Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science

Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is the engineering school of the University of California, Los Angeles, consistently ranked among the top public engineering programs in the United States. Established in 1965, it was renamed in 1999 following a landmark $30 million donation from Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli and his wife Susan Samueli. The school is renowned for its interdisciplinary research, entrepreneurial culture, and its role in driving technological innovation in the greater Los Angeles basin and globally.

History

The school's origins trace back to engineering curricula offered within the UCLA College of Letters and Science following the university's move to Westwood in 1929. It was formally established as an independent school in 1965, a period of rapid expansion for the University of California system and growing national emphasis on science and technology during the Space Race. A transformative moment occurred in 1999 with the naming gift from Henry Samueli, a UCLA alumnus and pioneer in RF CMOS technology. This philanthropy has significantly accelerated the school's growth, enabling the recruitment of distinguished faculty, expansion of research initiatives, and construction of state-of-the-art facilities like the Engineering VI building.

Academics and departments

The school offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees through seven academic departments. These include the Department of Bioengineering, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Other core departments are the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning, with strong ties to industry leaders in Silicon Beach and global corporations like Northrop Grumman and The Aerospace Corporation. Interdisciplinary programs often collaborate with other top-ranked UCLA units such as the David Geffen School of Medicine and the California NanoSystems Institute.

Research centers and institutes

Research is organized through numerous cross-disciplinary centers that address grand societal challenges. Major facilities include the California NanoSystems Institute, a joint venture with UC Santa Barbara, and the Institute for Digital Research and Education. The school is also home to the Center for Heterogeneous Integration and Performance Scaling, the UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center, and the Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology. These institutes frequently secure funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense, fostering innovation in fields from quantum computing to renewable energy.

Campus and facilities

The school's facilities are primarily located on the north campus of UCLA, forming a contiguous engineering quad. Key buildings include Boelter Hall, a hub for computer science and electrical engineering, and the Engineering IV building, which houses the Department of Bioengineering. The Engineering VI building, opened in 2014, provides advanced labs for nanotechnology and cleanroom research. Other significant resources include the UCLA Samueli Makerspace, which provides student access to 3D printing and prototyping tools, and the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant, used for environmental engineering research. The campus's proximity to Silicon Beach and major Los Angeles industries provides unique collaborative opportunities.

Notable faculty and alumni

The school's faculty includes numerous members of the National Academy of Engineering and recipients of prestigious awards like the Turing Award and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Distinguished professors have included Leonard Kleinrock, a pioneer of the Internet, and Judea Pearl, renowned for his work on artificial intelligence. Its alumni network is vast and influential, encompassing technology pioneers such as Henry Samueli of Broadcom, Vint Cerf, a "father of the Internet," and Andrea Goldsmith, a leader in wireless communications. Other notable graduates include former Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs and astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson.

Category:University of California, Los Angeles Category:Engineering universities and colleges in California