2022–23 Eaton-Hachigian Fellowship Recipients
The College of Engineering and the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022–23 Eaton-Hachigian Fellowships, awarded this year to three students pursuing Master of Engineering degrees at UC Berkeley. Selected by the Dean of the College of Engineering, the Eaton-Hachigian Fellows are engineering graduate students, pursuing studies in energy-efficient electrical and power hardware or software solutions, wireless communications and sensing devices, or specialty materials.
The Eaton-Hachigian Fellowship was established in 2008 by gifts from the Cooper Industries Foundation and from Berkeley alumnus and the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Cooper Industries, Kirk Hachigian, ’82. Cooper Industries became part of Eaton Corporation in 2012, and the name of the fellowship was changed in 2017 from the Cooper Fellowship to the Eaton-Hachigian Fellowship.
This year’s fellows are Emmanuelle Samama, Rushawn Childers, and Ania Boukhezna
Emmanuelle Samama
Candidate for MEng in Material Science Engineering
- Undergraduate Degree: Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Ecole Normale Superieure de Rennes
- Capstone Project: Recycling of Silicon Solar Panels for Metallurgical Applications
Faculty Advisors: Prof. Peter Hosemann [NE] and Prof. Matt Sherburne [MSE]
Silicon solar panels comprise roughly 95% of the market for solar panels. In 2007 there was a significant increase in the use of these solar panels for residential applications with a typical duration of 20 to 25 years. As these solar cells are starting to approach their end of life, what should be done with the millions of panels that will need to be disposed of? One option might be to recycle the silicon in these panels for metallurgical applications such as the production of aluminum-silicon alloys.
We will study the typical silicon solar panels and the components that comprise the solar cell to use the silicon from the panels as an alloying element in the production of alloys such as aluminum. Along with the economic efficiency of the project to ensure that the processes developed are competitive with market prices.
Rushawn Childers
Candidate for MEng in Mechanical Engineering
- Undergraduate Degree: Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University & Computer Science, Arcadia University
- Capstone Project: Digging Deeper with a Bioinspired Robot: Legged Burrowing Strategies in Sand
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Hannah Stuart [ME]
We wish to study how we can better design a bioinspired robot for burrowing underground. Key questions include: how does the size of the legs and frequency of leg motion affect downward mobility? Can we build a stronger and smaller robot capable of deeper burrowing? Can we produce a machine that works in the field and for what applications? We are designing a Pacific Mole-Crab bioinspired robot capable of burrowing, and studying how it works.
Ania Boukhezna
Candidate for MEng in Mechanical Engineering
- Undergraduate Degree: Mechanical Engineering, Arts et Métiers ParisTech
- Capstone Project: Tissue Engineering with 3D cryoprinted Scaffolds
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Boris Rubinsky [ME]
Regenerative surgery is a new area of surgery in which cells are implanted in a decellularized tissue to form new tissues. We examine the concept of electroporation decellularized tissue scaffold
tissues where the diseased tissues are decellularized and single cells are implanted in the extracellular scaffold. We use electroporation to decellularized tissues or 3D print to generate a scaffold. The study is experimental and two groups can be established. One group will develop a perfusion system to sustain the extracellular scaffold in which cells will be implanted. Another group with experience in animal research with implant cells in decellularized tissues in a rat liver.
Congrats to this year’s fellowship awardees!
Learn more about the Fung Institute at funginstitute.berkeley.edu
