engineering at San Jose State College Magazine
SJSU Day of Giving
SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving is on March 11-12, and we’re aiming to make the most of this incredible opportunity. Mark your calendar and join us in making a positive impact on our SJSU community. Your support will help us achieve our goals and contribute to the thriving community we all cherish. We appreciate your consideration and support. Together, let’s make SJSU’s 1857 Minutes of Giving a success and bring our project to life!
Student Profile – Caroline Glaser
Caroline Glaser, a junior mechanical engineering student at San José State University, believes that engineering is more than just equations and theoretical models—it’s a tool for real-world problem-solving and sustainability. Currently, she is working at the Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC), a program under the US Department of Energy where she provides energy assessments to manufacturers to optimize energy efficiency in their operations. Caroline also leads the newly founded Fixit Clinic at SJSU, applying her engineering knowledge in ways that make a tangible impact. Outside of academics, she finds balance through music, playing guitar, piano, bass, and drums to clear her mind and focus.
A native of the East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area, Caroline comes from a family deeply rooted in education and science. She grew up surrounded by curiosity and problem-solving, and her fascination with how everyday objects function led her to mechanical engineering—a field that blends science, creativity, and problem-solving to improve daily life. As one of the 12% of women in SJSU’s mechanical engineering department, Caroline is motivated to push boundaries and make meaningful contributions to the industry.
Inspired by her experiences attending repair events hosted by the Fixit Clinic and seeing how everyday objects are designed internally, she recognized the need for engineering students to engage with real-world applications beyond theoretical coursework. After reaching out to Fixit Clinic’s founder, she was given the opportunity to establish a branch at SJSU, where students and community members can repair broken household items while developing their technical skills. She stated, “I believe that understanding how and why everyday objects fail can help future engineers design more durable and sustainable products.”
The first Fixit Clinic event was a resounding success, with 20 Fixit Coaches and student volunteers repairing over 35 items. Caroline played a pivotal role in organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, coordinating logistics, outreach with faculty and staff to promote the event, and now forging partnerships with the City of San José to expand the clinic’s impact beyond campus. Seeing students grow in confidence in their hands-on problem-solving skills and repairing everyday items has been one of the most rewarding aspects of her leadership.
These experiences taught Caroline how to think critically, handle unexpected changes, and work collaboratively in a team, “while technical knowledge is the foundation of engineering, I’ve learned that being able to clearly explain complex concepts and collaborate with others is equally as important,” she says.
For future leaders of the Fixit Clinic, Caroline emphasizes the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and interdisciplinary partnerships. Bringing together engineers, marketing students, and event management teams has strengthened the clinic’s reach and will obtain the Clinic’s long-term success. Looking ahead, she envisions herself working on projects that challenge her technically, fosters innovation in a team setting, and experiences meaningful change in people’s lives with the project.
With a strong foundation in hands-on learning, sustainability, and leadership, Caroline Glaser is guiding future engineering from the classroom and into the real world with one repaired coffee maker at a time.
Interested in joining? Check out SJSU FixItClinic’s Instagram page now!
The Inventions of Women
Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria, a Puerto Rican scientist and engineer, was crucial in developing long-lasting nickel-hydrogen batteries for the International Space Station. As a leader at NASA, her contributions improved battery efficiency, enabling spacecraft and satellites to store and use energy more effectively in space, which is a vital factor in sustaining human space exploration.
Florence Parpart, an American inventor, patented the modern electric refrigerator in 1914. Her invention revolutionized food preservation and household convenience. It replaced the icebox, making it easier for families to store food safely for longer periods.
Ellen Ochoa, an astronaut and optical engineer, co-invented an optical analysis system that enhances image processing to detect flaws in repeating patterns. This innovation has improved quality control in manufacturing and space-based imaging. Ochoa later became the first Hispanic woman in space and the first female director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Swiss physicist Ursula Keller invented the semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror (SESAM), a breakthrough in ultrafast laser technology. This innovation allows lasers to produce extremely short pulses, which are essential in fields like telecommunications, medical imaging, and precision manufacturing. Keller’s work has significantly advanced laser technology, making high-speed optical applications more efficient and accessible.
Sensate AI: Revolutionizing Human-Machine Interaction with Multisensory Intelligence – Prof Ahmed Banafa
What if artificial intelligence (AI) could see, hear, touch, taste, and talk to experience the world just like we do? Enter Sensate AI, a groundbreaking leap that blurs the line between machine and human perception. With advanced sensory capabilities inspired by the human brain, this AI can navigate environments, interpret emotions, engage in natural conversations, and even “taste” chemical compositions. The endless possibilities in healthcare diagnostics to immersive education and creative expression.
Read the full article to explore the future of AI-human interaction.