CECS leaves its mark on state capital

It was a field trip like no other for the CECS delegates who traveled to Sacramento May 13 to take part in the CSU’s Engineering Day. The delegation, which included Dean S.K. Ramesh; Jimmy Gandhi, assistant professor of manufacturing engineering; student Melissa Flores (’14, ME) and Chris Erickson, chief engineer for energy and advanced programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne and a member of the college’s Industry Advisory Board, met with eight legislators. As one of the most diverse delegations at the event, the CSUN delegation was then invited to represent the entire CSU system in a meeting with the staff from the Office of Research in Governor Brown’s office.

Not only was it a memorable occasion for all involved, but it was an outstanding opportunity to serve as ambassadors for the campus and for engineering and computer science education generally. Among other topics, the group discussed the AIMS2 grant and its role in promoting academic success and diversity in the college, as well as CSUN’s assistive technology engineering program, the college’s work in renewable energy and its focus on entrepreneurship.