Designing the future of flight at UC! Competitors built confidence, skills and networks — and brought home more than $15,000 in awards.
Aviation
CITRIS Seed Awards fund 4 multicampus projects for public good
Teams will receive up to $60,000 to propel their research into full-fledged solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges.
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.
Learning by doing: UC students take on CITRIS Workforce Innovation internships
High-performing students from four UC campuses will spend eight weeks gaining hands-on, real-world experience in high-demand tech fields this summer.
Ayush Pandey
Assistant Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering, UC Merced
DroneCamp 2025
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.
Call for proposals: CITRIS Seed Funding offers PIs up to $60K for multicampus research
Researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz are invited to apply.
NASA biodiversity project shows power of remote sensing
CITRIS at UC Merced campus Director Erin Hestir was co-lead of the agency’s first-ever biodiversity campaign.
White House honors CITRIS faculty with early career awards
Grace Gu, Sergey Levine and Grace O’Connell were awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
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.
‘Win-win’: CITRIS Workforce Innovation helps UC students turn passion into expertise
The third cohort of the UC summer internship program embraced tech-centered challenges and showcased professional and personal growth.
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.
2024–25 CITRIS Aviation Prize Info Session
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.
Making the Most of Drone and Sensor Data: A Community Discussion
CITRIS and ITS Present: Lina Yang on Autonomy in Aviation
CITRIS and ITS Present: Daniel Sperling on Transportation Policy
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.
CITRIS PIs use AI to solve key California issues
Addressing problems from traffic congestion to dangerous rip currents, CITRIS-affiliated researchers test the limits of AI as a tool for social betterment.