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Kuehler Undergraduate Research

Summer research opportunities pay off for undergraduates, faculty, and the advancement of engineering.

With a strong belief that technological competitiveness is vital to the well being of the United States, SCU alumnus and former IBM president Jack Kuehler and his wife created the $1 million Carmen A. and Jack D. Kuehler Undergraduate Engineering Research fund. Each summer, a handful of faculty members invite promising sophomore and junior students to join them in research funded by this grant.

Students are paid to work with their faculty mentor—and often with fellow undergraduates, master's and Ph.D. students from their own and affiliated fields—building a foundation for collaborative scientific investigation and developing the skills required for ongoing education at the graduate level or for a successful career. Many students continue this work for their senior capstone projects and even further as they pursue dual degrees in our B.S./M.S. program.

In addition to the meaningful hands-on experience of being an integral part of a faculty member's research program,  participants enjoy co-authoring peer-reviewed articles and presenting their results at national conferences.


2024 Kuehler Awards:
  • Nicholas Alva '25

    Electrical and Computer Engineering
    Emulation of quantum computation in microwave networks

    Faculty Advisor: Kurt Schab

  • Niels Holzmann '25   

    Electrical and Computer Engineering
    Reinforcement Learning-Driven Burrowing with a Snake-Like Robot

    Faculty Advisor: Hoeseok Yang

  • Dana Johnson '25

    Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
    Enhancing Resilience of California's Levees Against Climate Change: A Machine Learning Approach for Quick Pre-Screening and Risk Assessment

    Faculty Advisor: Rocio Segura

  • Maggie Lau '26

    Bioengineering
    Development of a novel nanoscale exosome-based prodrug therapy for enhanced efficacy and safety

    Faculty Advisor: Bill Lu

  • Ifran Mohamed '26

    Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
    Constructability and Robotization of Topological Interlocking Structures

    Faculty Advisor: Hisham Said

  • Maya Murphy '25

    Electrical and Computer Engineering
    Ergonomic Human-Robot Handovers using Surface Electromyogram (sEMG) Sensors

    Faculty Advisors: Maria Kyrarini & Fatemeh Davoudi

  • Tiffany Nguyen '26

    Computer Science and Engineering
    Co-Design Methods to Create Augmented Reality Tours for Social Justice

    Faculty Advisor: Kai Lukoff

Contact Us

Santa Clara University
School of Engineering
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053

Heafey-Bergin, Bldg. 202
Sobrato Discovery, Bldg. 402

408-554-4600