Donors Inspired
Pacific Proud
Faculty News
In Memoriam
STRATEGIC INNOVATION FUND
Donors inspired by impact of faculty, staff on their Pacific experience
The School of Engineering and Computer Science has received an anonymous $100,000 gift to launch a new Strategic Innovation Fund that will seed special initiatives in teaching, learning and research.
“The timing on this investment in SOECS is especially important,” said Dean Elizabeth Orwin. “Our faculty and staff are poised to launch a number of new initiatives aligned with our strategic plan, and the Strategic Innovation Fund will help us put them into motion.”
As with many gifts to SOECS, the Strategic Innovation Fund donors are inspired by the impact Pacific faculty and staff have had on their experiences, as well as the exciting future plans underway at the school.
SOECS alumni and friends are invited and encouraged to support the Strategic Innovation Fund. To learn more about the impact of the fund and how to make a gift, contact Dan Mackeben, assistant dean of development, dmackeben@pacific.edu.
FACULTY NEWS
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOENGINEERING
Shelly Gulati
Shelly Gulati, associate professor and chair of the bioengineering department, completed the final session of ELATES at Drexel in Philadelphia in the spring of 2022. ELATES is a year-long, part-time leadership development program designed to advance female faculty leaders in STEM.
PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Dan Cliburn
Dan Cliburn, professor of computer science, received a grant from Pacific’s Technology in Education Committee to create a new virtual reality class, which he taught for the first time in the 2021-22 academic year. The grant allowed Professor Cliburn to equip each student with an Oculus Quest headset—one of the most well-known virtual reality headsets on the market. See Professor Cliburn’s new course and his students’ reactions to the experience.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Mary Kay Camarillo
Mary Kay Camarillo, associate professor of civil engineering, received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor award from American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 9. ASCE Region 9 covers the state of California, and more than 18,000 members. ASCE Region 9 Individual Awards recognize individuals for outstanding achievements or leadership in civil engineering, or who support and advance the profession through their work.
Professors Litton and Shakerin Retire from Pacific
(L-R) Mahnaz Shakerin, Said Shakerin, Ed Pejack, Gary Litton, Linda Litton, Allie Litton, Mike Doherty
Congratulations to two longtime distinguished professors on their retirements at the end of the 20221-2022 academic year: Professor Gary Litton (Civil Engineering) and Professor Said Shakerin (Mechanical Engineering).
Professor Litton is one of northern California’s foremost experts on water quality. In his 29 years with the civil engineering department, Litton conducted extensive research in the San Joaquin Delta and was frequently sought by the media and governmental entities for his expertise. On his retirement, Professor Litton was one of four faculty members to receive the Order of Pacific, which recognizes faculty, staff and regents for outstanding contributions.
Professor Shakerin served for 35 years in the mechanical engineering department. More than a decade after joining the University, a medical condition caused Shakerin to curtail his teaching activities, and he shifted his primary focus to mentoring students and research. Shakerin is a recipient of Pacific's Eberhardt Teacher-Scholar Award, which recognizes exemplary teaching and scholarship.
FACULTY HIRES
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Don Lee
Don Lee holds a PhD degree in robotics and intelligent programs from Clemson University, where his research focused on robotics, mechatronics, nonlinear controls, haptics and unmanned vehicle systems. He comes to Pacific from Oregon Institute of Technology, where he served as the director of the robotics/automation lab and graduate program director. His research interests include developing a multibody, amphibious “Rover Submersible,” a project sponsored by the Oregon Space Grant Consortium, to explore the potential for the existence of water or ice on planets near Earth, including Mars and Jupiter. He looks forward to helping to build an advanced robotics program at Pacific.
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Julia Olivieri
Julia Olivieri is a recent graduate of Stanford University, where she earned a PhD in computational and mathematical engineering, specializing in computational biology. Her research involves developing computational tools that leverage large-scale biological data to answer fundamental biological questions. Her recent work uses RNA sequencing data to study RNA splicing differences at the single-cell level, helping to answer questions about the function and regulation of alternative splicing. Julia’s work lies at the intersection of computer science, statistics and biology, and she will continue to use rigorous techniques in computer science to decode the biological rules underlying DNA and RNA sequence composition in her work at Pacific.
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Navdeep Singh
Navdeep Singh earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station and has nine years of experience teaching mechanical engineering. Dr. Singh is a proponent of the use of active learning techniques, and believes that experimental learning, in combination with guided inquiry, encourages critical thinking and fosters collaboration. His research interests include computational modeling of multifunctional materials and steels. He is also interested in exploring how the education principles of experiential learning, active learning and guided inquiry, such as Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), can be used to enhance student learning, especially among students from diverse backgrounds and with economic disadvantages.
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Sebastian Dziallas
Before coming to Pacific, Sebastian Dziallas was a founding faculty member at Fulbright University in Vietnam where he worked closely with a core group of faculty and students to develop the university’s culture and curriculum. He received a PhD in computer science from the University of Kent and a BS in engineering from Olin College of Engineering. Dziallas is committed to creating a student-centered learning environment with an emphasis on project-based and interdisciplinary learning. His research interests include using narrative methodologies to understand how students make sense of their learning experiences and exploring novel work-based learning approaches. He is currently collaborating with colleagues at the University of Glasgow on a project investigating the role of co-operative learning and hopes to expand the study to incorporate perspectives from Pacific students, faculty and CO-OP employers.
DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING
Varadraj Vernekar
With an undergraduate education in chemical engineering and graduate and postdoctoral work in bioengineering, Varadraj Vernekar brings diverse interdisciplinary expertise to Pacific. He earned his PhD from Georgia Tech, and held postdoctoral positions at Duke University and UConn Health. His research interests include injury biomechanics, biomaterials and regenerative tissue engineering. He looks forward to clinical collaborations and cross-disciplinary research opportunities at Pacific. Vernekar also seeks to foster an open, diverse and inclusive learning and working environment for the benefit of his students, colleagues and the campus community.
STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS
Pacific Proud—Summer CO-OP Students
This summer, the SOECS proudly showcased students at their internships and CO-OPs on social media using #ExcitedToShare. It was a wonderful opportunity to see what students were doing in the field as they sported their new “Pacific Proud” shirts. SOECS hopes this feature, launched by CO-OP program director Irene Camy, will become a new tradition.
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Mark Castenada
HILGART WILSON
Ryanne Molenaar
US GYPSUM
Amelia Nish
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
Kailey Espinoza
CISCO
Vivek Maheshwari
G2 METAL LAB
Leon Tran
IN MEMORIAM
David Fletcher
Dr. David Fletcher, emeritus professor of civil engineering, passed away in August 2021. Fletcher served the Pacific community for more than three decades and is remembered for his outstanding work as a teacher and mentor to SOECS students throughout his tenure.
Fletcher earned his bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees in civil engineering at UC Davis, where he also met and married Donna, his wife of 53 years. He joined Pacific in 1973 as an assistant professor in the Civil Engineering department. Milestones in his exemplary career included the publication of a textbook, Mechanics of Materials, and his appointment as chair of the civil engineering department in 1992. Fletcher also received the Order of the Pacific Distinguished Faculty Award in 1983 and was named the San Joaquin County Engineer of the Year in 2006.
He retired from teaching in 2006 and remained at the university to manage the construction of the new biology building and the DeRosa University Center. He retired fully from Pacific in 2008.
A long-time resident of Linden, Fletcher continued to share his love of science and mentor students at local elementary and high schools. At the time of his death, he was president of the Board of the Linden County Water District, treasurer of the Linden Educational Foundation and a member of the Linden Lions Club. He was honored to be named the 2016 Lions Citizen of the Year.
He is survived by his wife Donna, son Duncan (Kimberley), daughter Meredith Allala (Garren), and his grandchildren Braden and Kelan Fletcher, and Elle and Tyler Allala. Memorial gifts in his honor can be directed to the Civil Engineering and Engineering Management Scholarship Endowment at SOECS. For more information, contact Dan Mackeben, assistant dean of development, at dmackeben@pacific.edu or 209.946.2643.
Robert E. Hamernik
Robert E. Hamernik, a respected professor of civil engineering at University of the Pacific for 35 years, died recently at his Stockton home. He was 90.
The Chicago native started teaching in the School of Engineering at Pacific in 1962 after completing bachelor’s and master’s programs at the University of Oklahoma. Hamernik received a National Science Award in 1969, which enabled him to complete his doctorate at Oregon State University in 1973.
As a teacher, he was well-respected and beloved by students. He received the university's Distinguished Faculty Award in 1995.
“He and his wife were very close with the students,” said Professor Emeritus Jim Morgali, who worked with Hamernik for more than 30 years. “They had them over to their house often, and they kept track of the students for many years. He was still in contact with students from his first year.”
Hamernik also was well known for his work as a civil engineer. He was honored as Engineer of the Year by the San Joaquin Engineers Council in 1990. In addition to teaching, he served as a School of Engineering administrator, including chair of the civil engineering department.
When Dean Robert L. Heyborne retired in 1989, Hamernik was asked to serve as acting dean. Hamernik was honored as an emeritus professor when he retired in 1998 and was active in the Emeriti Society. Hamernik reflected in depth about his career at Pacific in a 2003 interview for Scholarly Commons.
He was married to Erol Jean for 60 years and had two children, Kathleen S. Trujillo and Gregory Hamernik.
Memorial contributions can be made to Pacific’s Department of Civil Engineering or to Hospice of San Joaquin.