UCLA Engineering Virtual Student Group Fair.

Check out a sampling of our clubs below.
View all our 50+ clubs here

 

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

ACM Welcome
About ACM:

What does ACM do?

ACM is the largest computer science organization on campus. With over 600 members, we explore the vast array of topics that computer science has to offer. We are composed of 8 committees that each have a different focus: ACM Hack, ACM-W, ACM AI, ACM Game Studio, ACM ICPC, ACM Cyber, ACM Design, and ACM Teach LA. Whether you’re looking to build the next big mobile app, crack through codes with cybersecurity, become a machine learning whiz, or start conversations about diversity in tech, we have all that and more here at ACM. Learn from fellow students who have done research, internships, and even founded their own companies. Find out more about us at uclaacm.com.

What is the purpose of ACM Committees?

ACM AI: To nurture curiosity in artificial intelligence and machine learning

ACM Game Studio: To create a community for developers interested in game development and virtual reality

ACM ICPC: To both prepare for ICPC competitions and teach students algorithms and problem solving skills in order for them to excel both at the competition and technical interview levels.

ACM Hack: To empower UCLA students to influence their world through code by teaching them mobile and web development

ACM-W: To advocate for the full engagement of all who are interested in CS and aims to increase diversity in the technical field

ACM Cyber: To facilitate interest in cybersecurity through exploration of cryptography, web hacking, and other related topics

ACM Teach LA: To empower elementary, middle, and high school students with access to CS education.

ACM Design: To foster a community passionate about design and user experience

Don’t know where to start? No problem! Head over to ACM Board and we’ll break it down!

How can I join ACM?

ACM values inclusivity and exploration, and we do not require applications to join! Our workshops and events are open to all. We send out weekly newsletters and post regularly on Facebook and Instagram, so if you see an event that interests you, you are more than welcome to join us! We will have a kickoff Fall General Meeting at the beginning of Fall quarter that will give more details.

Do I need experience to join ACM?

No! We welcome students of all experiences and backgrounds. Whether you have been coding since you were in elementary school or you have no idea what computer science is, we have events catered to all experience levels! Many of our committees host workshops with both beginner and advanced tracks to better cater to the diverse skill sets of our members.

Do I need to be a Computer Science major to be in ACM?

No! We welcome students of all majors. Across our committees, we delve into topics that are not limited to computer science. All workshops and events are specifically catered to those with varying degrees of experience — we’ll teach you what you need to know!

How much of a time commitment is ACM?

Here at ACM, you get what you put into it. On average, each committee hosts weekly 2-hour meetings, as well as larger one-off events. Our officers are always here to give you support and help you out! While we encourage all members to come out to weekly sessions, we do not have any mandatory attendance. The more you attend, the more you will learn!

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Rucha Patki (she/her/hers), President
I am a third year computer science student from Cupertino, California! I am currently president of ACM @ UCLA, the largest computer science organization on campus- we cover topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, diversity in tech, and more! Outside of computer science, I love staying active and drawing in my free time.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Oliver Lam, President
I am a third year Aerospace Engineering major and the incoming Project Manager for Design Build Fly (DBF), a club that builds RC-aircraft to compete in competition. I have a passion for airplanes, and if you do too, you should definitely check DBF out!

About DBF:

Q1: Do I need to be an aerospace engineering major to join?

A1: No! We welcome students from all majors. Though the majority of our team is Aerospace or Mechanical engineers, we have also had members who studied Physics, Math, Computer Science, Chemistry, and Design Media Arts, just to name a few.

Q2: Can I join even though I have little to no experience in aircraft or engineering?

A2: Yes! We welcome everyone as long as they are interested in learning and participating in the club. Most of our members join with no experience, so you are not required to have any previous knowledge. We will teach you everything you need to know!

Q3: How much time, on average, do people commit for Design Build Fly?

A3: During the different phases of the competition, the time committed by members vary greatly based on what subteam they are on and how invested they are in the project. We understand that everyone is a student first and that you may have other extracurricular commitments outside of DBF, but we expect members to complete the work that they have signed up for. The time commitment ranges anywhere from 1-2 hours during light weeks to 10-15 hours as we approach deadlines and competition, but each member can choose how many hours they want to commit during any time of the year; there are no requirements.

Q4: How do you decide the design of the aircraft?

A4: Every year, the national AIAA DBF committee releases a new design challenge and set of rules for that year’s competition. Based on the requirements and missions an aircraft must complete, we use different models and sensitivity analysis to choose the design of the aircraft to maximize competition score. Refer to https://www.aiaa.org/dbf for more information regarding the competition. 

Q5: Does it fly?

A5: Yes it does! If you are interested, please also watch our welcome video to see our planes in action!

 

About RP:

About UAS:
  • What major should I be if I want to join this club?

UAS@UCLA is actually a majority software club. The most recognizable thing to outsiders is our amazing airframe (comprised of Aerospace, MechE, Materials, and open to Civil engineers) team and the designs they manufacture, but their work is matched by the work done by EE, CE, CSE, and CS majors in our other three subteams. They get practical experience with autonomous controls, vision recognition algorithms, and many other developing fields used from Amazon’s delivery drones, to NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover.

  • How much time commitment is UAS@UCLA?

Typical members are expected to attend a general club meeting every other week, and their subteam meeting each week. That comes out to roughly 2 hours per week. We’re not asking anyone to dedicate their lives to UAS, but for people who can and do spend more of their free time working on club projects, they get opportunities to go to the field for flight testing, or even attend our annual competition in Washington DC on the club’s dolar. The people who spend the most time also find they get the most out of the club (the president of the club in 2019-2020 spent on average 6 hours per week on UAS@UCLA work, some weeks less, some weeks … much more)

  • How much work can a first-year actually do with so many other experienced members?

UAS@UCLA will be holding our second annual training program, UASpire (pronounced “you aspire”) at the start of Fall quarter this coming year. We’ve thrived by the work of our first-year contributors historically, and our leadership team is very focused on making sure people always have meaningful work. Every member is on the varsity team, and no one should be left doing menial work ever. Additionally, we switch between building a plane and quadcopter every two years so that everyone is constantly learning together and as a team.

  • What is the “goal” of the club?

UAS@UCLA competes annually in the AUVSI SUAS competition at the end of UCLA’s Spring quarter. What that messy acronym means is, we build an autonomous plane or quadcopter to fly a course over a Navy base in Maryland, use vision software to recognize and tag ground targets, safely drop an autonomous ground vehicle from over 100ft, and more all in a time constraint with no do-overs. Did we mention that’s all autonomous? 

We’re also looking into adding a research wing to apply for NASA grants, or work with professors and graduate students on campus to further develop the growing field of autonomous drones.

  • What are the subteams? Why are they so important?

Every member of UAS@UCLA is a part of one of four subteams. Each subteam meets separately in addition to general meetings, and takes one of the large tasks associated with designing an autonomous drone. Those are airframe, controls, ground, and vision. 

Airframe: Designs and builds the UAV and supporting equipment

Controls: Uses a blend of computer science and mechanical engineering to create a custom flight software which will tell every electronic on the drone what to do

Ground: Builds and develops software for the ground communications and background connecting software between the drone and our laptops.

Vision: Builds a custom vision pipeline from the camera taking a picture of a target to sending off a fully recognized and tagged image to the judges.

If you want a more detailed look at each of those teams or have any further questions , visit our website (uasatucla.org) or send us an email (unmannedsystems.ucla@gmail.com)!

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

About AIChE:

 

  • Who can join and how often does AIChE meet?

Anybody can join! While we often have more chemical engineering specific events, all of our events and projects are open to anyone regardless of major or year. In particular, our professional events such as our Annual Career Fair, numerous company and graduate school infosessions, and professional development workshops are useful for any engineering major.

You can be as involved in AIChE as you would like! We hold general meetings twice in fall quarter, and once in the winter and spring. These are meant for everyone to get together and enjoy some free food while we briefly go over the main events for the quarter. Besides these, we host social and professional events and you can choose to attend any which interest you. Our technical projects often meet on a weekly or biweekly basis.

 

  • What technical projects does AIChE offer and who can join?

We currently offer three technical projects: ChIP, LEAP, and Chem-E-Car. Any major can join our projects and no prior technical experience is needed.

The goal of the Chemical Engineering Introductory Project (ChIP) is to provide freshmen, sophomores, and first year transfer students with hands-on technical experience. Participants learn and apply chemical engineering principles, such as process design and process controls, by building a small-scale chemical engineering system in teams. Students also explore the principles of circuit design, computer-aided design, and 3D printing. In previous years, teams have built coffee machines and cooling towers. This project lasts through fall and winter quarter.

The Lifetime Engineering Applications Project (LEAP) provides students with more knowledge about industry. Students work in teams to model real-life industrial processes using PRO/II, a process simulation software. These projects involve a variety of unit operations, such as distillation columns and reactors, along with economic analysis techniques. After completing each project, students give a technical presentation to display their understanding of the concepts involved. Each quarter is a different project so anyone can join at the start of any quarter.

In Chem-E-Car, students research, design, experiment, and collaborate with team members to build a shoebox-sized car fueled and stopped purely by chemical reactions. Every year, two of our Chem-E-Car teams compete in the regional Chem-E-Car competition, allowing students to apply their chemistry and engineering knowledge to a tangible engineering problem. Teams are composed of 8-9 students who are sophomores/second-year transfer students and above and are chosen each spring. 

 

  • How can I get an internship?

We offer many professional events to help students secure an internship and a job after graduation. Our Annual Career Fair in the fall attracts around 200 students to speak to the ~15 companies represented. We also have many infosessions in the fall and winter quarter ranging from a variety of industries.

 

  • What else does AIChE offer outside of professional development?

Through our mentorship program, freshmen and first-year transfer students are paired with a mentor of similar interests and placed into families. Through over 100 mentor-mentee pairings annually, upperclassmen can provide insight and advice critical to the success of new members. Our program guides new students in their transition to life as chemical engineering undergraduates. Our family heads host events such as KBBQ, a trip to the Getty Museum, kayaking at Marina del Rey, game night, and many more throughout the quarter for members to get together and connect outside of classes.

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Corinna Lee, President
I’m a 2nd year chemical engineering major from San Diego and currently President of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) at UCLA. I’m interested in working in the biotech or food and beverage industry after graduation, but feel free to ask me about anything!

Brandan Taing, Treasurer
Hello there! My name is Brandan Taing, and I am a second-year chemical engineering student at UCLA, originally from San Diego, California. I’m interested in pursuing an industry position or a PhD program after my time at UCLA in an energy-related field. I currently serve on the AIChE board and have participated in its technical projects. Apart from AIChE, I also am a part of undergraduate research, Tau Beta Pi, the Learning Assistant program, and some culturally based organizations. I love meeting new people and am happy to answer any questions you have!   Engineering Interests: Energy (production, storage, management), Nanotechnology, Sustainability  Non-engineering Interests: Watching the Padres and Rockets, Reading, Tennis, Hiking, Trivia, Chess  Projects with AIChE: ChIP, LEAP, Chem-E-Car, Projects Committee, EVP, Treasurer.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

About ASCE:

How can I get involved in the chapter?

It’s really easy to become involved in our chapter! I would recommend attending our Fall General Meeting during Week 1 to learn more about all the events we have in the fall and when all our project workdays occur. All you have to do is fill out an annual membership form and pay the annual membership fee and then you have access to all our events. Getting involved is as easy as just attending general events (industry recruitment events, community service events, intramural teams, social events, etc.) and joining any of our 12 technical projects that interest you. We post all our events and workdays regularly on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Everything is also on our official calendar (www.ascebruins.org/calendar.html)!

Do you need experience to join a technical project?

No, not at all! Our project managers are happy to teach you everything you’ll need to know to be successful and help make a meaningful contribution to a project. All you need is an interest in the project and a can-do attitude.

Can I be involved in more than one technical project?

Yes, you definitely can! We really encourage all our new members to try out any and all projects that interest them. As you become more involved in the project and maybe even think about taking on a leadership role in the project the next year, you can evaluate how much time you have and how you’ll split that time between projects, school, etc. However, joining multiple projects at first is a great way to meet even more people and form connections while also learning more about the different aspects of civil engineering. If you’re concerned about how manageable it is, I was a project director for multiple projects my sophomore and junior year so it’s definitely doable.

How can I go about obtaining an internship?

Active members of our chapter have a really high percentage rate of receiving both summer (or even part-time) internships while they are students and full-time job offers once they are graduating seniors. ASCE has a ton of opportunities for networking and job-hunting through our 15+ company info sessions, two networking nights, and two career fairs. In the past few years, we’ve had around 20 companies attend each Networking Night and 45 civil engineering and construction management companies attend each Career Fair. Attending these events and speaking with the industry reps there are great ways to secure an internship. We also host events like resume and mock interview workshops to help people best prepare for the Career Fair.

How can I balance school work and extracurriculars?

I think most UCLA Engineering students would say time management and learning to prioritize. Obviously school comes first, and anyone in club leadership understands this as it’s true for them too. In other words, no project manager or officer will be upset or not understand if you can’t go to a workday/event because you need to study for a midterm. In terms of balance, time management is everything. Many of us use calendars to schedule our daily activities or have running lists that are organized into schoolwork and different club responsibilities. I think it’s important to sit down every week and forecast what you need to get done from what assignments are due to what events are happening during the week. It’s definitely a learning curve at first with the quarter system and transitioning from high school to college, but we all learned pretty quickly and so will you! And always remember, we’re always happy to help if you’re ever struggling to balance everything at once

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Claire Killian, President
Hi I’m a 4th year CEE major focusing in structural engineering and mechanics. I currently serve as the President of ASCE, the Vice President of Chi Epsilon (CEE Honor Society), and a Director of Tours for Engineering Ambassadors, and I will be starting graduate school in structural engineering in the fall!

Cade Luongo, Project Executive
I’m a 3rd year Civil Engineering major from Santa Clarita, CA who switched into the major from Mechanical Engineering. Interested in Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, and Transportation Engineering, and helped lead our Steel Bridge project (design, fabricate, build) this year.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

About ASME:

What is ASME? 

ASME stands for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. That said, anyone is allowed to join! ASME is a national organization that sets standards for the engineering industry, and also serves to connect communities of students, professionals, and academic scholars across mechanical engineering. 

At UCLA, ASME is a student-run organization that provides its members with technical and professional opportunities that are crucial in order to succeed after college. We want all our members to gain technical skills and stay informed about the progress of their academic careers. UCLA does not offer a lot of hands-on learning in its engineering curriculum, but ASME’s technical projects aim to counter that by providing members with important practical skills. Our goal is that, by the end of their senior year, our members are well-rounded engineers equipped with both theoretical and technical knowledge and experience.

What technical projects does ASME offer? Do I need any experience before joining?

ASME has three main technical projects: Fabrication and Design Essentials, Combat Robotics, and X1 Robotics. We are also in the process of adopting the Bruin Underwater Robotics (BUR) team as one of our technical projects and provide them with the support of our club and its resources. 

Fabrication and Design Essentials (F.A.D.E) is a year-long training program that introduces students to Computer-Aided Design, machining, and electronics. No experience is required to join FADE, and we welcome all majors! 

In Combat Robotics, student teams conceptualize, design, manufacture, and assemble 3 lb. arena-combat robots to compete in an annual competition in the Spring. Students will get hands-on exposure to the entire design and manufacturing process. No experience is necessary to join Combat Robotics! 

X1 Robotics is a unique project because every year involves a completely new robotics concept. In the beginning of the year, students brainstorm and pitch their ideas. Once a project has been chosen by a diverse team of mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and computer science students, we then start a cycle of research, development, and iteration. 2018’s project was a recreation of a Guardian robot from the Legend of Zelda video game series; it featured a life-like 6-legged gait, organic behavior, and target-following software. In 2019, we started working on BruinBot, a friendly human-interaction robot that roams around campus greeting students and handing out snacks. Since it is a higher-level project, some experience is preferred when joining X1, but all members are encouraged to challenge themselves!

Bruin Underwater Robotics is ASME’s newest initiative, focused on the development of robots capable of carrying out complex tasks in underwater environments. These robots have a myriad of real-world applications, ranging from shipwreck investigation to deep-sea biological research. Through the design process, members will gain experience in a wide variety of fields, including electronics, CAD, and controls. And as a newly founded team, next year’s members will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and make a meaningful impact on the project. All majors and experience levels are welcome!

Do you offer any professional development opportunities?

We offer plenty of professional development opportunities! We help plan the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Career Fair every Fall, attracting companies that are offering both internship and full-time opportunities. We also host on-campus infosessions and workshops with companies such as Arconic and Marathon Petroleum so that students can further network! Moreover, we also host in-house Resume and Interview Workshops in which our more experienced officers offer one-on-one feedback to help you land your dream job!

What kind of social events does ASME hold?

We believe that harboring a community that supports each other like family is vital to the success of our members. This is why we value having occasional social events that take us out of the engineering mindset and allow us to support each other as friends. 

Some annual traditions are ice blocking by Janss Steps, our general member retreat, and outings to the Griffiths observatory. Many times, small groups of our members will meet up to go out for dinner after their meetings. Throughout the quarter, we will also hold game nights at the lab, and at each end of the quarter, we also camp out at the dining halls to study together for finals. 

Due to recent global events, we have not been able to meet up in person, but that hasn’t stopped us from holding social events. Our Discord channel is always active with conversation, and we even have a private Minecraft server that the members can play in! We are continuing to plan for many other online social events via Zoom or other multiplayer games.

Do I have to be a mechanical engineering major to join?

Absolutely not! Anyone interested in our technical projects, professional development opportunities, or social events can join. Our technical projects and professional events cater mostly to mechanical engineering majors, but we still have many opportunities for those in computer science, electrical engineering, and more. For example, there are many electrical engineers and computer science students in X1 Robotics due to the diverse skills needed for that project. Additionally, our close-knit community has attracted students from even outside of STEM to join, and we are happy to welcome anyone who wants to be a part of ASME!

How do I get involved?

The best way to get involved is to sign up for our newsletter, which can be found on our official website https://www.asmebruins.com/. We send one out at the beginning of every week with the locations, dates, and times of all our meetings and events, which are open to anyone trying to be involved with ASME. At the beginning of every quarter, we also hold a general member meeting where the officers present an overview of the quarter’s events. 

For technical projects, since there are time-sensitive deadlines and competition dates, we highly encourage you to get involved at the beginning of the year or quarter, but this is not a hard cutoff — we want you to be a part of the ASME family! 

For social or professional development events, you are welcome to show up to any and all of them. Just make sure to sign in with ASME!

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Gabriel Alpuerto, President
Hello! I am Gabriel Alpuerto, a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student from Los Angeles, CA who is currently serving as President of the American Society at UCLA and working in the Boelter Hall Makerspace. Many of my jobs over the past three years have involved teaching others about UCLA and technical skills or knowledge involving engineering. Post-graduation I have an interest in manufacturing, robotics, and engineering consulting. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Sruti Munagala, Secretary (19 – 20), Outreach Chair (20 – 21)
Hello! I’m a second-year mechanical engineering student that has participated in all 3 of ASME’s technical projects: FADE, Battlebots, and X1 Robotics! I also served as Secretary this year and will serve as Outreach Chair next year.

 

Building Engineers and Mentors (BEAM)

About BEAM:

Q: What does BEAM do?

A: BEAM (Building Engineers and Mentors) is a STEM outreach organization that teaches hands-on science activities to students at local underserved elementary schools. We believe science should be accessible to all students, and we encourage our students to see how science can be fun and creative.

Q: What schools do you work with?

A: We currently teach at two local schools: Melrose Elementary (5th grade students) and Crescent Heights Elementary (4th grade students). We visit each school once a week for an hour-long hands-on lesson. 

Q: What kind of lessons do you teach?

A: All of our lessons are STEM-focused and target the California science standards for 4th and 5th grade. We cover a broad range of topics, including robots, microscopes, 3D printing, earthquakes, and oobleck! The bulk of our lessons are spent on hands-on activities so that our students can learn by doing.

Q: Why should I join BEAM?

A: If you like working with kids, enjoy science, and want to meet some awesome new people then this is the club for you! Being involved with BEAM is a great way to give back to the LA community and mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers. Joining BEAM will introduce you to a tight-knit community on campus and give you the opportunity to take on a leadership role.

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Laurel Woods, President
I’m a second year CS major, and I’ll be the president of BEAM starting this fall. I’m passionate about using tech for social good and STEM outreach!

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)

About:
  1. What does BMES do?

BMES caters to almost every part of the student experience. From helping students network with industry professionals and company representatives through our BMES Career Fair and various company infosessions to creating a close knit community of supportive students through our mentorship program, we have you covered! We also provide community outreach opportunities where students can go to local, underserved middle schools to teach kids STEM topics and get them excited about higher education. The BMES Technical Projects teams give students the opportunity to gain experience working on hands on engineering projects. The teams are geared towards a wide range of skill levels, from students with no experience to students who have worked on design projects before.

  1. Who can join and how do I get involved?

Anyone with an interest in bioengineering can join our organization! While we hold a lot of events geared towards bioengineers, like class planning workshops, we have plenty of social and professional development events useful for any engineering major.

You can get involved by joining us at any of our General Meetings (held fall, winter, and spring quarter) to learn about the events being put on each quarter and showing up to any and all that you can! In order to join a technical project or be a part of one of our committees in helping host the over 50 events we put on each quarter, please apply during fall quarter.

  1. How do I hear about events?

Check out our website: http://bmes.seas.ucla.edu/

Look at our Facebook for more event details/pictures: https://www.facebook.com/groups/uclabmes/

Please join our Slack channel to learn more about our org and to engage with club members: https://join.slack.com/t/bmes-hq/shared_invite/zt-d61cfofn-FtuZ~legparaTKUm7iAmCg

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Izabella Samuel, President
I am a 4th year bioengineering major and the President of BMES for the 2019-2020 school year. I joined BMES during my freshman year and also served two years as the club’s social chair. I am an undergraduate researcher in a tissue engineering lab, and my research is focused on biomaterials and regenerative medicine. Outside of engineering, I work for UCLA Undergraduate Admissions as a campus tour guide. As far as outside experiences go, I spent the summer before my senior year as a Consulting Analyst at Accenture. After I graduate, I will be attending Johns Hopkins for a masters in Bioengineering Innovation and Design. During my four years at UCLA, I have loved participating in IM sports and trying new food places around LA, and my favorite Bruin tradition is Spring Sing!

Engineering Society at UCLA

About:

What is the Engineering Society at UCLA?

We are the umbrella organization across all engineering student groups that seeks to connect the School of Engineering, student organizations, and the undergraduate body. Our primary goals are to see the professional, academic, and personal development of our members and to advance the impacts that UCLA Engineering has on our community.

What does the Engineering Society do?

The primary way we seek to accomplish our goal is through hosting events. We host a wide variety of events from Engineering Welcome Day, our beginning-of-the-year introduction, to Engineers Week, a week-long celebration of the engineering community. These events all have a different purpose, but they seek to develop our undergraduate community and School of Engineering in any way possible.

How can I get involved?

The best way to get involved is to come to Engineering Welcome Day next fall. We’re the group that hosts this event! This is an event where all incoming engineers will have a chance to meet student organizations and hear speeches from key members of the School of Engineering. In addition, feel free to check out our website at www.esuc.ucla.edu or shoot us an email at esuc.ucla@gmail.com. Go Bruins!

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Arnold Pfahni, President
My name is Arnold Pfahnl and I am the current president of the Engineering Society at UCLA. I was a bioengineering major, recently converted to computer science and engineering.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

About:

Q: What is IEEE?

A: IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: the world’s largest technical professional organization. Our student branch of IEEE at UCLA maintains ties with the national organization while focusing on enhancing the experiences of students majoring in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, and Computer Science. We offer technical projects, social activities, professional development opportunities, and workshops that will help you find friends and build your UCLA community while preparing for and landing internships.

Q: I heard something about the IEEE Lab. What is it? And how do I get there?

A: The IEEE Lab is a shared space with tables, 3D printers, soldering irons, electrical components, and prototyping materials where you can do homework, work on IEEE projects, and hang out with friends between classes. Normal lab hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday, but the lab is also often open outside of those hours whenever an officer is present. Our website has info for how to find the IEEE Lab at http://ieeebruins.com/lab since this may be tricky your first time.

Q: What projects does IEEE work on?

A: IEEE has three main projects. These projects give participants opportunities to apply what they learn in various areas of Electrical and Computer Engineering and develop hands-on project skills that are valuable for internships and full-time jobs. Our introductory project is called OPS (Open Project Space) and is designed to teach participants with little to no experience in electrical engineering the skills they need to join one of our more advanced projects. Our advanced projects consist of Aircopter Project and Micromouse. In Aircopter, teams design, build, and program mini quadcopters. Micromouse is a project where teams design autonomous robotic mice and use them to race against teams from UCLA and other schools in intercollegiate competitions.

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Bryan Wong, President
Hi there! I’m the President of IEEE, UCLA’s largest community of Electrical Engineers that offers hands-on projects, career development opportunities, mentorship, and more! Some of my other interests include being a huge orchestra nerd, rock climbing, eating food, and playing League.

IEEE Women Advancing Technology through Teamwork (WATT)

About:
  • What is IEEE WATT?
WATT stands for Women Advancing Technology through Teamwork. We are a technical advocacy group for women and minorities in Electrical Engineering, operating as a branch of IEEE Women in Engineering. We empower both students at UCLA and younger girls in our community. Join if you want to inspire others, tinker with EE and network with industry professionals.
  • Can those who do not identify as women or who are not EE/CE majors join the club?

YES, we welcome everyone! Our club is open to those who would like to advocate for minorities. While we may be focused on EE/CE, we do not discriminate based on major, gender, race, age, etc.! If you are interested in EE/CE but not in the major, WATT is the perfect place to get exposure to EE and test the waters before attempting to change your major.

  • What is EE?

Electrical Engineering is a very broad discipline – it includes many different fields on a spectrum of software (more CS based, think of applications on your phone and laptop that don’t require a physical component) to hardware (these are more Mechanical Engineering based, like robotics and physical components that make up devices like a drone). On the more software side, Electrical Engineering consists of projects that are referred to as Digital Signal Processing (DSP). This portion of EE bleeds into CS a lot, especially when Machine Learning is thrown into the mix. On a high level, DSP projects include image and audio processing – from natural language processing to recognizing handwritten numbers. In the middle, we have a physics approach to EE. A lot of the principle engineering behind semiconductors starts with physics and electromagnetics. This part of EE overlaps with Material Science Engineering, as we go into detail about silicon and its properties. While it may sound a little boring, it is the basis of every chip in every single appliance we own – from smart watches to laptops to calculators. Last but not least, we have the hardware side of EE which overlaps with Mechanical Engineering. This side involves lots of circuitry, robotics, and a little bit of coding (for the chip to control your project).

  • What kind of technical projects do you have?

We like to focus on where creativity and EE intersect so a couple of our popular projects we have done are wearables and paper crafts. These two are small workshops where you can display your knowledge of basic circuit theory and show off your artsy side! The wearables workshop consists of using conductive thread to sew LEDs on your chosen material (hat, shirt, bag, etc.). The paper crafts workshop uses conductive paint to light up LEDs that can be used in greeting cards, thank you cards, or a decorative wall piece for your dorm. In addition to these two, we’ve done a workshop that takes sound (a clap, or maybe music with very strong bass beats) and lights up an LED everything the sound sensor detects a strong beat (allowing you to make your own sound reactive LED strip).

In addition to these fun projects, we also have more academic projects. From playing with FPGA boards to learning about Verilog we have done a variety of projects in the past. In the future, we hope to utilize some of the FPGA boards (shout out to Intel for sponsoring us!) and Raspberry Pis to have two separate tracks of long term projects.

  • How much should I know about EE/CE before coming to UCLA?

If you don’t know anything, you’ll be fine! The purpose of all of the lower divisions courses is to even out the playing field. While some students might have had unique opportunities in their high schools like computer science courses, robotics courses, maybe even parents with a background in EE/CE, others might not have had those opportunities. Although it might seem like people have an advantage in the lower division courses, the upper division courses are fair game because no one teaches upper division material in a high school setting. Just pay attention and join clubs to learn more about applying the theory you learn in class and you’ll do fine!

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Weslyn Clarke, President
I am the President of UCLA WATT and currently a 3rd year Electrical Engineering student who is interested in power and renewable energy. As President of WATT, my goal is to support minorities in engineering, particularly in Electrical Engineering, and provide a club for any student to learn technical skills while forming a social network.

Nisha Sharma, Advocacy and Wellness Chair, Transferred from Bakersfield College
My name is Nisha Sharma, and I’m a fourth year / second year transfer in electrical engineering. I am also WATT’s Advocacy and Wellness Chair, and my job involves putting together workshops that help students with topics outside of technical ones.

 

Materials Research Society (MRS)

About:
  • What is MRS?

The Materials Research Society (MRS) at UCLA is the premiere organization for any major interested in learning about the field of Materials Science and Engineering. We aim to provide members with professional and social support. We do everything from company info sessions and career fairs to kayaking expeditions and game nights!

  • How do I join?

Our chapter has no dues or fees. To join, simply come to our events! Our club is low time commitment. To be considered an active member, we ask that you come to at least one event a quarter. 

  • How do I hear about events?

Our most recent event news is posted on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MRSUCLA/), but our newsletter, website, and bulletin board in Boelter Hall all contain information on our events. To sign up for our newsletter, visit our website (http://www.seas.ucla.edu/mrs/).

  • Do you have any technical, hands-on projects?

We do! Our MRS chapter is home to a SAMPE (Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineers) chapter as well. Any students (regardless of year or experience) can join us in designing and manufacturing our composite beams. This previous year we had over 60 participants and worked with various materials such as carbon, glass, and natural fiber. Additionally, we compete our beams at the international SAMPE conference, traveling to locations such as Long Beach, Charlotte, and Seattle!

 

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Rayna Mehta, President
I’m a 3rd year Materials Science and Engineering major and one of the two Tech Directors for MRS at UCLA. As part of MRS’s technical project, I’ve built beams out of carbon and glass fiber that can support thousands of pounds even though they weigh less than two pounds! Besides engineering, I love sports (catch me at any and every UCLA game!), practicing taekwondo, and reading.

Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists (SOLES)

About SOLES:

 

  • What is SOLES?
      1. SOLES (Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists) is the local UCLA student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

 

  • What does SOLES do?
    1. Community Outreach
      1. K-12 STEM outreach activities (campus tours, STEM workshops, student panels) 
      2. Middle school and high school tutoring
    2. Professional Development
      1. Access to Companies and Recruiters
      2. Financial support for attendance to regional and national SHPE conferences
    3. Chapter Development
      1. Socials!
      2. Exploration of the fun activities LA has to offer as a familia
    4. Academic Development
      1. Weekly study nights
      2. Lunabotics team, a practical application of classroom engineering learning
    5. Leadership Development
      1. First Year Coalition 
      2. Committee-based Event Planning
      3. Executive Board Positions
Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Geronimo Guidino, Transfer Representative, Transferred from Fullerton College
Chemical engineering major with interests in science, engineering, music, and sports. Transfer Representative (19-20) for the Society of Latino Engineers (SOLES).

Michael Munguia, Transfer Representative, Transferred from Mount San Antonio College
I’m a first year transfer, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I’m interested in working in aerospace or defense and my role as Transfer Representative in SOLES is to connect with transfer students and get them involved.

Society of Women Engineering (SWE)

About:

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Kelly Nguyen, Secretary
Hello all! My name is Kelly Nguyen and I’m a second year mechanical engineering major interested in activism, engineering design, ai ethics, and anything involving space! I spent last summer abroad studying mathematics in Glasgow, Scotland, and I enjoy exploring Los Angeles and the community around me!

 

UCLA DevX

About DevX:

What does DevX do?

If you’ve ever thought of an app idea, a useful tool, or a practical service, DevX is the place for you. DevX is a brand new program dedicated to building out practical applications. Build out real-world projects to help tackle pressing problems frustrating the UCLA community, grow your technical skills by pairing up with experienced students, and build a network that lasts beyond graduation. We recruit every quarter!

What can I learn/gain from DevX?

We focus on a wide variety of projects and develop solutions for the most popular initiatives by the community. By joining DevX, you’d have the opportunity to work alongside experienced student engineers and be exposed to industry-style production. You can learn to write code with a team on a source-controlled project, learn new languages and tech, as well as make lasting relationships with other, driven students.

What has DevX accomplished?

We’ve built a myriad of projects, and we’ve helped students to gain the experience required to get offers for internships and jobs. Some of our projects include a machine learning prediction algorithm to predict the effects of medications, an event discovery app for UCLA, as well as an application to find the best study spots on campus.

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Samuel Lee, Director of Operations and Events
I’m a third year Computer Science major, and I’m interested in sports, distributed systems, and music. I’ve been a software developer at DevX for 3 years as well as the director of operations at DevX, and I would love to answer any questions you may have regarding DevX, internships, classes, or anything Computer Science-related!

Yifan You, External Vice President
2nd year CS major with an interest in Machine Learning, Entrepreneurship and solving cool problems.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE)

About UPE:

What is UPE?

Upsilon Pi Epsilon is an international honor society created to recognize academic excellence in the Computing and Information Disciplines. The members of our UCLA chapter are among the most outstanding undergraduate Computer Science students at UCLA. Our chapter holds events for students aiming to help them gain the skills and information that will help grow both professionally and academically.

What does UPE do?

Upsilon Pi Epsilon events include course review sessions, tech talks, mentorship events, and company information sessions. UPE also holds tutoring open to all students from weeks 3-9 from 9 am – 5 pm. 

How do I become a member of UPE?

Every spring and fall quarter, UPE inducts new members who meet the following requirements

Can I attend UPE events even if I am not a member?

Yes! Weekly tutoring, course review sessions, tech talks, mentorship events, etc. are open to all students.

Meet some of our members who are joining the session:

Austin Guo (he/him/his):
Hi! I’m Austin Guo, a 4th year computer science major at UCLA. My main interests in CS lie in machine learning and big data systems. As the former President of UPE I work with the Computer Science department to coordinate career fairs for CS students, organize events like CS Townhall for students and faculty to discuss curriculum changes and other things regarding the future of CS at UCLA, and general club administration work, among other things. I’ve worked at Northrop Grumman, Honey, and Amazon in SWE and Machine Learning roles and will be working full-time at Affirm on the Platform Infrastructure and Cloud Operations team next year. Outside of CS I enjoy playing guitar and piano, dancing, and cooking.

 

Having technical difficulty on the day of the event? Call 213-290-3144

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