Teams in Engineering Science (TIES) Program

The TIES program started in fall of 2004, and the students in the Lakeside program are currently working on three projects: remote monitoring, portable kiosks and conceptual designs for the bridges of Lakeside.

One of the Conservancy’s newest partners is called Teams in Engineering Service (TIES) from the University of California San Diego. The TIES program is a multi-disciplinary approach to educate tomorrow’s technology leaders, conduct leading edge research, and transfer discoveries to ensure societal benefit. The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Jacobs School of Engineering, San Diego Supercomputer Center, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology and AT&T.

This is a new program for UCSD and Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy was chosen out of numerous applicants to be one of the founding partners.  The TIES program started in fall of 2004 and the ideas generated thus far have captured our imagination.  The students in the Lakeside TIES program are divided into three teams: remote monitoring, portable kiosks and conceptual designs for the Bridges of Lakeside.   

 Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring will allows us to place a variety of instruments on the site that will measure such things as birdcalls or water temperature on a 15- minute time frame and then wirelessly send the information back to a computer in our office. We get real-time information that will tell us what kinds of animals are using the site. Are there more hawks, more swallows, more endangered species visiting and breeding on the site?  Is the water cleaner as it flows through the reeds and willows? Questions such as these will be answered easily.

Infostream 3000 Kiosk

As we restore the river, as we begin construction on trails or the nature and cultural center, or as the swallows return to the river, we want to be able to tell people about it.  The TIES students came up with an idea to place a portable computer display screen in a hardened, vandal and theft proof shell that can be moved from place to place.  They call this the Infostream 3000.  We would be able to place these devices in downtown Lakeside, or in front of the park or where ever people gather so they could see what is going on in the river park and learn more.  We could also program them wirelessly, so that when we have new information, it is on the Infosteam 3000 instantly.   

The Bridges of Lakeside

We have a dream, that one day, hikers, riders and equestrians will be able to follow the river trail from El Monte Valley to the City of Santee and never have to cross a road or go under a bridge.  The structural engineering students from the TIES program are working with artist James Hubbell to design several bridges that will be as beautiful as they are functional, so that using the trail becomes a delight to the eye as well as to the spirit. 

The TIES program is a long-term project.  These wonderful students will be with us for many years, helping us develop ideas and making sure that our river park contains the best of both worlds, tying technology to nature and to the community of Lakeside. 

UCSD TIES FALL 2004 

Environmental Monitoring Team:

Priscilla Elán Diaz, Xiaoshi (Jonathan) Ji and and Saheed Oreluyi

Lakeside Bridge Design Team:

Bradley Yee, Nelson Bravo, Roy Poomiwatracanont, Ilham Bashir,

Jasmine Haddad, Elaine Ferraro

In partnership with Simon Wong Engineering

Kiosk Team:

Vincent Bantigue, Pauline Chang, Duy Nguyen, Yan Zheng

UCSD Ties Administrators:

Jeanne Ferrente and Glynda Davis

Student Advisors:  Dr. Uang, Dr. Silvia Armitano Mah, Dr. Natalie Jeremijenko

Read more about the TIES Project in the Union-Tribune:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20050316-9999-2m16bay.html