UCI Students Network with Peers, Industry at MESA Leadership Conference
Nov. 20, 2025 - Seven UC Irvine undergraduate STEM students attended MESA’s Student Leadership Conference this month in San Francisco for a weekend of networking with industry professionals and leadership training. The MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program guides diverse students from underrepresented backgrounds into STEM education and careers.
Students had the opportunity to interact one-on-one and in small groups with company executives, engineers and recruiters. Many made connections that lead to internships and full time employment. This year’s sponsors included Carollo Engineering, Keysight Technologies, Edison International, PG&E, Qualcomm and Uber.
Six UCI engineering students and one math student attended the conference, which challenged students to design a product or service in about 30 hours that was aimed at addressing one of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. Vanessa Salyer, a UCI senior in mechanical engineering, and her team came up with a solution related to clean water and sanitation. They proposed an automated water-quality monitoring and diversion system designed to protect natural water sources from contamination. It integrated multiple sensor technologies to detect contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum products and harmful bacteria.
“Based on real-time sensor data, the system would activate a solenoid-controlled valve that diverts clean water safely to the lake or redirects contaminated water downstream for further treatment, ensuring continuous environmental protection and safe water flow management,” said Salyer. “This project required a lot of collaboration, research and teamwork, and I am grateful to have worked with such an amazing team!”
At the weekend conference, students networked, attended leadership and communications workshops, and a company expo in addition to the team challenge. “I attended the MESA Student Leadership Retreat in Santa Cruz back in 2023, and this conference brought back that same sense of community, support and inspiration,” said Salyer. “This conference felt like reconnecting with my roots and reminded me why I’m proud to be part of MESA. I am so happy to represent UCI.”
The UCI MESA students were among attendees who came from 46 community college, CSUs, UCs and private universities from across California. Each year MESA serves over 20,000 students at the pre-college, community college and university levels across California. MESA bridges classroom learning with real-world applications, employing rigorous academics, leadership preparation, a peer community and collaborative problem-solving training.
UCI MESA Director Dayana Rivas said it was an impactful experience for the UCI students. “They were able to see that MESA isn't just a program on our campus, but that they are a part of a larger community across colleges and universities — and when they graduate they'll join an alumni group that has been breaking barriers in STEM for over 55 years.”
– Lori Brandt
