Tag: Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Spring 2024 Recipient – Abhishek Patil

Abhishek Patil standing in front of mountains

I am deeply thankful to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for awarding me the Finishing Fellowship. This invaluable support will enable me to fully focus on completing my final research projects and dissertation.

I extend my gratitude to the Intelligent Robotics & System Optimization Lab and the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics for providing the essential resources that have greatly contributed to the success of my research. The collaborative and enriching environment has played a pivotal role in shaping the depth and quality of my work.

My research, centered on designing algorithms for the efficient coordination of multiple autonomous robots, is a passion that aligns with the complex challenges of this multidisciplinary field. The Finishing Fellowship presents a unique opportunity to further explore and expand my knowledge and skills in this area.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to my advisors, Dr. Jungyun Bae and Dr. Myuoungkuk Park, whose mentorship has been instrumental in guiding me through my research journey at Michigan Tech. Their support has not only influenced my academic pursuits but has also been a source of inspiration.

As I enter the final stages of my research, I am eager to leverage this opportunity to its fullest potential. I am committed to making meaningful contributions to the field of autonomous robotics, and I am grateful for the encouragement and support that have brought me to this significant juncture in my academic career.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Spring 2024 Recipient – Shashank Pathrudkar

Indoor studio headshot of Shashank Pathrudkar

I am honored and grateful to accept the Finishing Fellowship Award and would like to express my sincere appreciation to the graduate school committee for this recognition.
My academic journey at Michigan Tech began in 2018 when I started my MS in the MEEM department . Immediately, I started working with Dr. Ghosh, whose guidance and mentorship have been invaluable throughout my academic career at Michigan Tech. The inherent potential and the learning opportunities presented by my Master’s thesis inspired me to extend my academic pursuit to a Ph.D. I have since been working at the intersection of Machine Learning, Mechanics, and Material Sciences.
The overarching goal of my research is to leverage machine learning models to bypass computationally expensive materials research methods. These models hold the promise of accelerating materials research, opening avenues for groundbreaking discoveries. The application of artificial intelligence in materials science has demonstrated remarkable potential in discovering novel materials that could revolutionize critical sectors such as energy harnessing, aerospace, electronics, and medical devices.
I am sincerely thankful to the graduate school for bestowing upon me the Finishing Fellowship Award. This recognition serves as a motivating force as I enter the final semester of my Ph.D. journey, encouraging me to give my best to the culmination of my research efforts. It is a testament to the support and belief the university has in my work.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Ghosh for providing me with the opportunity to be a part of his research group. Working on exciting research topics under his mentorship has not only enhanced my technical competence but has also played a pivotal role in my growth as a capable researcher. I am grateful for the trust and encouragement he has provided throughout the journey of both my Master’s and Ph.D. Additionally, I would like to express my thanks to the faculty and staff of the MEEM department for their unwavering support through my Ph.D. and Master’s.
I am excited to conclude my doctoral research and further advance my career.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Fall 2023 Recipient – Hrishikesh Gosavi

Since I began learning the basics of science, the effects of vibrations on environments has always fascinated me. As Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” It was with this aim that I started my Ph.D journey in Fall 2020.

My research has been in regards with “Metastructures”. These are unique structures which absorb vibrations in a system in particular frequency range, often called as ”bandgap”. It is because of this bandgap phenomenon that metastructures are widely used to mitigate vibration effects. Owing to large number of applications, it becomes important to estimate bandgaps in a metastructure to predict the frequency range in which the vibrations will be absorbed so that metastructures can be designed for various applications.

Through my research, I have aimed to developed new methods to estimate these bandgaps. The current methods available in the literature require a physics-based model of the metastructure (analytical model, finite/spectral element model) in order to estimate bandgaps. However, for various anisotropic materials, the material properties are difficult to quantify accurately which makes the physics-based model inaccurate. My research aims to overcome these limitations by developing methods which estimate bandgaps using purely experimental data. We have used the experimental data to study how a vibration wave is propagating through the metastructure (dispersion curve) and estimated bandgaps. Various other techniques such as substructuring, data-driven modeling algorithms were utilized. The developed techniques considerably reduced the design efforts required and made the entire design process much easier.

The funding provided by this fellowship will truly be helpful for me in putting all my energies in finishing my thesis in time and complete my Ph.D.!
I am grateful to the Graduate School for granting me this fellowship.
My advisor, Dr. Sriram Malladi has been more than helpful in guiding me through various ups and downs throughout my Ph.D journey. I am truly thankful for the relentless support he and his family has given me. Last but certainly not the least, I am thankful to my family i.e. my wife and my parents for their support in every aspect of my journey!

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Fall 2023 Recipient – Ponkrshnan Thiagarajan

Growing up in a township full of scientists and engineers, I have always been curious about how things work. This led me to pursue a bachelor’s in engineering from Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology affiliated with Anna University, Chennai. I then pursued a master’s from the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Madras where I delved into diverse research projects that captivated my interest. Fueled by this newfound interest, I started my journey as a Ph.D. student eager to tackle intriguing and fundamental challenges within the field of engineering.

I started working on my Ph.D. in the Fall of 2019 at the Computational Mechanics and Machine Learning Lab led by Dr. Susanta Ghosh at Michigan Tech. The focus of my research is on understanding the uncertainties associated with the predictions of computational and machine-learning models. Any model, computational or data-driven, is a representation of a physical phenomenon. We develop such models to understand the world around us better. However, predictions of such models are not always reliable due to the uncertainties associated with them. These uncertainties could arise for various reasons such as natural variability in the systems we study, assumptions in developing these models, numerical approximations, lack of data, etc. In order to use these models in real-life scenarios, quantifying these uncertainties is crucial. My research involves developing novel techniques to quantify the uncertainties, use these uncertainties to improve the model’s performance, and explain the reasoning behind the uncertainties. In my first project, we developed a Bayesian neural network-based machine-learning model that can reliably classify breast histopathology images into benign and malignant images. In addition, the model can quantify uncertainties associated with the predictions. We further developed techniques to explain the uncertainties and use them to further improve the model’s performance. In my second project, we developed novel loss functions for Bayesian neural networks and showed their advantages over the state-of-the-art in image classification problems. I am currently working on quantifying uncertainties in computational models that are used to characterize material behavior and extending the first two projects for several other applications.

I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Susanta Ghosh for giving me the opportunity to carry out this exciting research as well as for his immense help and guidance throughout the process. I thank the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and the dean for recommending me for this award. It is an honor. I thank the graduate school and the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics for their constant support.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Summer 2023 Recipient – Roya Bagheri

Growing up as a teenager, I always wanted to become a person who could help people around the world. I got the opportunity to start my academic life in health research, which brought me closer to what I have always wanted. As a mechanical engineer with a background in biomedical engineering and biomaterials, helping people and sharing the multidimensional point of view of these fields would be a fantastic opportunity to develop solutions for health-related problems worldwide.


I started my PhD in Mechanical Engineering in the Spring of 2020 at Michigan Technological University. Being part of the MTU family has been an exceptional experience for me. I am very fortunate to work in Dr. Abadi’s lab, who has guided me through research and several aspects of life. My research includes four different projects related to cardiovascular diseases and disorders (i.e., those related to the heart and blood vessels). Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Nanomaterials, with their unique morphologies and properties, have great potential for advancing cardiovascular engineering to treat diseases and disorders. My research is in three main categories, ranging from tissue engineering to robotics and medical devices.


Despite being far from my hometown, I feel at home in Michigan Tech. I have had several opportunities to participate in different organizations and competitions. This incredible journey will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so glad that I am close to my dream of obtaining a PhD and being able to help people around the world on a small scale in health.

I am grateful to the Graduate School for awarding me this doctoral finishing fellowship; this fellowship means a lot to me and motivates me to work harder to finish my PhD journey! I am thankful to the people who have supported me on my journey.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Spring 2023 Recipient – Sid Gopujkar

I started working at the APS LABS for my Masters’ thesis in Fall 2017. The research and the people at the APS are so amazing, that it wasn’t a difficult decision to stay for my PhD. I started my PhD in Summer 2018 under the guidance of Dr. Jeremy Worm, who is the associate director of APS LABS.

Majority of my PhD work has been on gasoline engines- how they can be further improved and made more efficient. The projects I have worked on have been industrial projects for major automotive companies like General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Nostrum Energy. The current automotive climate is all about electrification. But I believe that the internal combustion engine, which is one of the major factors that has brought civilization to the advanced stage it is at right now, still has a massive role to play in the future. But the beauty of working at the APS LABS is that you are not confined to a single subject, and get exposure to all sorts of power systems. In the last five years, I have worked with hybrid electric vehicles as well, and also on a project to consider the environmental and economic impacts of electrifying the Mackinac Island ferry.

The last five years have been memorable and fulfilling, and a lot of that is thanks to my advisor, Dr. Jeremy Worm. With the help of the Finishing Fellowship, I will be able to write the final chapter of doctoral journey (figuratively and literally), and move a step closer to my goal of becoming an academic.

Doctoral Finishing Fellowship – Spring 2023 Recipient – Sadaf Batool

I joined Michigan Technological University as a Fulbright PhD Scholar in 2017. I earned a master’s degree on the fly in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics in 2019. My doctoral research focuses on modeling and predictive control of a multi-mode engine. As we know, engine-out emissions increase air pollution and contribute to climate change. The transportation sector is one of the sources of air pollution. My research focuses on improving thermal efficiency and reducing engine-out emissions. 

Low-temperature combustion modes are among the advanced combustion technologies which offer high thermal efficiency and reduced engine-out NOx and soot emissions. A conventional spark ignition (SI) engine is modified to achieve low-temperature combustion modes. The main challenges associated with the low-temperature combustion modes include combustion timing and engine load control, high maximum pressure rise rate, cyclic variability and limited operating range. I have developed linear and nonlinear model predictive controller frameworks to control combustion phasing and engine load while restricting cyclic variability and maximum pressure rise rate for different low-temperature combustion modes. In addition, I have developed a closed-loop model predictive controller which ensures mode switching between conventional spark ignition (SI) engine and a low-temperature combustion mode to achieve better efficiency and reduced emissions. The developed controller performance is validated for the multi-mode engine operation in real-time.

I greatly appreciate the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for awarding me the finishing fellowship. I would like to extend my gratitude to my co-advisors, Dr. Jeffrey Naber and Dr. Mahdi Shahbakhti, for their guidance, support, and encouragement throughout my research.

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship – Fall 2022 Recipients

Congratulations to the following students on receiving the Outstanding Scholarship Award!

Jesse Anderson- Atmospheric Sciences
Md. Saleh Akram Bhuiyan- Biomedical Engineering
Aynaz Biniyaz- Civil Engineering
Julian Blann- Accounting
Sarvada Hemant Chipkar- Chemical Engineering
Jay Czerniak- Business Administration
Joshua Golimbieski- Engineering Management
Ronald Kyllonen- Mechanical Engineering
Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okoh- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Rohit Sunil Pandhare- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Peng Quan- Forest Science
Sambhawana Sharma- Physics
Emily Shaw- Engineering – Environmental
Shardul Tiwari- Environmental & Energy Policy
Modupe Omolara Yusuf- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award– Spring & Fall 2022 Recipients

Congratulations to the following students on receiving the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award!

Noah Agata- Mechanical Engineering
Arslan Amer- Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Manuel Anderson- Applied Ecology
Yasasya Uthpalawarna Ariyadasa Batugedara Batugedara Mohottalalage- Mathematical Sciences
Kendall Belopavlovich- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Kwadwo Ampadu Boateng- Civil Engineering
Aidan Botkin- Mathematical Sciences
Mohanish Kishor Chandurkar- Biomedical Engineering
Louis Chapin- Environmental Engineering
Tania Demonte Gonzalez- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Alayna Farrell- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Logan Fike- Geology
Samantha Fincannon- Electrical Engineering
Mahalakshmi Madhoolika Jammalamadaka- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Larissa Juip- Indust Heritage & Archaeology
Michelle Kelly- Biological Sciences
Ronald Kyllonen- Mechanical Engineering
Kenneth Larsen- Engineering – Environmental
Hyeseon Lee- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Tyler Lemahieu- Environmental Engineering
Isaac Lennox- Kinesiology
Fredrica Markson Eduaful- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Nusrat Irin Chowdhury Mary- Computer Engineering
Venkata Satya Sai Revanth Mattey- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Kathryn Miller- Electrical & Computer Engineer
Oindabi Mukherjee- Physics
Monica Mame Soma Nyansa- Chemistry
Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okoh- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Jonathan Oleson- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Melanie Ottino- For Molec Genetics & Biotec
Shashank Pathrudkar- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Meara Pellar-Kosbar- Data Science
Hailee Petosky- Biological Sciences
Evan Ricchio-Hitchcock- Geological Engineering
Noah Squires- Mechanical Engineering
Caleb Swain- Computer Science
Shruti Rajiv Vaidya- Electrical & Computer Engineer
Elizabeth Wahmhoff- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Aaron Wildenborg- Applied Physics
Kieran Young- Computer Science
Zhongtian Zhang- Biomedical Engineering
Noah Zins- Electrical & Computer Engineer

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award– Spring & Fall 2021 Recipients

Congratulations to the following students on receiving the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award!

Shahriar Alam- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Behnam Azmoon- Civil Engineering
Roya Bagheri- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Tanner Barnes- Forest Ecology & Mgmt
Beth Bartel- Geology
Claudia Irmgard Bartlick-Georg- Forest Science
Parth Parimalbhai Bhatt- Forest Science
Shiying Cai- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Marina Choy- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Madhureeta Das- Computer Engineering
Akshay Shankarrao Dongre- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Ian Gannon- Geological Engineering
Gaurish Shreedhar Gokhale- Electrical Engineering
David Hallberg- Electrical Engineering
Ian Herzog- Physics
Madhur Arun Jagtap- Electrical Engineering
Joshua Kemppainen- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Seth Kriz- Chemical Engineering
Jessica LaReaux- Civil Engineering
Arianna Laiho- Kinesiology
Nicholas Newberry- Chemistry
Abhishek Patil- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Yugandhara Yuvraj Patil- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Ashwin Karthik Purushothaman- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Ashfiqur Rahman- Electrical Engineering
Gurijala Venkat Prithvi Reddy- Mechanical Eng-Eng Mechanics
Reihaneh Samsami- Civil Engineering
Mujeeb Olushola Shittu- Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Kevin Sunderland- Biomedical Engineering
Arman Tatar- Civil Engineering
Shardul Tiwari- Environmental & Energy Policy
Laura Vidal Chiesa- Rhetoric, Theory and Culture
Karlee Westrem- Mathematical Sciences