Featured Spotlight: Chloe Andersen – Class of 2026

In Chloe’s own words – interviewed Spring 2026

  • Hometown: Port Washington, New York
  • Year: Senior, Class of 2026
  • Favorite Course: Sensor and Peripheral Interface Design, ECE153B, Professor Yogananda Isukapalli 
  • Senior "Capstone" Project: NASA Surface Assistant for Geological Exploration (SAGE)
  • Student Organization Memberships: Delta Kappa Alpha (Professional Cinematic Society) 
  • Last Book Read: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan
  • Interesting aside about you: My friends and I are headed to Thailand after graduation! 

Chloe’s Favorite

  • Hobbies: Rock Climbing, Guitar, Hiking, Film/Photography
  • Performer: Billie Marten 
  • TV Show: Hacks 
  • Movie: Coraline
  • Book / Author: Normal People by Sally Rooney
  • Activity: Surfing
  • Sport: Softball 
  • Geeky Possession: I probably own every type of cable and adaptor one could ever need.

Favorite things about:

  • CE Program: There are so many different courses and sub-fields to explore within the major. Before committing to a specialization, you get to sample various areas, which I think is really valuable. 
  • UCSB: The people! Everyone I’ve met at UCSB is so friendly and fun to be around.
  • Santa Barbara: The nature. There are incredible beaches, hikes, and drives all within 20 minutes of campus.

Chloe’s most memorable moments that happened each year

  • Freshman Year: Joining the Ultimate Frisbee team, where I met my closest friends to this day and got to travel up and down the California coast for tournaments. 
  • Sophomore Year: Road tripping + backpacking for 3 days in Mammoth
  • Junior Year: Joining a band and playing shows around Isla Vista and, later, LA.
  • Senior Year: Living in a house with my five best friends who I met freshman year! 

Chloe and Computer Engineering

Why CE as a major? I chose CE because I have loved everything about computers since I built my first one with my dad back in 2018. I knew I wanted to stay in STEM and CE stood out because it combines physical hardware with software, while still leaving room for creativity, which felt like the perfect fit for me.

Why did you select UCSB's CE program? I knew I wanted to come to California for college. Among all the schools I was considering, UCSB stood out for its strong research reputation, industry connections, and a great balance between academics and life outside the classroom.

How did you hear about UCSB's CE program? Through my own college research! I was drawn to the smaller department feel within a larger university, and the well rounded curriculum that blends computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. I also loved that there was room to take classes outside of the major and have a broad college experience. 

Prospective students and parents often ask, what can you do with a CE degree? So much! CE is incredibly interdisciplinary, and almost every field needs engineers today. You can go into chip design, embedded systems in medical devices, hardware for aerospace, even creative tools for musicians and filmmakers... the list goes on. This degree really lets you merge your passions with your technical skills. 

The Curriculum

What have you learned that has surprised you the most so far? How far-reaching computer engineering actually is. Throughout my years at UCSB, I’ve applied CE to machine learning of geological properties through my NASA capstone, used it in a music class coding in CSound, and even connected it to Earth Science in a GE course about Antarctica. Finding those unexpected intersections has been one of the most rewarding parts of the major. 

What has your experience been like taking the Math and Physics core classes? They’re challenging, but absolutely manageable. When class sizes are large, key for me was to be proactive: show up early, post on Piazza, and form study groups with your classmates. I found the work ethic developed from these classes creates a pretty strong foundation for upper division courses. 

What has been your most challenging but rewarding course? ECE154A: Computer Architecture. It introduced a completely new way of thinking about computers, bridging hardware and software levels through topics like assembly language, ALU design, and memory systems. Wrapping my head around how these concepts connect across both levels was challenging, but getting to the other side of it gave me confidence that I could handle any upper division CE course.

Talk about your Senior Year Capstone Project – experience so far: I’m the team lead for our ECE 189ABC capstone project, Surface Assistant for Geological Exploration (SAGE). We’re working with NASA Ames Research Center to build a handheld device and ground-team interface to assist astronauts during extravehicular activities. The device uses edge machine learning so astronauts can identify rock samples, record voice notes, and see mission summaries without needing to communicate back to Earth. I love that capstone spans multiple quarters and involves mentorship from industry professionals. Having been interested in space exploration since I was young, this has been such a meaningful project to work on!

What area do you want to specialize in? I want to work at the intersection of technology and creativity, building tools that support the creative processes, whether that’s software for artistic workflows or hardware such as music technology. I’ve tailored my degree towards system software architecture and computer networks with that in mind, and I’m excited to see where it takes me! 

Have you done an internship? Yes! Last summer I interned as a software engineer at Walt Disney Imagineering in Orlando, Florida. Imagineering is the creative R&D branch of Disney, and it was such a cool place to work. I contributed to backend development, learned industry standard software practices, and was exposed to how a large, successful organization operates. Getting to meet engineers and artists working on such meaningful projects was a huge highlight.

Have you had any honors at UCSB? I have received Engineering Deans Honors for multiple quarters throughout my 4 years at UCSB.

Preparation from High School to College

What prepared you the most for studying engineering in college? From my sophomore to senior year of high school, I was part of an intensive science research program. We read scientific papers, developed year-long research projects, recorded and analyzed data, and presented findings at regional competitions. That experience taught me the time management, self-motivation, and resilience that engineering school really demands. 

Are there any classes that you suggest CE students take before entering UCSB: AP Calculus, AP Physics, and introductory CS courses are solid preparations and may even let you to place out of a few lower division courses your freshman year. That said, don’t stress if you haven’t taken them! The freshman curriculum is designed to bring everyone up to speed and not opting out of those courses also provides a refresher and a solid base for what comes next. 

Any additional experiences that you would like to share with students to help them prepare for college? Take some time to think about what extracurriculars, club sports, or electives might interest you, and don’t be afraid to try something totally new! I’ve been a part of the Ultimate Frisbee team, Excursion Club, KCSB radio, and DKA over four years, and each one was so welcoming and brought something different to my college experience.

Student Life at UCSB

What is campus life like for CE students? CE is a relatively small major at UCSB, so you get a pretty unique campus experience. You have all the resources of a large research institution (great study spots like the library and SRB, a large course catalog, and cutting-edge labs). But as a CE major, you get smaller class sizes, real relationships with professors, and a tight-knit group of students to collaborate with and learn from. Oh, all that while the ocean is just a few steps away! 

What is the social scene like on campus, in Isla Vista, and off-campus like for CE students? UCSB has a great social scene. There are clubs, on-campus organizations, and sports that foster a real sense of community. The music scene in Isla Vista is also something really special. Student bands of all genres play shows nearly every weekend! I’d recommend going to the club fair or rec fest at the start of the year to see what you might like.

Describe your housing experience frosh to present: I lived in the Santa Cruz dorm my freshman year and in an Isla Vista house for the remaining 3 years. On-campus housing is great because you’re close to everything and a super easy way to meet people. My closest friends to this day lived down the hall from me freshman year!  Isla Vista is a whole experience of its own: small houses and apartments full of students, lots of energy, and never a dull moment. I’d recommend looking for places early (October - December) and don’t be afraid to knock on people’s doors asking if they’re releasing for the next school year. That’s how we found the house I’ve lived in for the past 3 years!

After Graduation

What are your “big picture” plans/aspirations after graduation? I’m heading back to Walt Disney Imagineering as a software engineer, this time at their Glendale, California location! I’m thrilled to pick up where I left off last summer and also experience the company at this new location. Long-term, I hope to build a career at the intersection of technology and creativity, where I’m always learning and being challenged. UCSB has prepared me well for my future and I loved every minute of my time here. I hope you do too!