Project-in-a-Box

 

Project in a Box (PiB) is a community of engineering students committed to hands-on education and student innovation. We host technical workshops (for up to 30 UC San Diego students each) which feature projects designed and developed by our officers. The workshops do not require any prerequisite experience; they are designed to introduce students to technical skills such as circuit-building, PCB design, soldering, and Arduino, with guidance from our team. At the end, participants take home their very own "project in a box." 

Past projects include a Coin Flip circuit to randomize the LED flickering, a Screaming Plant moisture sensor to detect when a plant is thirsty, and an Ardubot mini car that avoids obstacles. Some projects have been incorporated into ECE courses for deeper engagement. For example, Coin Flip has been used in ECE 5 and Balance Beam (which uses PID controls and a servo motor to balance a ball) allows ECE 101 students to visualize how PID works. 

Many projects are also used for K-12 outreach workshops. We work with the San Diego Public Library to host monthly workshops for middle school students. UC San Diego faculty and alumni families participate in our "Family Program" workshops in winter and spring quarters. Our "Project Committee" meetings held every Wednesday 7-9PM in SME 301 are open to anyone that would like to see what we're working on and/or students that would like to get more involved by joining a project team. At year’s end, PiB hosts a showcase event featuring scaled-up versions of the mini projects from the year as well as new projects which in the past have included fun games like arcade basketball and interactive attractions like a working Minecraft Jukebox. 

The PiB team is a supportive community of students learning from each other while channeling creativity into engineering. We value connections with alumni, faculty, and students to participate in our workshops, provide input on our project development for future workshops, and join us in the PiB fun through any of our Project Committee, showcase, or social events!

Click here to learn more.

 

IEEE Student Branch @ UC San Diego

 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) at UC San Diego hosts a myriad of events throughout the year. The organization engages roughly 1,200 undergraduates annually, providing students with project experience, networking opportunities, and career development resources.

Project experiences are structured around three primary project teams. The first is the Quarterly Projects division, which offers students the opportunity to develop a prototype in 10 weeks with support from a mentor, a team, a budget, and a themed prompt to guide the project. The second is the annual TritonBots FC team, which designs and builds an autonomous soccer-playing robot that competes in the RoboCup Small Size League, scheduled to be hosted in South Korea in 2026. The third project opportunity is the Supercomputing team, Sea++, which is currently preparing to compete in the Student Cluster Competition in St. Louis. Last year, the team placed first in the United States and fourth globally. The supercomputing division also hosts various workshops and projects throughout the year that are open to undergraduate participants.

Beyond project teams, IEEE at UC San Diego regularly hosts industry professionals and sponsors, as well as internship panels, résumé workshops, and professional headshot sessions, all aimed at supporting students in their job and internship searches.

To foster community and balance the technical focus, the organization also offers social events where students can relax or study together with food and activities provided. These include a mentor/mentee program called Am-Pairs, study jams, and trivia nights, all designed to help undergraduates connect with one another.

In addition, IEEE at UC San Diego typically organizes three major annual events: a reverse career fair where companies and professionals visit and review student projects; HARD Hack, a hardware hackathon hosted in collaboration with HKN and other organizations, in which students have 24 hours to build and present a project from scratch; and Robofest, an exhibition-style event where student organizations showcase the projects they have worked on throughout the year.

IEEE at UC San Diego strives to provide the opportunities necessary to develop well-rounded, industry-ready professionals. The organization actively welcomes alumni participation as project and Am-Pairs mentors, as well as guest participants at events, where they can share insights about life after graduation and highlight the breadth of opportunities available to UC San Diego undergraduates.

Link to our website: https://ieeeatucsd.org