Captain Jim Dimatteo

Submitted by kelyvon on
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U.S. Navy Pilot and Berkeley CEE Alumnus, Captain Jim Dimatteo
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Alumni


On Friday, October 3rd, Berkeley Engineering hosted a special Aerospace Seminar featuring Captain Jim DiMatteo (BS ’85), legendary U.S. Navy pilot and distinguished Berkeley CEE alumnus. Captain DiMatteo, renowned in military aviation circles, spoke from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m in the Grimes Engineering Center. 

After graduating from Cal, Jim DiMatteo built a remarkable 27-year career as a U.S. Naval Aviator, becoming the first to command both TOPGUN Adversary Squadrons. After retiring as a Captain, he directed the Red Bull Air Races for 14 years, led the Breitling Jet Team’s U.S. tour, and ran the world’s largest airshow, Oshkosh AirVenture. 

Today, he still flies the F-5 Advanced Tiger with Tactical Air Support, providing adversary training for Navy and Air Force pilots. With more TOPGUN Adversary flight time than anyone in history, Jim was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in 2018 and has earned numerous honors, including F-14 Fighter Pilot of the Year, Navy Adversary Pilot of the Year, and the U.K.’s prestigious Britannia Award.

 

Collective for Inclusive Engineering Seminar Series: Vice Provost Lisa García Bedolla

Collective for Inclusive Engineering Seminar Series

NOVEMBER 2025

Featuring Vice Provost Lisa García Bedolla
Monday, November 3 • 12:00 PM • Jarvis Auditorium, Grimes Engineering Center

Join us for the next seminar in the Collective for Inclusive Engineering Series, featuring Lisa García Bedolla, Berkeley’s Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Hitchcock Dean of the Graduate Division, and Chancellor’s Professor of Education.

Tribute to Juan Pestana

 

Our former colleague, Juan Pestana, passed on the night of September 16, 2025 in Lexington, Massachusetts. His friends in the Geosystem Engineering Program were informed by his daughter Maria. We are shocked and saddened by his passing.

Juan was full of life and devoted to the ideals, tradition, and excellence of Berkeley. He returned to campus often after retiring from Berkeley to participate in events. While visiting us he shared the joy of his work at Geosyntec Consultants. Juan was a brilliant engineer.

Tribute to James M. Kelly

 

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Professor Emeritus James Marshall Kelly in Berkeley on September 23, 2025, at the age of 90. Professor Kelly was probably the most influential figure in the development, design, and implementation of seismic protection technologies and is widely regarded as the Father of Seismic Isolation. Brilliant, wise, and generous, he earned the admiration of students, colleagues, and collaborators around the world.

How Professor Luis Ceferino is preparing for the next 'Big One'

UC Berkeley researchers, led by Berkeley CEE Professor Luis Ceferino, are studying how people sustain injuries inside concrete buildings during large earthquakes, using data gathered from survivors of the 2023 M7.8 Kahramanmaraş earthquake in southern Türkiye. By interviewing people and mapping how they moved and what parts of the interior (walls, partitions, exit paths, etc.) contributed to harm, the team hopes to improve structural and behavioral models that predict casualties. 

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