An ongoing list of 2026 accolades and research awards received by Baskin Engineering faculty, students, and staff.
Ash Robbins, Baskin Engineering alumnus and current Ph.D. student, was named a ‘Titan’ by Santa Cruz Works. He was recognized for his work “at the strange (and increasingly important) intersection of living intelligence and machine intelligence. In 2025 he was recognized for first-author research demonstrating ‘goal-directed learning’ in cortical organoids, while also building tools that expand access to physical rehabilitation care, especially for remote communities.”
Marcella Gomez, associate professor of applied mathematics, was named a ‘Titan’ by Santa Cruz Works. She was recognized for “coupling research (including AI-driven control strategies applied to areas like wound healing and cell-based therapies) with ecosystem-building through programs and mentorship that expand access for local students, including first-generation scholars.”
Holger Schmidt, distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, was named a ‘Titan’ by Santa Cruz Works. He was recognized for “pushing diagnostics and life-science measurement forward with technology that can detect tiny amounts of biological signals, including protein and RNA. His optofluidic work traces back to UC Santa Cruz innovation and has been tied to commercialization efforts through Fluxus and broader diagnostics adoption.”
David Deamer, professor emeritus of biomolecular engineering, was named a ‘Titan’ by Santa Cruz Works. He was recognized as “widely known for pioneering nanopore sequencing concepts that enabled portable genetic sequencing in the real world. His impact extends beyond the lab: Deamer was also elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, with Santa Cruz Works highlighting how his work helped make genomics more accessible and globally deployable.”
Nobby Kobayashi, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been named a Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field of optoelectronics and novel materials.
