies and networked with other NSBE students from across the country.
Providing Resources for Today’s Students and Tomorrow’s Aztecs
New Endowments
Jim Ryan Chair in Construction Management Endowment
Paige and Richard Cronin Endowed Engineering Scholarship
Tisnado-Garcia Family STEM Endowed Scholarship
Endowments (Active)
Alex Mora Advanced Manufacturing Endowment
Alex Mora MESA Endowed Scholarship
Alfredo Aldrete and Sandra Pulido Aldrete MESA Endowed Scholarship
Andrew Y. J. Szeto Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Endowment
ASHRAE San Diego Chapter Endowed Scholarship
Beulah and John Wills Engineering Excellence Endowment
Beverly Butcher and Erin Ballard Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Bruce Urquhart & Jacqueline Clayton Endowed Scholarship
Byrl Phelps/San Diego Engineers Club Endowment
Camille Speer Endowed Scholarship
Carol Forrest, P.E. Memorial Watershed Management Endowed Scholarship
Carter F. Truitt Memorial Endowed Scholarship
CEM Excellence Endowment
Charles W. Hirst MESA Program Endowment
Cheng-Mo Sun Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Chuck and Kathy Mendenhall Faculty Excellence Endowment
Daniel & Ann Brown Research Support Endowment
Daphne Fredrickson Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Darrell Asquith Endowment
David G. Fleet Scholarship Endowment
Dion Jones Endowment Scholarship
DN Tanks Endowed Scholarship for Diversity
DN Tanks Endowment Scholarship SHPE
DN Tanks Endowment Scholarship SWE
Donald Wilson Bequest Endowment
Earl and Christina Myers Endowed Scholarship
Ed Davis From Cancer to College Scholarship Endowment
Ellen Ochoa Endowment for the Femineer Program
fred harris Endowed Chair in Digital Signal Processing
Georgia Griffiths, G2 Software Systems Endowed Scholarship
Gorostiza Endowed Scholarship
Hanlon/Garcia MESA Endowed Scholarship for Engineering Endowment
IBM Excellence in Minority Engineering Endowment
Jack R. and Jane E. Filanc Endowment
Jack R. Filanc Endowed Scholarship
Lizon Family Scholarship Endowment
Lowrey Endowed Scholarship
Mark E. Filanc Endowed Scholarship
Mark Mulock, P.E. MESA Scholarship Endowment
McMahon Chi Epsilon Student Chapter Endowment
Michael R. Niggli Endowed Scholarship
Paul Stuverud MESA Endowed Scholarship
Peter John Filanc Leadership Award Endowment
Qualcomm Women in Engineering Program and STEM Outreach Endowment
Ramon and Graciela Riesgo Endowment Scholarship
Richard and Christine Brady, Helen Coelho, and Ostrowski
Brothers Scholarship Endowment
Rick Engineering Company Endowed Scholarship
S. Falck Nielsen Endowment
S. L. Frankel Endowment
San Diego Chapter of Women in Defense Endowed Scholarship
San Diego Community Foundation Blasker Chair in Environmental Engineering
Sanford Stone Memorial Endowment
Stephen and Lynne Doyle Endowment
Supernak Excellence Award Endowment
The C&C Probett Excellence in Aerospace Fund for Senior Projects Endowment
Thomas G. Pine Endowed Professorship in Computer Engineering
Wayne E. & Mary Beiler Leutloff Aerospace Endowment
William E. Leonhard Endowment
William Leonhard Endowed Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering
W. H. Trowbridge Endowment
Wireless Multimedia Endowment
To learn more, please contact Kate Carinder at kcarinder@sdsu.edu
