CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced

UC Merced Associate Professor Erin Hestir, a remote sensing specialist and Director of CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced, has been featured in a recent article highlighting her work on the intersection of wildfires and coastal ecosystems. As the principal investigator of KelpFire, a NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration-funded research project, Hestir leads efforts to track the effects of wildfire runoff on kelp populations using advanced remote sensing technology and field observations. With wildfires intensifying and coastal environments facing stress, Hestir’s research sheds light on how these vital underwater forests respond to environmental disruptions—an essential step in protecting marine biodiversity. Read the full LA Times article here: https://lnkd.in/gPYxTGxR

PIs at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz: Want to submit a competitive proposal for a CITRIS Seed Award? Register now for the March 12 info session, 1–1:50 p.m.: https://lnkd.in/gfC7Gb6d University of California | University of California, Innovation & Entrepreneurship University of California, Berkeley | University of California, Davis | UC Davis Health | University of California, Merced | University of California, Santa Cruz UC Berkeley College of Engineering | UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship | UC Davis Office of Research | CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced | Baskin Engineering at UCSC #UCBerkeley #UCDavis #UCMerced #UCSC #ResearchFunding

University of California, Merced researchers are taking part in a comprehensive, multi-agency effort aimed at efficiently measuring and mitigating methane emissions (https://lnkd.in/eVfTA58A).

We invite PIs at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Davis Health, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz to apply for up to $60K for projects that strengthen University of California connections and drive novel tech applications. Areas of interest are: — Aerospace and aviation — AI, autonomy and robotics — Climate resilience and sustainability — Digital health Proposals are due April 22: https://lnkd.in/gkYfx44a University of California, Innovation & Entrepreneurship | University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship | UC Berkeley College of Engineering | University of California, Davis | UC Davis Office of Research | UC Davis College of Engineering | University of California, Merced | CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced University of California, Santa Cruz | Baskin Engineering at UCSC #ResearchFunding #UCBerkeley #UCDavis #UCMerced #UCSC

Today we are celebrating an extraordinary milestone for UC Merced: designation as an R1 research university – an achievement reached within 20 years of our founding. The R1 Carnegie designation recognizes our high research activity and number of doctoral degrees conferred. This achievement is a testament to the outstanding efforts of our faculty, students, and staff – congratulations Bobcats!

Hey, University of California! Do you love data? (Of course you do.) A group of systemwide partners will offer workshops all next week (Feb. 10–14) to help you maximize your data management, security and more. Check out the full lineup: bit.ly/citris-uc-data-week UC Berkeley Library | University of California, Innovation & Entrepreneurship | UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship #Data #Cybersecurity #UCBerkeley #UCDavis #UCMerced #UCSC

Excited to share two new papers on BioSCape, a biodiversity survey of the South African Cape. This multinational research project uses remote sensing and field surveys to understand one of the most biodiverse areas of the world, and is NASA's first-ever field campaign focused on biodiversity. The work done through BioSCape will have implications for global biodiversity conservation efforts. Prof. Erin Hestir, Director of CITRIS at UC Merced and co-PI of BioSCape shares more about the project in this article: https://lnkd.in/gUhj7mcx CITRIS and the Banatao Institute University of California, Merced

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an insightful evening learning about grad school! Our students brought their curiosity and invested in themselves by gaining insights into a possible pathway for their future.? Special thanks to panelists Joliette Li, Darren Ng, Sonia Vargas, and Socheata Hour for sharing their experiences and advice. From finding the right mentor to balancing research and life, their perspectives provided helpful guidance to students pondering grad school.

In case you missed it: CITRIS and the Banatao Institute had a stellar 2024, with much to celebrate! ?? We are excited to share the ways in which we have sparked discovery among students, faculty and researchers across our four campuses at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz. Check out our 2024 annual report: https://lnkd.in/gg64ADXA University of California, Innovation & Entrepreneurship | UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship | UC Davis Venture Catalyst | UC Davis Office of Research | CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced | University of California, Merced | University of California, Santa Cruz Alexandre Bayen | Camille Crittenden | Tamara Bock | Julie Shapiro | Cheryl Martinez #Research #Innovation #California #IT #InformationTechnology

Professor Reza Ehsani has been named a recipient of the 2024 CITRIS Innovation Fellowship and AIC Awards, securing up to $200,000 over two years to help faculty commercialize research that tackles society's biggest challenges. ???? His innovative sensor clip enables fast, cost-effective monitoring of plant water status, addressing critical challenges posed by climate change and drought. This transformative technology optimizes irrigation, conserves water, and enhances crop yields, providing invaluable benefits to both small and large-scale farmers. Learn more here ?? ucm.edu/v4kk1e CITRIS and the Banatao Institute | F3 Innovate | Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology & Agriculture