University graduate students presented various research topics to faculty and students Saturday at the third annual Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Conference.
Graduate students planned and hosted the event, with faculty merely providing guidance, said Praveen Pasupuleti, a mechanical engineering graduate assistant.
The conference could be helping the University gain prominence.
The two previous conferences helped put the School of Mechanical Engineering on the 2004 U.S. News and World Report’s list of the “America’s Best Graduate Programs,” said Tryfon Charalampopoulos, a mechanical engineering department chair.
The event is a fairly new tradition, Pasupuleti said.
“Three years ago, two young faculty members in mechanical engineering, Dr. Keith Gonthier and Dr. Srinath Ekkad, came up with an idea to arrange a graduate student conference,” Pasupuleti said. “They wanted an event for graduate students to present their research work before all their colleagues and faculty.”
The response thus far has been impressive, Charalam-popoulos said.
“The presentations are a clear testimony of the fact that the mechanical engineering graduate program is on its way to national and international prominence,” Charalampopoulos said.
Many of the students and faculty said this year’s conference has been even more extraordinary.
Harold Silverman, the Vice Provost of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, kicked off the day and 28 presentations covering an array of themes ranging from elementary to very complicated followed.
Many student participants said they were inspired by the day’s events.
“I was excited by the presentation on the design about using mechanical engineering technology to reconstruct human facial features,” said Pravdeep Khanal, an electrical engineering senior.
Khanal said exciting research ideas such as those exemplified in the conference make him want to apply to LSU for his graduate studies.
An awards ceremony concluded the day’s events.
Outstanding presentation awards were given to University graduate students Rakesh Behera, Dongmei Cao and Jonathan Lagrone, and to Andy Dettmer, a Louisiana Tech student.
After the distribution of awards and door prizes, faculty members offered praise to the students in attendance.
“This is a room full of people that are really dynamic and full of energy,” said Charalampopoulos in his closing remarks. “The first year the conference was held was a success and the second year was great. This year was even better.”
Aravamudhan Raman, a mechanical engineering professor, said the department’s power is growing.
“The momentum of the mechanical engineering department is quite great,” Raman said. “Nothing can stop it.”