SRC Education Alliance Undergraduate Research Opportunities Made Possible by Major Grant from Intel Foundation

Feb 2, 2011

By UCLA Samueli Newsroom

The Semiconductor Research Corporation’s Education Alliance announced research opportunities funded through a major grant by the Intel Foundation for 12 UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science undergraduates.

The $99,200 to UCLA students was part of a $1.4 million grant by the Intel Foundation distributed through SRC Education Alliance’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities program (URO). URO is an innovative program that provides undergraduates with valuable research experience and mentoring. It seeks to attract a diverse student population, including women and other under-represented groups.

UCLA Engineering CEED RISE-UP/SRC URO Program 2010-2011 award recipients are:

  • Gabriel Garcia, Camarillo, Calif., Mechanical Engineering, Optical Properties of Nanostructured Indium Phosphide Thin Films
  • Jose Quintero, Los Angeles, Mechanical Engineering, Nanofabrication and its Application to the Research on PcRAM Scaling Limit

UCLA CENS SRC URO Scholars Program 2010-2011 award recipients are:

  • Jameel Al-Aziz, Calabasas, Calif., Computer Science and Engineering, Participatory Sensing Scrape
  • Joey Degges, Granada Hills, Calif., Computer Science, Rapid Campaign Platform (RCP)
  • James Galvan, Los Angeles, Computer Science and Engineering, AndWellness Visualizations
  • Sophie Gerrick, Santa Ana, Calif., Computer Science, Education Applications of Participatory Sensing
  • Ashley Jin, Los Gatos, Calif., Computer Science, CENS Participatory Sensing: Rapid Campaign Platform (RCP)
  • Lianna Tang, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Electrical Engineering, Data Visualizations of Participatory Sensing Scrape Results
  • Dylan Vassallo, Santa Rosa, Calif., Computer Science, Opportunistic Sensing
  • Dmitriy Vinogradov, Culver City, Calif., Computer Science, Geographical Tagging of SMS Messages Using Modern Web Frameworks
  • Andrea Wang, Danville, Calif., Electrical Engineering, Education Applications of Participatory Sensing
  • Hongchen Yu, Los Angeles, Computer Science, Development of Android Applications with Full Automation

Intel 1 2011

“In the research environment, students seem to derive great enjoyment from exploring and applying the basic principles of engineering, science, computing and mathematics to create something new,” said Vijay K. Dhir, dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. “The SRC Education Alliance URO program, with funding from Intel, provides opportunities for undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to accomplish this under the direction of exceptionally accomplished and dedicated faculty members, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students who are working in leading research areas.”

Founded in 1989, the Intel Foundation is a philanthropic organization focused on programs that advance education and improve communities worldwide. By providing funding for national and localized grants, the foundation helps fuel innovation in classrooms, empower women and underserved youth, and enables Intel employees to serve the needs of their communities. The goals of the Intel Foundation are to increase interest in math and science education, and to help develop a future workforce that represents the diversity around the world.

The following UCLA students have previously received Intel-funded SRC Education Alliance URO grants: Ashly Ainley, Brandon Aust, Anthony Erlinger, Vanessa Evoen, Beayna Grigorian, Terence Honles, Elaine Lai, Sophia Munoz, Eric Padilla, Kasturi Rangan Raghaven, Mahta Sadeghzadeh, George Torres, Eric Wang

What they are saying about the SRC Education Alliance URO Program:

Eric Padilla, URO UCLA alumnus, Current Master’s Scholar at Arizona State University (funded by Intel and SRC Education Alliance)

“The experience I gained in the lab by participating in the CEED-RISEUP/URO program gave me both the confidence to pursue a graduate degree and the skills that allowed me to get off to a successful start as a graduate student. By learning to plan experiments, use lab equipment, and present research results as an undergrad, I was able to sell my abilities to a professor in my area of interest, and work on a graduate project of my choosing. With the financial support of the URO program, I was able to spend the summers working on semiconductor research, where otherwise I would have been forced to work outside my industry of choice.”

Sophie Gerrick, sophomore, in her second year as a CENS SRC URO Scholar.  Inspired to pursue computer science as a major in the CENS high school summer program and became a CENS SRC URO Scholar as a UCLA first year. She mentored 25 high school and undergraduate students in the summer internship program.

”Though my first quarter at UCLA caused me to doubt my interests in Computer Science and the STEM fields, the research I participated in as an SRC URO scholar reengaged me and secured my interest in the field. The URO scholarship has allowed me to participate in novel research, work with other highly motivated students and faculty, and be exposed to the real world applications of such research.  In addition to the technical and critical thinking skills I’ve gained through this experience, I’ve learned about what research entails and gained the desire to apply to graduate school to pursue it further.”

Karen Kim, URO Program Manager, Education Director, Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS)

“It’s only with the support of the SRC Education Alliance and Intel that CENS is able to offer an academic research experience for undergraduates at UCLA. The CENS SRC URO Scholars program provides an exceptional opportunity to engage undergraduates in authentic hands-on research that directly prepares them for careers in information technology (IT). Over 86% of participating CENS SRC URO Scholars have expressed interest in pursuing graduate degrees in IT related fields, with program alumni attending graduate school at MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, and UCLA among many others.”

About SRC and SRC Education Alliance

Celebrating 29 years of collaborative research for the semiconductor industry, SRC defines industry needs, and invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the National Medal of Technology, America’s highest recognition for contributions to technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier students to help innovate and transfer technology to the commercial industry. For more information, visit www.src.org.

The Education Alliance is SRC’s private foundation that develops funding sources and offers enhanced education through hands-on research experiences and meaningful interaction with scientists and engineers working in technology industries. It concentrates on bridging the gap between increasingly strong K-12 programs and top graduate schools. Education Alliance is already funding 230 scholarships for undergraduates in STEM majors (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) at 14 universities across America. Plans call for developing more funding sources and raising those numbers dramatically in the near future.

Main Image: BACK ROW: Professor Laurent Pilon (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), Rick Ainsworth (CEED), Karen Kim (CENS), Pia Wilson-Body (Intel), Dean Vijay Dhir, Barbara McAllister (Intel), Audrey Pool O’Neal (CEED), MaryLisabeth Rich (SRC) FRONT ROW: Ashly Ainley (CEED), Dani Napier Harrison (Intel), Joey Degges (CENS), Sophie Gerrick (CENS), Ashley Jin (CENS). Inset Image: Pia Wilson-Body (Intel), Dean Vijay Dhir, Barbara McAllister (Intel), MaryLisabeth Rich (SRC).

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