College of Engineering Cal Day events

Congratulations and welcome to our newest Berkeley engineers! Cal Day is only for newly admitted students and their families. Which means we are looking forward to getting to know you and helping you get to know us.

Cal Day invites newly admitted undergraduate students and their families to discover campus, learn about our resources and meet members of the community in interactive ways in person. Cal Week provides students an opportunity to ask questions, dive virtually into the Berkeley adventure and share their excitement with the community from anywhere!

Can’t make it to Cal Day? Join us for an April Info Session offered in-person and online throughout the month of April.

Saturday, April 13

9:30 a.m. | College of Engineering Welcome for Admitted Students
Doe Memorial Library Steps
Start your College of Engineering Cal Day journey with a welcome address by College of Engineering Dean Tsu-Jae King Liu. In addition to meeting Dean Liu, you’ll also meet engineering faculty and student leaders, as you begin your day on the Northside.

10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Engineering Student AMA Stations
Evans Glade, McLaughlin/O’Brien Plaza
Want to know what a day in the life of a Berkeley Engineer is like? This is your chance to talk directly with undergraduate students who will be on hand to answer your questions. Ask them anything about their first-hand experience in the College of Engineering.

10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Engineering Academic Advising Information Table
Evans Glade
Did you know that as a Berkeley Engineer, you are automatically assigned an Engineering Academic Adviser who will work with you throughout your entire undergraduate journey? Come meet your future adviser and talk to our team of ESS advisers who are here to answer questions about how to optimize your undergraduate experience.

10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Engineering Programs and Services Information Table
Evans Glade
Did you know that Berkeley Engineering has a suite of programs and services that support you with everything from tutoring, mentoring, and building community? Come learn about programs we offer such as the Berkeley Mentorship Cohort, The Pre-Engineering Program (PREP), and the Center for Access to Engineering Excellence. Meet our professional staff and student representatives from these programs.

10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Engineering Student Organizations
100 Blum Hall & 2nd floor lobby, Sutardja Dai Hall
With dozens of engineering student organizations, you’ll see Berkeley Engineering’s mission statement in action. Whether it be competition teams, honor societies, or identity-based chapters of national engineering societies there’s truly a group to match every interest.  Come visit our student leaders who will be tabling and providing demonstrations.

10 a.m.–3 p.m. | I’m a Berkeley Engineer Photo Booth for Admitted Students
2nd floor lobby, Sutardja Dai Hall
You’re a Berkeley Engineer! Come visit our photo booth to capture and celebrate your acceptance to the College of Engineering with a picture of your family, friends, and future peers.

Aerospace Engineering

• Welcome and information session | 11 a.m.–Noon | 310 Jacobs Hall | Please RSVP
  Presented by Professor Panos Papadopoulos, Faculty Director, Aerospace Engineering Major. Learn about the Aerospace Engineering major and hear an overview of the aerospace program’s focus on emerging technologies, including sustainable aviation, autonomous flight and space exploration. Also, hear from a panel of current Aerospace Engineering students about their academic experience in the major with Q&A session to follow.
• Aerospace Engineering facility tour | 12:45–2:45 p.m. | Meet at tables on the Etcheverry Breezeway
• Check out the aerospace engineering Cal Day webpage for more details.

Bioengineering 

• Bioengineering Cal Day webpage
  
• BioE Info Table | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | For location details, refer to your Cal Events App
  Stop by our info table to learn more about the major from our department adviser, Marisela Loza. Energetic current students will also be happy to share tips and perspectives from their undergraduate experience.
• Current BioE Student Q+A | 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | 106 Stanley Hall
  What’s it like to be a Bioengineering student? Get the scoop on the major from current students in the department about academics, student life and extracurriculars, and more!
• Meet a few BioE faculty | 12:30–1:30 p.m. | 106 Stanley Hall
  Come and listen to our faculty and learn about their areas of research, what their labs are doing, and get a sense of the culture in the classroom directly from them!

Civil Engineering

• Civil Engineering Info Table | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Evans Glade
  Please stop by our information table to connect with faculty and current students and learn more about our department, research opportunities, student life, and more!

Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences

• The Beauty and the Joy of Binary Numbers | 9–10 a.m. | 306 Soda Hall
  Professor Dan Garcia will teach some fun computer science (binary numbers) through an interactive example, a magic trick, and reveal the secret behind a famous game so you’ll never lose again!
• EECS and CS advising table | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Soda/Etcheverry Breezeway
  Come meet Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Advisors! They’re here to help you as you navigate your journey through this amazing degree program. Ask questions about requirements and how to get involved as a student. We look forward to seeing you there!
• Student group tabling | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Soda Hall/Woz Terrace
  Come meet some of the amazing student organizations from Electrical Engineering and Computer Science! Student Organizations that will be joining us include: CS Kickstart, IEEE Student Branch, Computer Science Undergraduate Association, Association of Women in EE&CS, Computer Science Mentors, HKN, Machine Learning at Berkeley
• CS Kickstart info session and Q&A | 11 a.m.–Noon | 306 Soda Hall 
  CS KickStart is a weeklong program designed for incoming female freshmen to increase exposure to computer science, that’s entirely free! The program features programming lessons, guest speakers, and a company tour. CS KickStart has been ongoing for thirteen years, helping create a culture of inclusivity and fostering long term friendships within the CS community on campus. Come hear CS KickStart alumni speak about their KickStart experience, their career paths, and answer any questions you might have about the program!
• IEEE info session | 11 a.m.–Noon | 430-438 Soda Hall 
  The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is the world’s largest technical and professional organization dedicated to the advancement of technology for humanity. We’re passionate about connecting engineers with opportunities and empowering our members to break into the tech industry.
• GameCrafters Demo | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | 380 Soda Hall
  The UC Berkeley GamesCrafters research and development group explores the fertile area of computational game theory — solving, playing and analyzing two-person, abstract strategy games (e.g., Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect 4, or Chess). Come check us out in Soda Hall on Cal Day…we look forward to seeing you there.
• AWE Panel | Noon–1 p.m. | 430-438 Soda Hall
  Come by the Association of Women in EE&CS’s Cal Day Panel to talk to women and non-binary students about their experiences in EE/CS and adjacent disciplines at Berkeley, including questions about classes, student life, or anything on your mind! We’ll have free pizza as well so come by to chat with AWE members over lunch.
• CSM: Intro to the Berkeley EE/CS Community | Noon–1 p.m. | 306 Soda Hall
  Computer Science Mentors (CSM) is a student-run organization that provides small group tutoring sessions to help students gain a deeper understanding of concepts and develop a feeling of community. Join us as we introduce the EE/CS program at Berkeley – how to navigate lower-division courses, how to find a welcoming community, etc – and how CSM fits into it!
• EECS major info session | 1–2 p.m. | 1 Pimentel
  Come join us for an informative presentation with the EECS Department Chair. You will learn about the department, academics, and exciting enrichment opportunities!
• EECS student life panel with HKN | 2:30–3:30 p.m. | 150 Wheeler
  Learn about student life from a variety of current EECS students, including topics such as transitioning to Berkeley, academics, extracurricular activities, research, and social life.
• Machine Learning at Berkeley | 3–4 p.m. | 145 Dwinelle
  Join Machine Learning at Berkeley to learn all there is to know about the AI and machine learning ecosystem at Cal. We’re a vibrant community of driven student researchers, leaders and builders learning ML essentials through all phases of growth. In this workshop, you’ll hear distilled advice on how to hit the ground running at Berkeley and how to focus on the ML landscape.

Engineering Science

• Engineering Science info table | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Evans Glade
  Meet Engineering Science Chair Professor Scott Moura and current Engineering Sciences students from the four majors. Learn more about this unique set of majors, opportunities to get involved in the Society for Engineering Sciences, and more!

Industrial Engineering & Operations Research

• Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) information session | Noon–1 p.m. | 150 GSPP
  Brief overview of the IEOR department and major by Prof. Anil Aswani and current students.
• Explore IEOR! Lecture by Prof. Chiwei Yan | 11–Noon | 277 Cory Hall
  What are Engineering lectures like? What do you study in IEOR? IEOR Prof. Chiwei Yan will give a sample lecture on logistics and supply chains for new students.

Mechanical Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering Welcome Session | 2–2:45 p.m. | 310 Jacobs Hall
  Learn about exciting research in mechanical engineering, hear an overview of the undergraduate program, and discover why mechanical engineering is such a dynamic, versatile discipline. Please RSVP.
• ASME Q&A Panel with Mechanical Engineering Students | 2:45–3:30 p.m. | 310 Jacobs Hall
• Mechanical Engineering Student Access Machine Shop | 9 a.m.–Noon, 1–3 p.m. | 1166 Etcheverry Hall
  The Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Student Access Machine Shop provides engineering students with a well-equipped, safe working environment in which those students can design and manufacture their projects for engineering classes, research, and several student-led competition teams through on-site technical guidance.
• MSC Lab: Robots in Action! Autonomous Robotic Arms and Race Car Simulation | 11 a.m.–Noon | 2105 Etcheverry Hall
  Our lab focuses on intelligent automation for robots such as robotic arms and cars. Our robots use control and machine learning technologies to perform various tasks. Come visit us at Etcheverry Hall 2105 and check out our robots performing manipulation and cruising in a racing simulator.
• Berkeley Fire Research Lab Fire Tornado! | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | 60 Hesse Hall
  The Berkeley Fire Research Lab will be open for visitors to see exciting fire research experiments including materials testing in space, wildfire spread, smoke generation, and a demonstration of the fire tornado!
• Student group tabling | 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
  Student groups will be located in the breezeway between Etcheverry Hall and Soda Hall. Learn more on mechanical engineering’s Cal Day page.

Materials Science & Engineering

• Materials Discovery | 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Hearst Memorial Mining Building Lobby
  Materials scientists demonstrate the wonders of their world. Learn about superballs, superconductors, super liquid nitrogen ice cream, and more! Stick around for our demonstrations.
• Materials Science and Engineering Association Student Panel | 1–1:30 p.m. | 390 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
  MSE students from all years will be available to answer all your questions about Berkeley and the Materials Science and Engineering Department. What is materials science? What’s life like as a Berkeley MSE Student? What do materials scientists research? Where do materials scientists work? We’ll go through all of these common questions (and more) in this session.
• Skateboarding – A Materials Science and Physics Story by Professor Daryl Chrzan | 1:45–2:15 p.m. | 390 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
  Skateboarding probably began sometime in the 1950’s. Today, skateboarding is an olympic sport. The story of skateboarding’s rise is really a story of materials selection and the physics that guides this selection. This talk will explore how materials science and physics combine to make the seemingly impossible possible. Specifically, we will discuss the materials properties that make for a good wheel, the physics of pumping a pool or vert ramp, and the physics of the “slam.” Along the way, we will show you how you can conduct your own experiments while skateboarding.
• Printing Materials that Can Walk, Listen, and Sense by Professor Rayne Zheng | 2:30–3 p.m. | 390 Hearst Memorial Mining Building
  Have you ever wondered how cool it would be if materials could sense, move, and even respond to their environment just like living organisms? Recent breakthroughs in 3D printing have made this a reality! In our presentation, we’ll take you on an exciting journey into the world of robotic metamaterials. By weaving tiny components like piezoelectric and conductive elements into intricate 3D structures using new 3D printing methods, we’re creating what we call “robotic materials.” These new materials have real-world applications that could revolutionize fields like healthcare and engineering. Imagine tiny robot-like materials that can navigate through your body to deliver medicine or remove blood clots?

Nuclear Engineering

• Nuclear engineering tabling | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Etcheverry/Soda Breezeway
  Department information from faculty and staff; students will also be available to answer questions.
• American Nuclear Society (ANS) tabling | 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. | Etcheverry/Soda Breezeway
  ANS students will be available to answer questions about life as an engineering student at UC Berkeley. ANS t-shirts on sale.
• Tabling with Berkeley’s International Dosimeter Network | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Etcheverry/Soda Breezeway
  Learn about Berkeley’s international dosimeter network Dosenet, a radiation sensor network that helps to illustrate naturally occurring background radiation. Dosenet is also a public educational outreach program that teams Berkeley students with local high school students to build understanding of scientific and technologic thinking while engaging and informing the community. Dosenet representatives will be available to answer questions about the public educational outreach program.
• Welcome to Nuclear Engineering | 11–11:30 a.m. | 3106 Etcheverry Hall
  Learn about the nuclear engineering program. What is nuclear engineering? What do nuclear engineers research? Where do nuclear engineers work? We’ll go through all of these common questions (and more) in this session. Led by Max Fratoni, Department Chair.
• Nuclear engineering lab tour | 11:30 a.m.–Noon | Meet at tables on the Etcheverry Breezeway
  Tour Nuclear Engineering labs in Etcheverry Hall. NOTE: Visitors are required to wear flat, closed-toed shoes and long pants or skirts; no shorts or high-heels are allowed. No exceptions. Also, please be mindful and careful of tripping hazards.

Engineering Undeclared

• Info Session | April 25, 5 p.m. | Zoom Link Info
  Meet your ESS adviser, Joey Wong, and get all your questions about being an engineering undeclared major answered.