Research That Reshapes Our World

How do we build cities that can meet tomorrow’s challenges? In Portland, we strengthen and preserve the infrastructure we have, while designing healthier buildings that withstand wildfires, earthquakes, and a changing climate - helping our communities stay safe, resilient, and ready for what’s ahead.

Modernizing the electric grid is crucial for a sustainable future. In our labs, our faculty, students, and industry partners develop solutions for the grid's biggest challenges, from integrating renewable energy to ensuring reliability during natural disasters.

How can artificial intelligence (AI) solve important problems - without creating new ones? Our faculty apply machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision to broad engineering problems, from high-performance computing and autonomous systems to cybersecurity and improving education. 

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks is becoming more challenging by the day. Artificial Intelligence can help attackers move more quickly than ever, while billions of internet-connected devices can serve as access points. Our research in security and privacy counters these risks.

Microelectronics power anything that uses computation, from cars and phones to entire data centers. And much of this technology is built right here, in the heart of the Silicon Forest. Our researchers are key partner to the semiconductor industry. 

How do animals walk on rough terrain? How do fluids move in zero gravity? How do you detect sound underwater?  Our researchers ask fundamental questions and turn the answers into novel engineer solutions - from robots to rockets. 

Our research confronts the climate crisis head-on. We develop sustainable water resources, monitor air and water quality, and design resilient urban systems. You'll work on the front lines to engineer a healthier future for the Pacific Northwest.

Our faculty experts provide a link between engineering, science, and management disciplines. It results in theory, methods, and actionable recommendations that help organizations achieve strategic and operational objectives through technology.