Julian Eastman: Outstanding Senior in Mechanical Engineering
Before he studied thermodynamics or orbital mechanics in UC Davis classrooms, Julian Eastman was building worlds.
As a child, the mechanical engineering major spent hours at a time constructing models out of cardboard, experimenting with mechanisms and imagining inventions that could improve life. His ideas all stemmed from the same instinct: to create.
“I wanted to see what I could build to make the world an easier and better place to live,” he said.
At UC Davis, that curiosity expanded beyond our world.
Drawn initially to space exploration through science fiction, Eastman found himself increasingly fascinated by the engineering challenges behind humanity’s future among the stars. Courses like “Orbital Mechanics” deepened that interest.
His creative pursuits were never far from his academic ones. During his senior year, Eastman wove concepts such as relativity and orbital mechanics into a world-building project inspired by fantasy role-playing games and Celtic mythology, which he worked on in his spare time. The world Eastman created serves as the foundation for a story, and he even used SpaceEngine, a universe simulator, to model the galaxy where the story takes place.
His instinct to create shaped his engineering work.
During a 2025 internship at the electronics company Bourns, Eastman developed a small handheld tool to identify defective parts early in the manufacturing process, before they could be assembled into final products. When he presented the tool, he was told it would save thousands of dollars on wasted products.
The experience reinforced the important lesson that meaningful engineering solutions do not always have to be massive or revolutionary to matter.
“Even the smallest changes, if well-placed, can lead to massive benefits down the line,” he said.
Eastman encourages current and future students to embrace interests beyond engineering coursework, whether through clubs, hobbies or creative outlets. In fact, some of Eastman’s favorite college memories came through his less academic endeavors. Over the years, Eastman served as dungeon master for multiple Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, including an ambitious sci-fi fantasy setting with friends from the Davis Roleplaying Activities & Gaming Organizational Network, or DRAGON, at UC Davis.
More recently, he found tranquility and wonder in beginning oil painting.
While working on a landscape assignment in the UC Davis Arboretum, Eastman recalls standing alone among the trees, painting quietly while listening to distant piano music drifting through the air.
“For those moments, I felt more at peace than I had for a very long time,” he said.
After graduation, Eastman plans to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and begin a career in industry, with interests ranging from nuclear fusion to space-related technologies.
Wherever he ends up, Eastman will continue exploring the balance between technical problem-solving and creative imagination. For him, engineering has never been just about building machines. It’s about building possibilities.
Generative AI tools were used to assist in organizing and drafting this Outstanding Senior Spotlight using responses from a student-submitted questionnaire. In alignment with the University of California Responsible AI Principles, human members of UC Davis College of Engineering communications staff reviewed, revised, fact-checked and approved the final story to ensure accuracy and authentically reflect the student’s experiences and achievements.