Empowering the Next Generation
We invest in tomorrow’s innovators with real-world experience and expanded talent on-ramps.
Setting up UC students for success
Launched with state support in 2022, CITRIS Workforce Innovation offers paid summer internships in high-tech fields to students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, across four UC campuses.
Since then, 240 interns have been matched with over 100 hosts, ranging from startups to multinational corporations, in areas such as cybersecurity, semiconductors and AI for social impact.
“As a former participant in the CITRIS internship program, I can’t recommend it highly enough! It offers incredible opportunities for hands-on experience in high-tech companies and labs.”
— Henry Zheng Jin, 2023 UC Merced alum and past intern
Students design the future of aviation
Last year’s CITRIS Aviation Prize challenged student teams to imagine an air mobility network that would transform travel at the UC. Top teams from each of CITRIS’s four campuses shared their visions, with winners receiving over $10,000 in awards sponsored by Joby Aviation, Lenovo and Supernal.
This year’s competition calls for advanced designs of aviation simulations and subsystems. Experts from NASA’s Ames Research Center will help judge, and competitors will be celebrated next spring at the Berkeley Space Center.
OUTREACH
Giving a firm foundation for learners of all ages
DroneCamp at UC Santa Cruz
What’s that in the sky over Monterey Bay? It's DroneCamp!
The five-day course, co-hosted by the CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) with instructors from eight campuses, just held its eighth annual session. Open to all skill levels, it teaches researchers how to use drones in fieldwork.
INSPIRE at UC Davis
INSPIRE gives schools in the Sacramento Valley an introduction to semiconductors, showcasing the field's myriad job and research opportunities.
Since its 2023 launch, INSPIRE has engaged more than 215 K–12 students through camp, demos or lab tours, with 35 teachers attending curriculum-building workshops.
¡Valle! at UC Merced
¡Valle! Get Your Start in Tech! saw its fifth convening this January.
Through panel discussions, networking breaks and hands-on activities, 30 undergraduates from across the Central Valley came together to build up their skills and confidence while learning about career paths in research and technology.
Growing the ag tech workforce
In the heart of the Central Valley, the CITRIS at UC Merced team cultivates new ag tech enthusiasts with two undergrad-led outreach programs:
NexTech Robotics has introduced over 800 middle school students to coding concepts at no additional cost to their families.
FLY CITRIS welcomes participants of all ages and, to date, has helped more than 140 amateur drone pilots embark on aerial adventures.
Celebrate visionary leadership. Honor gifted students.
Last December, we recognized outgoing Director Costas J. Spanos for 10 years of trailblazing leadership. Under his guidance, CITRIS launched initiatives and programs in aviation, tech policy, diversity and inclusion, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and much more.
During his farewell celebration, the Banatao family — our founding benefactors — announced an endowment fund to honor his contributions. The fund will create an awards program for outstanding students in the semiconductor industry.