Meet the 2025 Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars

One of the highlights of summer at the Jacobs Institute is hosting the Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars. This year, seven outstanding undergraduates are engaging in engineering design research and learning research methodologies, under the guidance of faculty and graduate student mentors. They are exploring various topics such as computational design, machine learning, materials science, and biomedical engineering, often constructing physical prototypes as part of their research.

Learn more about the cohort below and mark your calendar for the Poster Exhibition on Tuesday, August 5th from 12-1 PM in 310 Jacobs Hall, at which the Scholars will present the results of their summer work.

2025 Berkeley Engineering Design Scholars

Name: Lilah Durney

Major: Rising Junior, Computer Science

Faculty Advisor: Kosa Goucher-Lambert

PhD Mentor: Nicole Goridkov

Bio: Hi, I’m Lilah! I’m a computer science student interested in how design, AI, and creativity come together to shape meaningful technology. I’m drawn to design because it’s a way to connect technical work with real human needs and values. I’m especially curious about how we can build tools that support artistic expression and make digital experiences more human-centered. In my free time, I like to write music, rock climb, and spend time in nature. 

 

Name: Natalia De La Torre

Major: Senior (Winter 2025), Mechanical Engineering

Faculty Advisor: Hayden Taylor

PhD Mentor: Taylor Waddell

Bio: Hi, my name is Natalia! I am a mechanical engineering student, and I am very interested in advancing my design skills! My research interests vary, but include aerospace, applied mechanics, and manufacturing. My favorite hobbies are running and playing with my dog! I started my engineering career with my passion for creating and designing. This ultimately led me down a rabbit hole about the importance of engineering and what it does for the people around us, making me even more passionate about the design field.

Name: Elena Saleh

Major: Rising Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Faculty Advisor: Hannah Stuart

PhD Mentor: Ben Davis

Bio: Hi, I’m Elena! I’m a mechanical engineering student passionate about designing meaningful solutions to real-world problems. I’m especially interested in product development, assistive technology, and sustainable design. Outside the lab, I box and wrestle for fun, and I love teaching STEM lessons to kids. What drives me in design is the chance to create something that makes life a little easier or more joyful for someone else.

 

Name: Hanji Xu

Major: Senior (Summer 2025), Cognitive Science

Faculty Advisor: Lining Yao

PhD Mentor: Semina Yi

Bio: I am a fourth-year multidisciplinary designer who has always been fascinated by clever insights (major in cognitive science, minors in landscape architecture and data science). My research interest is in inventing modular, multi-functional, collapsible, low-maintenance objects. I believe that we have an overconsumption and production problem in the world, and it’s our job as designers to eliminate these redundancies. Other than design, I have the skill to walk for a long time. Happy to go swimming and exploring hidden gems in Bay Area with anyone!

Name: Veda Garigipati

Major: Rising Junior, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Faculty Advisor: Bjoern Hartmann

PhD Mentor: J.D. Zamfirescu-Pereira

Bio: Hi, my name is Veda and I am a rising junior majoring in EECS. I’m interested in AI, human-computer interaction, and software engineering and I hope to utilize design in order to connect humans of all occupations to rapidly developing technology. I’m especially interested in researching how AI can be utilized in educational settings in order to improve learning quality for both teachers and students of all grade levels. Outside of academics and research, I love reading historical fiction novels and watching movies/documentaries. I also enjoy going to the gym, hiking, and taking workout classes around Berkeley.

Name: Irene Song

Major: Rising Senior, Bioengineering

Faculty Advisor: Eric Paulos

PhD Mentor: Hila Mor

Bio: Hello, I am Irene, a junior studying Bioengineering! My previous research involved engineering M13 bacteriophage to selectively bind copper ions, with applications in sustainable mining. I’ve also worked on projects involving wearable medical technologies designed to activate the body’s sensory pathways for stress relief and to improve accessibility for marginalized communities. I’m particularly motivated by the power of design to make complex technologies feel personal, approachable, and emotionally supportive—especially in healthcare, where devices could often feel cold or clinical. Outside of academics, I enjoy making coffee, playing board games, cooking, baking, or reading architecture & furniture magazines!

Name: Jesus Martinez

Major: Rising Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Faculty Advisor: Hannah Stuart

PhD Mentor: Ben Davis

Bio: I am a rising senior studying Mechanical Engineering passionate about learning everything around me and how the world works. In my free time I like to be an active person which includes going to the gym and playing sports for leisure, or I enjoy hanging out with my friends and girlfriend. What motivates me to be in the design field is to create efficient solutions to better improve the lives of people by having machines assist humans or by having machines do the arduous tasks. I find the research my faculty advisor, Dr. Stuart, and PhD mentor, Ben Davis, partake in to be quite fascinating, so I would like to say that embodied dexterity is my research interest.

________________________________________________________
Meet the 2025 Engineering Design Scholars at the Poster Exhibition!
RSVP

Interested in being a Scholar? Sign up for the Jacobs Student Newsletter to receive next summer’s application information.