Jacob Waitkus, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in UC Riverside’s Chemical and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. program, has received a $120,000 USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Predoctoral Fellowship to support his research on rapid detection methods for antimicrobial resistance. The two-year award supports Waitkus’ project, “Development of Novel Nanopillar Metasurfaces for the Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Signatures in Food Samples,” from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2028.

The UCR team addressed that challenge by integrating a wheeled mobile robot, an electromagnetic induction sensor, onboard localization and a planning algorithm designed for orchard-scale operation. The system allows the robot to navigate orchard rows, prioritize important sampling locations and collect dense soil data within a fixed operating window.

UC Riverside alumnus Charlie Gay received the 2026 Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his contributions to the global growth of renewable energy. After earning his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from University of California, Riverside, Gay helped advance solar technology through leadership roles in industry, government, and research. His work contributed to major milestones, including large-scale solar manufacturing, grid-connected solar power plants, and national renewable energy initiatives. The award recognizes

Chen’s research program focuses on developing bioengineering and biosensing approaches for food safety, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnostics, with a particular interest in CRISPR-Cas protein engineering. The new USDA-funded project builds on that work by applying molecular detection tools to a major food-safety challenge.