As of 2010, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranks first among engineering schools by U.S. News & World Report. MIT's School of Engineering has a rigorous program that challenges students. The school's initiatives include the Center for Computational Engineering, which started in 2008 to support the computational engineering program with research funds, design, optimization and doctoral fellowship awards to students. MIT's engineering school also gets involved around the world. In 2010, the biodiesel team of MIT went to Sao Paulo, Brazil to start a project called "Green Grease," to change the vehicles to use filtered oil. This is one of many projects at MIT's School of Engineering that focus on environmental conservation as well as building new materials.
Stanford falls just behind MIT in U.S. News & World Report 2010 rankings. The School of Engineering at Stanford University in California holds astounding achievements in bioengineering, such as their projects on "virtual cell," which would allow cell biologists to run experiments on computers, saving time and money on research. The engineering school has a long history as one of the top quality engineering colleges in the country. Established in 1925, Stanford's engineering program has continuously challenged students to newer and brighter ideas. In 2010, a project called "Echo from the Sun" designed a radar signal to bounce off of the Sun, which is 93 million miles away from Earth. This project became a landmark achievement in radar astronomy. This is one of many projects that students work on at Stanford, particularly in the fields of bioengineering, environment and energy, information technology, nanoscience and nanotechnology.
University of California Berkeley began its engineering school in 1868. Ranked No. 3 by U.S. News & World Reort in 2010, UC Berkeley's engineering students participate in competitive teams, research, high school outreach programs and international projects. The school's professors regularly receive research grants, like electrical engineering and computer science assistant professors Koushik Sen and Pieter Abbeel, who received $50,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Research foundation. In addition, students work overseas in places such as Ethiopia, where Berkeley students created fuel efficient cookstoves for families to use. UC Berkley also has dozens of engineering research centers and institutes that cover topics from new media to green design and manufacturing.
The College of Engineering at Georgia Tech is ranked No. 4 by U.S. News & World Report. The school works on national and global issues in engineering, such as aerospace, biomedical, chemical and biomolecular, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, industrial and systems, materials science and mechanical --- including nuclear and radiological. Georgia Tech works constantly to improve the transportation systems around its campus, from building new roads and bridges to unclogging city streets from traffic. Georgia Tech has three prominent research initiatives, including energy, environment and health. In 2006, Georgia Tech's engineering students teamed up with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to research and develop better pediatric solutions for its patients.