Designing the future of flight at UC! Competitors built confidence, skills and networks — and brought home more than $15,000 in awards.
CITRIS Aviation
AIAA highlights wildfire-sensing drone project
CITRIS PI Zhaodan Kong is working to minimize the time between the spark of a wildfire and its detection and suppression.
UC Merced breakthrough could transform how California monitors toxic algal blooms
With CITRIS support, researchers demonstrated that satellite imaging can help protect public health by augmenting standard sampling methods.
CITRIS researchers combat methane emissions with drones
The project aims to improve the speed and accuracy of measuring methane to support government and industry mitigation efforts.
CIDER to train 45 new drone pilots in spring 2025
The mission of CIDER’s Drone Pilot Training Program is to support diversity and inclusion in the industry, and to train pilots who prioritize safety, privacy and security.
4 student teams progress to 2nd phase of CITRIS Aviation Prize competition
Building on last year’s competition, the 2024–25 challenge tasks teams to develop air operations simulation software for an intercampus air network.
CITRIS publishes 2024 annual report
As we celebrate the past year, we renew our commitment to serve as a catalyst and convener for the UC community.
Job opportunity: CITRIS drone education coordinator
CITRIS at UC Santa Cruz is seeking a full-time education coordinator for its drone training program, CIDER.
CITRIS convenes workshop on drones and data at UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley
Interdisciplinary experts discuss challenges and opportunities of using drones to advance innovative research.
Students invited to submit proposals for CITRIS Aviation Prize
The 2024–25 CITRIS Aviation Prize challenges University of California students to design critical aviation simulations and subsystems for efficient intercampus travel.
CIDER to receive NOAA climate resilience funding
The funding will cover the cost for four students per year to learn drone skills in an intensive two-week summer training program.
Winners of 2024 CITRIS Aviation Prize reach great heights
Hard-working student teams from four UC campuses competed for more than $10,000 in industry-sponsored awards.
UC Santa Cruz students excel in 3rd year of CIDER drone pilot program
The program, which trains students to take the FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot exam, doubled its size this year and expanded to include an agriculture-focused track.
Sanfelice receives $2.5M to develop aerospace digital twin
A team led by CITRIS Aviation Director Ricardo Sanfelice has received a three-year award to model spacecraft that will clean space debris.
NanoLab director leads design of better solar sails
Fleets of lightweight, miniature spacecraft propelled entirely by solar radiation could be the next step in space exploration.
2023 Seed Award will explore safety of AI in air traffic control
Ayush Pandey seeks to design trustworthy AI models that can better respond to unpredictable scenarios in air traffic control.
CIDER drone piloting program welcomes new student cohort
The 2024 program will feature a variety of hands-on experiences and teach essential safety, privacy and security responsibilities.
4 teams to advance to Phase 2 of CITRIS Aviation Prize student design competition
These top teams will build upon successful proposals to develop detailed designs for air transportation infrastructure that connects CITRIS’s four campuses.
UC Berkeley announces space education and research center at NASA Ames
The Berkeley Space Center will facilitate collaboration across academia and industry to generate innovations in aviation and space technology.
CITRIS Aviation Prize opens RFP to UC students
The 2023 CITRIS Aviation Prize invites students to design air mobility infrastructure that could serve as a first step for campus-to-campus transportation at UC.
CITRIS PIs win UC Santa Cruz coastal resilience funding
CITRIS researchers received support for a diverse array of pilot projects in a recent funding round from the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
The sky’s the limit: Becca Fenwick gives research and education a new perspective with drone tech
The CITRIS PI and director of CIDER at UC Santa Cruz advances wildland management and workforce development with UAVs and remote sensing systems.
Bayen weighs in on autonomous vehicles with WSJ
CITRIS PI Alexandre Bayen was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal about the challenges facing self-driving vehicles.
Preparing for a warming world: CITRIS at the vanguard of climate tech research
By supporting interdisciplinary work and seeding multicampus projects, CITRIS helps to keep the University of California at the forefront of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.