A catalyst for excellence

Following a career in medicine as a clinician and educator, Dr. Esther Hays discovered a new passion after retiring with her pediatric surgeon husband Daniel to his hometown of Riverside, air pollution.

To advance this cause, she established the Esther and Daniel Hays Endowed Chair in Environmental Research shortly before her death in 2021 through an estate gift to recruit or retain preeminent scholars to conduct leading-edge research in the Center for Environmental Technology (CE-CERT) and profoundly enrich the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate students in the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE). Esther also established the Esther F. Hays Graduate Fellowship Scholarship at UCR to aid graduate students pursuing careers involving clean air initiatives and served as a board member assistant for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Esther and Daniel, who passed away in 2016, served on the U.C. Riverside Foundation Board of Trustees and supported UCR students, faculty, and research.

Distinguished Professor Matthew Barth was selected as the inaugural Hays chair holder in 2023. Barth joined the electrical and computer engineering faculty at UCR in 1991 and conducts research in sustainable transportation system solutions at CE-CERT.

"In the early years of CE-CERT, I remember meeting with Esther Hays on a regular basis and explaining my latest research results," Barth said. "Receiving the Hays Endowed Chair many years afterwards has been a truly rewarding experience."

Through the Hays chair, Barth funds equipment, supplies, student stipends, conference travel, and more for projects including the EcoCAR EV Challenge, a four-year automotive engineering Competition between UCR and 14 other North American universities to design and build the next-generation battery electric vehicle.

"Much of the Hays Chair funding is used for educating students at all levels, with a primary focus on sustainable transportation," Barth said. "Related to this, we are also pushing forward clean energy solutions and better air quality. In addition to the education component, we are able to fill funding gaps in our research projects, allowing for a robust continuous research program."

The work the nine graduate and undergraduate students on the EcoCAR team are doing to develop more-sustainable transportation is paving the way for CE-CERT to establish itself as a hub for automotive training in Inland Southern California, particularly for low-income and first-generation students.

"[T]he EcoCAR vehicle we are developing will serve as one of our unique research tools for conducting future connected and automated vehicle research," Barth said. "This research will result in different societal benefits that span safety, mobility, and environmental sustainability."

The long-term investment provided by the Hays chair is an essential element in CE-CERT achieving its goals and honoring Esther Hays' dedication to cleaner air.

"Philanthropic gifts like those from the Hays family are a catalyst for excellence at the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering," said Christopher Lynch, dean and professor in BCOE and the William R. Johnson Jr. Family Chair. "Their investment enables critical research, expands educational access, and strengthens our capacity to deliver lasting impact in engineering and beyond."