UC Riverside and the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division have begun a new era of collaboration on high tech research, entering into an education partnership agreement that furthers a long-standing relationship.
The campus and center, which is part of the Naval Sea Systems Command or NAVSEA, celebrated the partnership at a ceremony Friday, May 8. Chancellor S. Jack Hu and Capt. Joseph Burgon, commanding officer of the Corona division, formally signed the agreement.
They said the five-year agreement will open doors for research partnerships and student opportunities in disciplines including data science, artificial intelligence, engineering, and metrology.
“We look forward to ensuring that the talent of the Inland Empire is at the forefront of our nation’s innovation and security,” Hu said.
Faculty members and students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and staff expertise at the naval center, which is involved in quality control, weapon systems design and testing, and other technologies involving military readiness.
The partnership is expected to facilitate joint research proposals, data sharing, and student exchanges including fellowships and internships. One of the goals is to facilitate student interest and expertise in science, mathematics, and engineering, particularly relating to real-world technical applications required by the U.S. Navy.
“By providing hands-on experience and internships, we are preparing the next generation for high-impact STEM careers,” Burgon said. “We want your students to know they do not have to leave the Inland Empire to change the world. They can do it right down the road.”
The partnership builds on a decade-long relationship in which researchers from the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering have collaborated on projects with the naval center. Between 2021 and 2025, the Navy awarded more than $400,000 in Naval Engineering Education Consortium grants to UCR.
Many graduates have gone on to careers there, with NAVSEA currently employing 169 alumni.
Vassilis Tsotras, a distinguished professor of computer science and engineering, said they’ve found several areas in which students, researchers, and NAVSEA have jointly benefited. For example, the naval center was put in charge of hosting the U.S. Navy’s data and looking for data analysts around the same time UCR introduced a data science major.
Vagelis Papalexakis, a professor of computer science and engineering, has worked with NAVSEA in his research involving machine learning and data mining. He and Tsotras said the new agreement should broaden those opportunities to a variety of other departments and fields while formalizing the relationship.
“We’re very confident that this will make things more seamless than they already are,” Papalexakis said.
Rodolfo Torres, vice chancellor for research and economic development, said the partnership aligns perfectly with UCR efforts to combine innovative research with economic opportunities. Those include the creation last year of the RAISE@UCR AI Institute, the development with the Navy of a quantum sensor testing facility, and the SoCAl Oasis Park currently under construction.
“Together, we are not only advancing research, but also co-developing talent, accelerating innovation, and ensuring that new technologies can be tested, validated, and deployed where they are needed most,” Torres said.
The signing ceremony was attended by researchers and campus leaders including Christopher Lynch, BCOE dean, and Peter Atkinson, dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.
Also on hand were community supporters including Gordon Bourns, chairman and CEO of electronic company Bourns, Inc., and Rep. Ken Calvert, whose district includes Corona. Calvert praised the agreement as an example of how UCR is supporting the nation’s military readiness.
Several speakers at the event paid tribute to Taylor Cole, a UCR alum and chief technology officer at the naval center, who passed away recently and championed the partnership agreement.
“He was a huge force behind this,” Papalexakis said. “He was always looking for opportunities to give back to UCR and was extremely generous with his time.”
