IPAM successfully completed its annual RIPS program that culminated with Projects Day on August 19, 2021. This was the first major in-person program hosted at the institute since March 2020. At the event, our 2021 RIPS cohort of nine teams presented their project reports to the industry sponsors, academic mentors, and scientific directors. This year, our sponsors included Aerospace Corp., Air Force Research Laboratory, AMD, Aquatic, Google, GumGum, HRL Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and IBM.

During the nine weeks of the program, all UCLA safety protocols were rigorously followed and we were pleased to see that everything came together nicely. This has been a sizeable accomplishment by IPAM leadership, staff, and participants – both students and mentors – and a demonstration that returning to normal activity is possible when time, planning, and efforts come together.