In Memoriam: Ioanna Kakoulli, 57, Materials Conservation Scientist and UCLA Professor
Ioanna Kakoulli, a professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, died Jan. 1, 2026, in her home country of Cyprus after a prolonged battle with colon cancer. She was 57. An influential scholar in the study and conservation...
Researchers Discover How to Dampen Electronic Noise in Materials with Potential for Quantum Technologies
Key takeaways The noise that disrupts communication devices and sensors results from electrons being scattered by defects and temperature-driven vibrations in the materials they travel through. A UCLA-led research team demonstrated that minuscule wires made from two...
From Lego to Carbon Fiber: A UCLA Engineering Student Turns Curiosity Into Makerspace Creations
Dec 16, 2025 UCLA Samueli Newsroom When third-year materials engineering student Cooper Pitts reflects on what sparked his interest in the field, it wasn’t circuits or chemistry labs. It was Legos. Growing up, Pitts’ mother resold Lego sets, making the toys a staple...
American Physical Society Have Elected Anya Jones and Aaswath Raman as Fellows
UCLA Samueli Newsroom UCLA Samueli School of Engineering faculty members Anya Jones, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Aaswath Raman, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, have been elected fellows of the American Physical...
Where Art Meets Engineering: UCLA Samueli Premieres Film on Taiwan’s Role in the Global Chip Race
The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering co-hosted a screening of “A Chip Odyssey,” Taiwan’s first feature-length documentary chronicling how the island of 23 million people became the world’s indispensable hub for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. TECO-LA...
9 UCLA Engineering Professors Named to 2025 List of World’s Most Influential Researchers
Clarivate released today its list of 2025 Highly Cited Researchers, including nine faculty members affiliated with the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. Since 2002, the international data and analytics company has released an annual list of researchers who have...
Distinguished Professor Alexander Balandin Appointed to Fang Lu Endowed Chair in Engineering
Alexander Balandin, a distinguished professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been named to hold the Fang Lu Endowed Chair in Engineering. Established in 2018 by a gift of $500,000 from triple Bruin engineer Fang Lu...
UCLA Materials Scientist and Fuel Cell Catalyst Innovator Yu Huang Receives 2025 Global Energy Prize
Jul 9, 2025 UCLA Samueli Newsroom Yu Huang, a professor of materials science and engineering and holder of the Traugott and Dorothea Frederking Endowed Chair at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been awarded a 2025 Global Energy Prize for her pioneering work...
UCLA Materials Scientist Daniel Schwalbe-Koda Wins Second Collaborative AI Innovation Award
UCLA Samueli Newsroom For two years in a row, Daniel Schwalbe-Koda, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has received an award from the Scialog program for collaborative research into...