Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
@baskinengineering.bsky.social
Elevating the world through bold and socially responsible innovation. engineering.ucsc.edu #BaskinEngineering
Greenhouses are essential to feeding a growing global population, but often come with real environmental costs. #BaskinEngineering Professor Katia Obraczka is developing tech to monitor greenhouse conditions with precision—reducing water and energy use while improving crop production. bit.ly/3OGkQ9y
Greener Greenhouses — a Q&A with Katia Obraczka
UC Santa Cruz professor Katia Obraczka’s Greener Greenhouses project uses energy-efficient IoT technology to precisely monitor greenhouse conditions, helping growers reduce water and energy use while ...
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February 13, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Greenhouses are essential to feeding a growing global population, but often come with real environmental costs. #BaskinEngineering Professor Katia Obraczka is developing tech to monitor greenhouse conditions with precision—reducing water and energy use while improving crop production. bit.ly/3OGkQ9y
🏆 Baskin Engineers made a HUGE splash at CruzHacks 2026, winning in sustainability, justice, and education projects! The event offers students the opportunity to design, build, and present original technology “hacks” for prizes equivalent to $500. Learn more about the projects: bit.ly/4aCET1c
February 9, 2026 at 5:57 PM
🏆 Baskin Engineers made a HUGE splash at CruzHacks 2026, winning in sustainability, justice, and education projects! The event offers students the opportunity to design, build, and present original technology “hacks” for prizes equivalent to $500. Learn more about the projects: bit.ly/4aCET1c
🏆 Congrats to #BaskinEngineering alumna Saumya Bhatnagar (M.S. Computer Science), named a Top 50 Woman Chief Product Officer of 2026! She’s also a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and one of IBM’s Top 100 Women in Tech. bit.ly/4qpRKs9
The Top 50 Women Chief Product Officers of 2026 – Women We Admire
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February 6, 2026 at 6:33 PM
🏆 Congrats to #BaskinEngineering alumna Saumya Bhatnagar (M.S. Computer Science), named a Top 50 Woman Chief Product Officer of 2026! She’s also a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and one of IBM’s Top 100 Women in Tech. bit.ly/4qpRKs9
“...better and safer bike lanes, pedestrian options, trains, metro systems and the like," said Anne Criss, director of climate & sustainability initiatives at #BaskinEngineering. "There’s a lot that governments can do, both at federal, state and local levels, to facilitate that.” bit.ly/4kmkQYh
Climate action moves forward despite Trump’s policy rollbacks. Will it be enough?
It’s clear the global efforts to prevent the worst possible effects of climate change are finally making headway. Despite that progress, global temperatures continue to reach record highs.
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February 6, 2026 at 6:03 PM
“...better and safer bike lanes, pedestrian options, trains, metro systems and the like," said Anne Criss, director of climate & sustainability initiatives at #BaskinEngineering. "There’s a lot that governments can do, both at federal, state and local levels, to facilitate that.” bit.ly/4kmkQYh
New research led by #BaskinEngineering faculty Alvaro Cardenas and Cihang Xie presents the first academic exploration of environmental indirect prompt injection attacks against embodied #AI systems. Read the full story: bit.ly/3YYAoaN #ArtificialIntelligence #Cybersecurity
January 26, 2026 at 5:34 PM
New research led by #BaskinEngineering faculty Alvaro Cardenas and Cihang Xie presents the first academic exploration of environmental indirect prompt injection attacks against embodied #AI systems. Read the full story: bit.ly/3YYAoaN #ArtificialIntelligence #Cybersecurity
🌪️⛈️ Weather #forecasting is computationally demanding—that's why #BaskinEngineering Assistant Professor @ashesh6810.bsky.social aims to use #AI to predict extreme weather using a fraction of the time, energy, and #computing power of today’s methods. Via @uofcalifornia.bsky.social: bit.ly/3ZrNDAU
How UC scientists are putting AI to the test
Even as they’re pushing the boundaries of research and discovery with AI, UC scientists are asking the right questions about the transformation this technology brings.
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January 22, 2026 at 6:55 PM
🌪️⛈️ Weather #forecasting is computationally demanding—that's why #BaskinEngineering Assistant Professor @ashesh6810.bsky.social aims to use #AI to predict extreme weather using a fraction of the time, energy, and #computing power of today’s methods. Via @uofcalifornia.bsky.social: bit.ly/3ZrNDAU
Artificial intelligence is beginning to have serious real-world impact on a global scale. That’s why #BaskinEngineering experts are developing innovative solutions to steer #AI in the right direction. Learn about their work: bit.ly/4qQ6Vf1 #StandUpForUC @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
Shaping the future of artificial intelligence
UC Santa Cruz experts are working to guide AI in ethical, sustainable, and socially beneficial directions
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January 15, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Artificial intelligence is beginning to have serious real-world impact on a global scale. That’s why #BaskinEngineering experts are developing innovative solutions to steer #AI in the right direction. Learn about their work: bit.ly/4qQ6Vf1 #StandUpForUC @uofcalifornia.bsky.social
🎉 Congrats to #BaskinEngineering professors Holger Schmidt, David Deamer, Marcella Gomez, and alum & current Ph.D. student Ash Robbins, who were named "Titans" by SantaCruzWorks - recognizing their impact on our region’s technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. bit.ly/4jQ9DyP
January 14, 2026 at 5:38 PM
🎉 Congrats to #BaskinEngineering professors Holger Schmidt, David Deamer, Marcella Gomez, and alum & current Ph.D. student Ash Robbins, who were named "Titans" by SantaCruzWorks - recognizing their impact on our region’s technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. bit.ly/4jQ9DyP
📣 Mark your calendars! Join #BaskinEngineering Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics @javigr.bsky.social for his @ucsantacruz.bsky.social KRAW Lecture ➡️ Sensing the Unseen: How Drones and Ground Sensors Reveal the Hidden Air Quality Impacts of Climate Change. 🗓️ Jan 21. Register: bit.ly/49FAlWj
January 13, 2026 at 5:36 PM
📣 Mark your calendars! Join #BaskinEngineering Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics @javigr.bsky.social for his @ucsantacruz.bsky.social KRAW Lecture ➡️ Sensing the Unseen: How Drones and Ground Sensors Reveal the Hidden Air Quality Impacts of Climate Change. 🗓️ Jan 21. Register: bit.ly/49FAlWj
“The folks contributing the least to climate change are the ones bearing the most of the brunt,” said #BaskinEngineering Professor @javigr.bsky.social, who is using drones to help empower farmworker communities impacted by air pollution. Via @mercurynews.com: bayareane.ws/49hZtSM
How a new system of drones and low-cost sensors can protect communities from air pollution
UC Santa Cruz research project is documenting how a shift in farm work patterns creates greater health risks.
bayareane.ws
January 5, 2026 at 8:01 PM
“The folks contributing the least to climate change are the ones bearing the most of the brunt,” said #BaskinEngineering Professor @javigr.bsky.social, who is using drones to help empower farmworker communities impacted by air pollution. Via @mercurynews.com: bayareane.ws/49hZtSM
We made the top 6 @spectrum.ieee.org stories of 2025! Featuring #BaskinEngineering Professor Katia Obraczka's Pulse-Fi technology - which uses low cost WiFi devices to detect heart rate.💡 bit.ly/4jxj8D6
The Future of Health: Top Biomed Stories of 2025
AI-driven brain implants to detect depression and graphene tattoo biosensors lead IEEE Spectrum's top biomedical stories of 2025.
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January 5, 2026 at 7:42 PM
We made the top 6 @spectrum.ieee.org stories of 2025! Featuring #BaskinEngineering Professor Katia Obraczka's Pulse-Fi technology - which uses low cost WiFi devices to detect heart rate.💡 bit.ly/4jxj8D6
Reposted by Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
In his latest book, @baskinengineering.bsky.social Professor of Computational Media Noah Wardrip-Fruin explores why Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the comfort game of 2020, and what it revealed about comfort, community, care, and capitalism: https://bit.ly/4q4ck1J
December 12, 2025 at 4:48 PM
In his latest book, @baskinengineering.bsky.social Professor of Computational Media Noah Wardrip-Fruin explores why Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the comfort game of 2020, and what it revealed about comfort, community, care, and capitalism: https://bit.ly/4q4ck1J
Congratulations to #BaskinEngineering faculty David Deamer and David Haussler, who have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors—the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors! Read more about their decades of impact: bit.ly/4aJCBxK @ucsantacruz.bsky.social
David Deamer and David Haussler elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
The recognition is the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.
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December 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Congratulations to #BaskinEngineering faculty David Deamer and David Haussler, who have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors—the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors! Read more about their decades of impact: bit.ly/4aJCBxK @ucsantacruz.bsky.social
Reposted by Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
Genomics #postdocs: applications are open for our Next Wave of Faculty in Genomics Symposium (due Jan 15)!. Come share your science in Santa Cruz, home of redwoods, ocean views, and the world’s most unbothered mascot:🐌🌲🌊. Link: genomics.ucsc.edu/calendar_eve... @baskinengineering.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Genomics #postdocs: applications are open for our Next Wave of Faculty in Genomics Symposium (due Jan 15)!. Come share your science in Santa Cruz, home of redwoods, ocean views, and the world’s most unbothered mascot:🐌🌲🌊. Link: genomics.ucsc.edu/calendar_eve... @baskinengineering.bsky.social
Mentioned by @forbes.com! 50 student innovators at @ucsantacruz.bsky.social spent two days developing #AI powered solutions for wildfire mitigation and climate resilience at the “Reboot the Earth” hackathon co-hosted by the United Nations and #BaskinEngineering. bit.ly/4rE8iyt
AI Wildfire Modeling Expands Beyond The West As Climate Risks Shift
National Grid collaborates with Rhizome to deploy AI technology that identifies and helps prevent wildfire risks through their climate resilience platform.
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December 5, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Mentioned by @forbes.com! 50 student innovators at @ucsantacruz.bsky.social spent two days developing #AI powered solutions for wildfire mitigation and climate resilience at the “Reboot the Earth” hackathon co-hosted by the United Nations and #BaskinEngineering. bit.ly/4rE8iyt
New research led by #BaskinEngineering Prof @talsharf.bsky.social suggests the brain might be preloaded with a kind of internal template for reading the world, even before the world reaches us - via
@discovermag.bsky.social bit.ly/4rFJMx8
@discovermag.bsky.social bit.ly/4rFJMx8
Our Brains May Have Pre-Configured Instructions to Understand the World When We're Born
Discover how brain organoids are helping us uncover whether early thought patterns emerge from experience or are hardwired into our DNA.
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December 5, 2025 at 12:34 AM
New research led by #BaskinEngineering Prof @talsharf.bsky.social suggests the brain might be preloaded with a kind of internal template for reading the world, even before the world reaches us - via
@discovermag.bsky.social bit.ly/4rFJMx8
@discovermag.bsky.social bit.ly/4rFJMx8
Congrats to the 2025 @ucsantacruz.bsky.social iGEM team for placing 2nd at this year's iGEM competition!🥈 The team of #BaskinEngineering undergraduates developed a novel, accessible method for removing aflatoxin B1—a common microtoxin—found in fruits, nuts, rice and grains. Read on: bit.ly/4pmdjdH
2025 iGEM team investigates solution to common food toxin
The undergraduate research team won a silver medal at the 2025 international jamboree.
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December 5, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Congrats to the 2025 @ucsantacruz.bsky.social iGEM team for placing 2nd at this year's iGEM competition!🥈 The team of #BaskinEngineering undergraduates developed a novel, accessible method for removing aflatoxin B1—a common microtoxin—found in fruits, nuts, rice and grains. Read on: bit.ly/4pmdjdH
🧠 Are we born with built-in instructions for navigating the world? #BaskinEngineering Prof Tal Sharf found that early brain activity occurs in structured patterns before outside input—suggesting our brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world! 🤯 Read on: bit.ly/3K8dr19
Evidence suggests early developing human brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Tal Sharf's lab used organoids to make fundamental discoveries about human brain development.
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December 2, 2025 at 9:52 PM
🧠 Are we born with built-in instructions for navigating the world? #BaskinEngineering Prof Tal Sharf found that early brain activity occurs in structured patterns before outside input—suggesting our brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world! 🤯 Read on: bit.ly/3K8dr19
Reposted by Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
Inspiring Change: Help us invest in expanding life-changing educational opportunities and advance world-changing ideas and solutions that benefit all of us💫
November 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Inspiring Change: Help us invest in expanding life-changing educational opportunities and advance world-changing ideas and solutions that benefit all of us💫
In a new opinion piece, #BaskinEngineering Dean Alexander Wolf highlights growing concerns about the U.S. government-university-industry ecosystem and calls on our community to come together and address the challenge. bit.ly/4i8gpyW
November 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
In a new opinion piece, #BaskinEngineering Dean Alexander Wolf highlights growing concerns about the U.S. government-university-industry ecosystem and calls on our community to come together and address the challenge. bit.ly/4i8gpyW
Reposted by Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz was ranked the #1 public research university in the world for highly cited researchers over the past 10 years (2014-2024) by Clarivate.
UC Santa Cruz is the top public research university in the world for highly cited researchers amid strong 2025 list
25 UC Santa Cruz researchers earned a spot on the prestigious annual list.
news.ucsc.edu
November 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
UC Santa Cruz was ranked the #1 public research university in the world for highly cited researchers over the past 10 years (2014-2024) by Clarivate.
Jenya Meydbray, a #BaskinEngineering alum, has spent two decades focused on how quality and reliability shape #solar commercialization. After founding Kiwa PVEL and holding roles at Cypress Creek Renewables and Nevados Engineering, he now serves as a vice president at Nextpower.⚡️ bit.ly/4p9Q6Ld
Jenya Meydbray: Forging a path through a maturing solar industry
By joining Nextpower, formerly Nextracker, Meydbray intends to help the solar industry mature by integrating components that make up today’s PV power plants.
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November 14, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Jenya Meydbray, a #BaskinEngineering alum, has spent two decades focused on how quality and reliability shape #solar commercialization. After founding Kiwa PVEL and holding roles at Cypress Creek Renewables and Nevados Engineering, he now serves as a vice president at Nextpower.⚡️ bit.ly/4p9Q6Ld
😷 Ever had a stomach bug? New #BaskinEngineering research brings us one step closer to stopping one of its viral causes! Prof Rebecca DuBois's lab revealed how human astroviruses—a cause of the stomach bug—bind to human cells, paving the way for future therapies and vaccines. bit.ly/3JfDrqY
Researchers pinpoint target for treating virus that causes the stomach bug
New study reveals how human astroviruses bind to humans cells and paves the way for new therapies and vaccines
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November 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
😷 Ever had a stomach bug? New #BaskinEngineering research brings us one step closer to stopping one of its viral causes! Prof Rebecca DuBois's lab revealed how human astroviruses—a cause of the stomach bug—bind to human cells, paving the way for future therapies and vaccines. bit.ly/3JfDrqY
Can lab-grown brain tissue learn like #AI? 🧠🤖 @ucscgenomics.bsky.social researchers led by #BaskinEngineering prof Tal Sharf will explore whether brain organoids can learn from experience, respond to feedback, and solve tasks in real time. bit.ly/4howct5
Effort aims to uncover the learning and reasoning potential of brain organoids
The Braingeneers team will to test the ability of brain organoids to solve tasks in real time
bit.ly
October 22, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Can lab-grown brain tissue learn like #AI? 🧠🤖 @ucscgenomics.bsky.social researchers led by #BaskinEngineering prof Tal Sharf will explore whether brain organoids can learn from experience, respond to feedback, and solve tasks in real time. bit.ly/4howct5
Reposted by Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz
From @baskinengineering.bsky.social, Arsema Moges (College Nine, technology and information management) is a product manager at Apple, and Ricardo Esquivel (John R. Lewis, computer science) is a software engineer at Microsoft.
October 21, 2025 at 3:49 PM
From @baskinengineering.bsky.social, Arsema Moges (College Nine, technology and information management) is a product manager at Apple, and Ricardo Esquivel (John R. Lewis, computer science) is a software engineer at Microsoft.