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Vibrations
The Newsletter for the EAS Community
Message from the Chair
Dear EAS Community,
I am deeply sad to report that Bert Mendoza, a member of the KNI and Caltech community, passed away on June 21, 2024. Bert was the bedrock of the KNI community, and he leaves behind a legacy of kindness, dedication, and expertise that will be profoundly missed.
Bert's vast skill set, which included woodworking, automotive repairs, mechanical work, electrical wiring, and home improvement projects, was largely self-taught, and his willingness to learn and assist others was a testament to his generous spirit. Bert treasured his family, often embarking on road trips, camping, attending concerts, barbecuing, and caring for their pets. Bert’s wit, generosity, and sly sense of humor made him a beloved figure to all who knew him.
Harry Atwater
Otis Booth Leadership Chair, Division of Engineering and Applied Science
Selected Upcoming Events
Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Journeys at Mars: Discoveries and Future Exploration
Location: Beckman Auditorium
Friday, July 26, 2024, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
GALCIT Special Seminar: "Explaining and controlling turbulent flows through deep learning" - Dr. Ricardo Vinuesa, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Mechanics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm
Location: Guggenheim 133 (Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall)
Friday, July 26, 2024, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Deeptech Startups + Venture Capital: Transition from Academia to Commercialization
Location: Chen 100
Seeking Graduate Student Co-Chairs for the 2025 Caltech Space Challenge
Are you a G2-G4 grad student interested in taking part in organizing an international space mission design competition hosted during spring break here at Caltech? If so, apply to be a co-chair for the 2025 edition of the Caltech Space Challenge. The Caltech Space Challenge brings 32 talented and highly-motivated students to the Caltech campus to participate in a week-long space mission design competition. The participants are split into two teams and work under the mentorship of experts from industry, NASA and academia to design their mission concept from scratch to final proposal. Email csc@caltech.edu or use the contact form if you are interested in being part of this event! Deadline: Monday, August 5, 2024.
Surplus High-Value Equipment Wanted/Needed
Doing a summer clean out? Have perfectly working equipment that you no longer need? List it on the Division’s webpage for Surplus High-Value Equipment for your colleagues across the Institute to happily retrieve from you. To post equipment: please send a description, specs, and photo to commofc@caltech.edu. Please also include the date you will e-waste if there are no takers. It is assumed that the equipment is working and generally available at no-cost to others at the Institute, aside from transport to be mutually arranged.
Spotlight On Our People
Alex Acosta
Graduate Student, GALCIT
Before joining the Caltech community, I graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, I am a fourth year Aeronautics PhD student in the Caltech Hypersonics Group under Professor Joanna Austin. In this lab, I conduct experiments using Caltech’s Ludwieg Tube, which is capable of accelerating air to four times the speed of sound! My research involves studying how shockwave unsteadiness could adversely couple with the structural vibrations of panel surfaces on high-speed aircraft. The ultimate goal of my project is to enhance our current understanding of shock-boundary layer interactions and to improve the predictive capabilities of fluid-structure computational models. On the weekends, you can find me outdoors hiking around the San Gabriel mountains, shooting photographs on my film cameras, or exploring food spots in LA.
Elena Priesen Reis
Graduate Student, Applied Physics and Materials Science
Hello everyone! I'm Elena, a Materials Science G2 in Professor Brent Fultz's group (just graduated with my master's, woop!). I also have an MSci from University College London in physics and now combine these two areas to research quirky thermophysical properties of magnetic systems, like magnetocaloric materials (which change temperature through their magnetic phase transition) and Invar-like alloys (which have nearly zero thermal expansion near their magnetic transition). Outside of research, I'm the coordinator of the Caltech chapter of the Plant-Based Universities initiative, aiming to improve Caltech's sustainability, vice-chair of the EAS Graduate Student Advisory Board, and a member of the Graduate Student Council Board of Directors. I also love cooking delicious vegan meals, teaching my dobie new tricks, doing yoga and meditation, reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, watching anime, and listening to/playing music.
We'd like to feature you!
In Memoriam
Norbert (Bert) Mendoza passed away in Anaheim, California on June 21, 2024, at the age of 62. Born on April 6, 1962, he was the firstborn of six siblings, raised by Norbert Jesus Mendoza and Ofelia Mendoza. During his time in both elementary and high school, Bert actively participated in the Boy Scouts of America, earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout on September 12, 1979.
After graduating from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Bert joined Rockwell International as a Process Technician, where he dedicated 24 years of service. Bert possessed a diverse range of talents and skills. His expertise spanned general woodworking, automotive repairs, mechanical work, electrical wiring, and various home improvement projects. Many of these skills were self-taught, reflecting his fearlessness in learning new things and his willingness to assist others. From 2004 to 2015, he worked on numerous projects for his siblings’ and friends’ homes, sustaining a fulfilling life for himself and his family.
In 2015, Bert joined the technical staff at Caelux, a Caltech-founded startup that builds perovskite solar energy panels. During that time, Bert joined the KNI Lab as a corporate member. In 2017, an opening became available at the KNI, and luckily, they were able to recruit Bert to the team. Bert served as the Laboratory Coordinator and Safety Officer, where he brought his expertise, dedication, and care to the lab, the team, and hundreds of lab members until his untimely passing in 2024.
In 1985, Bert met Terri Ortiz while working at Rockwell International. Bert and Terri married in 1988 and went on to have three daughters: Amanda, Melissa, and Sarah. He cherished spending time with his family and friends, embarking on road trips, camping, attending concerts with his daughters, barbecuing, and caring for their many beloved pets. His wit, generosity, and sly sense of humor endeared him to everyone who crossed his path. Bert was truly a kind soul, always ready to share his knowledge and assist those seeking help.
Bert’s father, Norbert Jesus Mendoza, and his mother, Ofelia Mendoza, passed away before him. He leaves behind his wife, Terri Mendoza, and their three daughters. Additionally, Bert is survived by his three younger sisters and two younger brothers. He is missed tremendously.
EAS News Highlights
Calls for Nomination & Funding Opportunities
Caltech’s Office of Foundation Relations maintains an online database and email subscription service of primarily non-federal funding opportunities as a resource for the Caltech community. Opportunities include calls for proposals released by private foundations, public charities, associations, corporations, internal Caltech opportunities and federal limited opportunities.
Division of Engineering and Applied Science
