Research
The Engineering and Applied Science Division (EAS) at Caltech is centered around joy of discovery and innovation. Our world renown faculty, interdisciplinary approach, and state-of-the-art laboratories create an environment where collaboration and creativity thrive. With a strong emphasis on fundamental research and an eye towards the future, scientists in EAS build upon the basics while addressing the grand challenges of our day.
EAS is comprised of seven departments, each with their own set of diverse research areas or options.
The Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) harnesses large scale computational capabilities to dive into the areas of propulsion, space science, biomechanics, and fluids. In GALCIT, our faculty and students are reimagining wind turbines, making headway on turbulent airflow models to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency, and using machine learning to enable robots to explore the deepest areas of our oceans. Furthering research into fluid dynamics and machine learning, GALCIT maintains a healthy partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech's Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST).
In the Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering (MedE), Caltech scientists and engineers positively impact society by working directly with researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, City of Hope, the UCSF School of Medicine, Huntington Memorial Hospital, and the Huntington Memorial Research Institutes. The department brings together fields from across EAS to engineer forward thinking medical solutions like a new laser light for treating bone cancer, wearable sensors to detect compounds in sweat, and artificial skin to give robots a newfound sense of touch.
Applied Physics and Materials Science (APhMS) in the EAS Division is diverse, theoretical, and richly experimental. In cutting-edge facilities across the Caltech campus, APhMS faculty and students are generating new architected materials, solving artistic mysteries, and pioneering new frontiers in physics, including the development of safer and lighter lithium-ion batteries. In association with Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE) at Caltech, APhMS research works towards the realization of quantum computers and networks, and a deeper understanding of complex quantum matter. APhMS also partners with the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech, which provides students and faculty the ability to get hands on with modern materials fabrication techniques at the smallest scales.
The Computing and Mathematical Science Department (CMS) at EAS focuses on the theory and technology of computing itself, allowing students, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows to truly live and breathe research. Combined with the interdisciplinary approach of EAS, CMS actively collaborates with the Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies at Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. CMS researchers explore everything from black hole imaging to mathematical models predicting the effects of climate change.
The trailblazing science in the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department at EAS has led to major technological innovations, spawned other disciplines, and developed vitally important collaborations. EE explores both the physical (devices) and mathematical (systems) sides of electrical engineering and remains a vital force throughout the other EAS departments. Researchers in EE are pushing the boundaries of photonics and optical signal processing, working with medical engineers on ultrafast cameras, and leading the way in making quantum networks possible.
Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) at EAS designs solutions to increase resiliency in processes that control climate, air, and water quality. The curriculum in ESE provides the rigorous scientific and engineering foundations needed for rational public policy design yet remains flexible to accommodate new backgrounds and research areas. In ESE, scientists and researchers are discovering new aspects of our climate system, including a new understanding of the way wildfire smoke impacts air quality, more accurate models of future sea level rise, and new ways to contextualize and progress climate change solutions.
Engineers in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering (MCE) Department at EAS are shaping our physical environment from the machines we use, the cities we live in, and the energy that powers our daily needs. Students and faculty in MCE are forging new paths in robotics and robotic assistive walking, increased understanding of major earthquakes, and momentous interdisciplinary breakthroughs in applied physics and materials science. The annual ME72 competition challenges student teams to design, build, and battle robots against each other for campus glory (and a coveted trophy).
