Department of Mechanical MARCH/APRIL 2010 Engineering |M2EGS_ NEWS|

Graduate Studies Newsletter [Volume 2, Issue 3]

In December, I had the pleasure of receiving a good news from Dr. Bernstein, who has been kindly contributing to our newsletter in the past year and a half, that one of our own graduates, Sara Spangelo (B.Sc., 2008), now with U. of Michigan, has passed her qualifying exam. So, I thought I would ask her to write about her experience as a graduate student, and how her education at U of helped her settle well and be successful at U of Michigan. Hope you enjoy her reply as much as I did. Nariman Sepehri (Associate Head, Graduate Studies)

Reflections by Sara Spangelo As I write this article, I’ve been spending a good deal of time reflecting about where I am, and how I got here. I’ve just completed my qualifying exam at the of Michigan, so I am now considered a PhD candidate. When academics hear you’re prepping for this exam, they respond smiling sympathetically (glad they’ve jumped through this hoop in their academic careers), well aware how overwhelming this study experience lasting several months can be. But this was just the end of a long haul of changes, learning experiences, and whole new set of challenges I’ve faced over the past year and a half. I left Manitoba following the completion of my in Mechanical Engineering in 2008 to first pursue a summer internship at the Institute of Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) and then attend grad school in the Aerospace Department at the . When I made this move, I was leaving my only home, my family, friends, professors, and colleagues. This was a scary transition, but one I was equipped for and needed, on several levels. Grad school is like being dropped in a bucket of water, and you have to learn to swim, fast. Everyone seems much smarter than you, each homework can require dozens of hours, the textbooks seem illegible, and the research topics impossible. But this environment is incredibly motivating, and forces you to work harder and smarter than you ever have, and reach new levels with your ability to pick up Contents material, analyze, and apply your understanding to new and never-solved problems. There is no safe place to retreat, and not the continual reinforcement of your support network. In this article I’ll reflect on the differences between the two schools, the undergraduate and graduate programs, and my experiences at each. Reflections 1 Beginning in the sciences stream at the University of Manitoba, I felt like a nobody, just one of thousands taking the prerequisite biology, , , Giving a Presentation 3 math, and English courses. University One is designed to allow you the freedom to explore, but at the same time, can sometimes prevent you from finding a home or niche within a . After a year, and considering pursing Physics & Astronomy, I made the wise transition to the world of engineering). I saw a new building going up (this was Fall 2005), lots of excitement and momentum, more opportunities for summer internships, neat research projects, and fun classes and labs in the faculty.

I really enjoyed being part of the engineering department and community at the University of Manitoba. In Mechanical Engineering I was constantly immersed in a wide range of theoretical classes, design projects, and research projects or summer research and industry internships.

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The rigor of the engineering undergraduate program definitely completing their degrees. This gave students exposure to the helped me prepare for graduate school. To complete the industry world, aiding some of my colleagues who knew they degree in 4 years (it is now designed such that it may be wanted to work immediately after school the chance to make completed in 4 or 5 years), you must take at least 6 courses connections in the work world and begin their careers before per semester, which is difficult to even schedule (most classes even graduating. have labs or tutorials in the afternoon). Juggling this world combined with extracurricular activities and a part time job, Similarly, the opportunities for research were good at the friends, and family, definitely helped me taste a bit of how University of Manitoba; most professors discussed grad school can feel. So little time, so much to do. passionately their work and how they saw their research areas making an impact. I was lucky enough to be encouraged to I enjoyed how the University of Manitoba professors pursue an NSERC summer opportunity after my second year genuinely cared about their students. If you demonstrated of university, and worked in Professor Tachie’s lab that interest in the topics, they were eager to share their expertise summer doing real literature reviews , experiments, and and had a great desire to help you. They also discussed their preparing my findings in a research report. I did a similar research interests and how they related to class, which helped research project for my , preparing a formal thesis and us understand the application of the theories we were studying presentation. This work was excellent practice for the years to and also gave some idea what research projects we may be come, contributing to the graduate student skill set. able to pursue in the summer months or for a thesis topic. The professors were extremely supportive, educating and Since arriving at Michigan, I’ve worked on optimizing flight encouraging their students to apply for scholarship and paths for solar powered aircraft, and also had the chance to be internship opportunities we may not have otherwise been involved in the Student Team “Solar Bubbles” which designs, aware of. They were also understanding and supportive as I builds, and flies an aircraft equipped with solar cells with the pursued the NSERC graduate scholarship and applied to goal to fly perpetually for 36 hours. This past spring I’ve also graduate schools abroad, educating me about my opportunities joined the exciting team building a small satellite called and sharing their own academic experiences and advice. The “RAX”, and have been the GPS lead. My research interests support staff at the University of Manitoba was amazing. are focused on optimizing energetic, informatics, and Without their behind the scenes shifting of course credits and energetic in dynamic systems, and have evolved to the topic helping me obtain permission to take the courses I needed to of ground station optimization for small CubeSat spacecraft, complete my degree, there’s no way I would have finished in with the goal to maximize capacity of a federated ground time (I was determined to finish in 4 years total of school, station network. I’ve also been fortunate enough to find an despite being behind in a few of the first year courses). They incredible support network, I know braniacs in every area, and were patient, aware of all the intricacies of the system, experts in every system or software I could imagine … plus hardworking, and sympathetic. They never gave up on supportive people to help ease the stresses of grad school, and students. people to run, bike, swim, skydive, and travel with!

Sara (second from right) and U of Michigan graduate students after the “Big House Big Heart” run, ending in the Final Design Presentation Fall 2007, University of Manitoba. football stadium From left: David Vanderzwaag, Daisy Yee, Sara Spangelo, Francis Lagadi, Jessica Yablecki, Tianyu Ling , Sponsoring Company: Monarch Industries, Project Advisor: Dr. S. Now that quals are over, I’ll have more time to devote to my Balakrishnan research interests, have some more freedom in the classes I take, and hopefully be able to support these student teams in Compared to the University of Michigan, I believe my lab accomplishing their incredible goals! At this point, reflecting experience at the University of Manitoba was strong. In about on my university experiences that begun at the University of half of our classes we had a lab session (weekly or biweekly) Manitoba, I am incredibly lucky to have had all the which allowed for more hands-on time with equipment to try opportunities growing up and the great support of teachers, to apply some of the theory we were covering in class. The professors, support staff, family, and friends. And looking labs were generally well-equipped with graduate students or back, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. professors to help us with the lab material. Sara Spangelo The opportunities to complete internships were great at the U University of Michigan, January 10, 2010 of M, which allowed students to work part time while Giving a Presentation 3

Giving a Presentation

Dennis S. Bernstein Professor of Aerospace Engineering The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA

work, be sure to relate your ideas to other areas Each individual has a personal style for of research. Any links you can make will presenting a technical talk or seminar. There is enhance interest in what you have to say. no “right” or “best” way to do this. A good way A talk is a form of entertainment, and people to develop a style that works well for you is to • listen to a lot of presentations and then emulate like to be entertained. You certainly don’t want those aspects that you like and avoid those your talk to be perceived as boring. A good talk aspects that you don’t like. The following are tells a story. The story can begin with motivation some thoughts that might be helpful in for the research, perhaps an interesting question developing your own style. These suggestions or an unsolved problem relating to a mysterious are only a starting point. anomaly. The flow of a talk can proceed from this motivation to the climax, where the key • Begin your talk in a friendly, positive, and results are given and demonstrated by compelling humble manner. Introduce yourself, and thank examples. the people who invited you to speak. Everyone Avoid outlines. It is often said that the is busy, and it takes time and effort to attend • talks, so be appreciative of the audience. Next, audience cares about what you’re saying now, be sure to acknowledge all of your collaborators not what you’re planning to tell them later. If who have contributed in some way to the work you absolutely must give a preview of what’s that you’re presenting. Spreading around the coming, do it quickly. credit shows humility and promotes good will. • How much material should you put on each • After showing gratitude to the organizers, slide? Don’t expect or require the audience to attendees, and your coauthors, telling an remember much from prior slides. Put all crucial interesting story is a good way to “break the ice” material on the slide that is currently being and build interest. shown. Repeat images and equations if necessary so that you don’t make your • As you give your talk, be sure to look at the presentation a test of the audience’s memory. audience. This nonverbal, visual A good rule of thumb is that each slide should communication will give you feedback as to • whether the listeners understand what you’re convey one major point. saying. Remember that you’re speaking to a • Avoid clutter. Less is more. Some of the most live audience, not to a video camera. effective slides have very few words on them. • Motivate your topic so that your audience will Ask yourself what the audience really needs to care about your results. Since researchers are know, and focus on that material. Remove especially interested in their own everything that is unnecessary. Make your slides neat and attractive.

4 ……Writing a Paper

NEWS • The main reason to attend a talk is to assimilate

ideas. Details are given in papers, but papers are often dry, and the ideas tend to be buried. A talk provides a MEIA Environmental unique opportunity to elucidate the ideas, bring them to Career Fair life, and make them memorable. Make that your main goal, keeping in mind a handful of points that you

would like the audience to take away, and be sure that Learn about the many your slides achieve this goal. opportunities for environmental Plan carefully for the allotted time. Before you begin careers in Manitoba. • speaking, remove all slides that you know you won’t use. One minute per slide is often a reasonable th Time: Wednesday, March 10 , 2010 average, where each slide can take from a few seconds 3:00 - 6:30 pm to several minutes. Keep track of how much time you Location: University Centre have left. As you speak, divide the number of Multipurpose Room remaining slides by the number of remaining minutes. If this ratio grows too large, decide what to omit so that you can meet the time limit. Find out more at Http://umanitoba.ca/environment • You may or may not want to encourage questions To order a free nametage, send your during your talk, but you may receive them either way. info to [email protected] These questions can be extremely valuable since they before March 5th. provide insight into whether the audience understands what you’re saying. Questions will slow down your talk, however, so you must be especially aware of how much time is left.

M2EGS_NEWS • End your talk with some speculations and suggestions for future research.

Mechanical and Manufacturing • When you finish your talk, invite questions, listen

Engineering Graduate Studies carefully to the queries, thank and praise the Newsletter questioners for raising interesting points, and apologize if you don’t fully understand what is being asked. Editor: Repeat the question so that everyone can hear it and so Tingting zhao, Master’s Student that you are absolutely sure what the questioner is [email protected] asking. Give the shortest possible answers, and don’t hesitate to say that you don’t know the answer. If a Graduate Student Representative: Shahab Shokrzadeh, Doctoral Student person in the audience asks too many questions, takes [email protected] up too much time, or starts to veer off the topic, gently say that you would be pleased to speak to him/her after Faculty Advisor: the talk, so you can give more people an opportunity to Dr. Nariman Sepehri ask questions. Associate Head (Graduate Studies) [email protected]