Explorer Categories: Engineering

I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Mechanical Engineering department at UC Berkeley doing research on a cool Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) technique called Computed Axial Lithography (CAL). I mainly work on 3D printing recyclable materials on CAL and using non-telecentric (non-parallel) beams to achieve circular economy in industrial mass manufacturing and production in the near future. I enjoy collaborations with other groups and working with Undergraduate Researchers to develop new ideas and discover new findings together. I have a diverse range of hobbies such as hiking, roller blading, nature exploration, boardgames, cultural discoveries, psychology and many more.

Caseysimone is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. Under the guidance of Dr. Kosa Goucher-Lambert, she is member of the Co-Design Lab where her research is focused on designing multi-agent systems for ambient intelligent environments. Specifically, her work centers around addressing cybersecurity challenges within manufacturing environments. Additionally, she contributes to discussions and publications concerning the sociotechnical aspects of design engineering. She obtained her M.Sc. from the Technical University of Delft and B.A. from Bennington College.

Yakira Mirabito is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. In the Cognition and Computation in Design (Co-Design) Lab, advised by Kosa Goucher-Lambert, she studies decision-making and organizational behavior within engineering design. She holds a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley. Yakira’s work has earned her numerous fellowships and awards. Notably, she has been funded by UC Berkeley’s Chancellor’s fellowship, NSF GRFP, and NSF InFEWS. Her contributions have been recognized by organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

Beyond her academic achievements, Yakira is a passionate leader and advocate within the first-generation and low-income (FGLI) college student community. Her dedication to creating a sense of belonging for the FGLI community has earned her the Dean’s Award for Inclusive Excellence and a RISE! Leader Award. When she’s not immersed in her work, Yakira enjoys skiing and visiting art galleries.

Eduardo Montalto is a doctoral candidate in the Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials Program at UC Berkeley, where he also obtained his M.S. degree in 2020. Before joining UC Berkeley, he earned a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Costa Rica, where he participated in research regarding the structural health monitoring of bridges using ambient vibration tests, among others. He also worked as a structural designer, being involved in new design, seismic assessment and retrofit of residential and commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. Eduardo’s current research interests lie in the development and implementation of innovative earthquake-resistant design technologies that can enhance structural performance and resilience in an affordable way. He is currently studying the mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators, a low-cost isolation system that is viable for implementation in developing countries and ordinary structures. The aim of this research is to develop analytical and numerical models that enable the real-world application of this technology.

Libby H. Koolik (she/her) is a PhD student in Environmental Engineering, researching air pollution policy interventions in environmental justice communities in California. Originally from South Florida, she received her B.S. in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences and her M.Eng. in Environmental Engineering at MIT before moving to Berkeley in 2018 to work as an environmental consultant in the Bay Area. Now at Berkeley, she works at the intersection of air pollution science, data science, and public health to determine key policy mechanisms for advancing equitable air quality. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, baking vegan treats, and playing with her two cats.

Yu, who is from Yunnan, China, received his bachelor’s degree in Material Science and Engineering from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Supervised by Prof. Peidong Yang, Yu is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at UC Berkeley. His research centers on converting CO2, a greenhouse gas, into valuable chemicals and fuels through electrochemical means. This research direction bears immense potential for sustainable and renewable energy development, reducing the emitted CO2, and lessening reliance on fossil fuels—an essential response to today’s climate change. To unlock groundbreaking insights, Yu employs state-of-the-art operando characterization techniques to investigate the interactions within the microenvironment along the CO2 conversion pathway, which holds great significance for advancing the catalyst design.

Hi! I’m a PhD student in chemical engineering working on hydrogen fuel cells and their components. Most of this work involves modeling using kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena from chemical engineering and electrochemistry with some numerical optimization tricks.

I’ve previously worked as an intern in supply chain consulting and full-time in semiconductors. I’ve been playing badminton casually for most of my life and hope that remains true from now on. I really like hiking, reading, cooking, cycling and eating way too much food! If you get to know me, I will probably try to rope you into running at some point honestly.

Andre’s research interests broadly lie in understanding human motion. Over time, his curiosity about biomechanics has led him to study increasingly smaller systems within the body. As an undergraduate, he applied electrical stimulation to human subjects and measured their reactionary dynamics. As an engineer at Philips, he developed cardiovascular tools to diagnose and treat blood vessel obstructions. Now as a PhD student and Ford Predoctoral Fellow, he works to illustrate the mechanical connection between molecules and cells using molecular and mesoscale simulation techniques. When he’s not wondering why his code is not working, you can find him venturing outside on foot or on bike, lifting weights, or sleeping on the floor.

Zhe, originally from Wuhan, China, undertook a unique undergraduate path in Shanghai, simultaneously studying Transportation Engineering at Tongji University and Law at Fudan University. In 2020, she earned an M.S. in Transportation Engineering from UC Berkeley, where she currently pursues a Ph.D. in the same field, complemented by an M.S. in EECS, all under the guidance of Professor Alexandre Bayen.
Zhe’s research objectives are defined by their practicality; she is dedicated to bridging theory and practice to address real-world challenges, and positively impacting society. Currently, she focuses on harnessing the potential of automated vehicles as mobile actuators, employing machine learning and controls to augment traffic system mobility and decrease energy consumption

Jinyan received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. He has started a postdoctoral position at the NHERI SimCenter based at UC Berkeley. In his research, he will develop computation tools to explore resilience assessment solutions for interdependent civil infrastructure, such as buildings, transportation networks, and lifelines under natural hazards and climate changes. Jinyan’s research aims to mitigate damage and loss, choose the optimal risk mitigation measures, assess the adequacy of resources, and increase the level of preparedness for post-disaster responses. One of the biggest challenges in natural hazard engineering is the high dimensional uncertainty associated with the hazards’ occurrence, infrastructure conditions, and human behavior. Jinyan plans to advance the current hazard assessment methods with high dimensional uncertainty quantification methods so that more credible infrastructure behavior simulations can be achieved.