Page 6 - ME News Fall 2021

ME Students Learn to Lead
Our students are poised to become leaders in mechanical engineering. Here are a few awards ME students won in 2021.
2021 President’s Student Leadership & Service Awards
Two ME undergrads and two PhD candidates were recognized for their leadership efforts on behalf of the University and the Twin Cities community. The President’s Student Leadership & Service Awards (PSLSA) go to the most exceptional student leaders at the U.
Daniel Glynn — Undergraduate
“I am most proud that I was able to 3D print and donate 2,700+ face shields for medical staff and first responders in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when there were PPE shortages. It is fulfilling knowing that my engineering experience allowed me to protect my community.”
Sankar Muthukrishnan — PhD candidate
“I am most proud of my leadership role as the President of the SKY@UMN club. My team shared mental wellness resources and organized happiness retreats that teach yoga and meditation for the undergraduate and graduate/professional student communities. I am proud of my dynamic team and our achievements.”
Venkat Reddy — Undergraduate
“I am most proud of my experiences with the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student Council, allowing me to better serve my classmates and friends with their journey through the program.”
Aaron Tucker — PhD candidate
“I am most proud that I led the UMN technical team which created the Coventor, the first FDA Emergency Use Approved ventilator alternative for the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with MN industry, we successfully created 3000 Coventors for use in the US and internationally.”
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awards
ME graduate students Arun Balakrishna, Matthew Kubala, and Cara Piazza all received 2021 Graduate Research Fellowship Program offers — a prestigious NSF award. The program recognizes
outstanding individuals early in their graduate training, providing three years of support for students who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education.
“This is a highly prestigious award designed to recognize and support outstanding graduate students that are expected to have high levels of success in their future careers. 42 Nobel Prize winners received GRFPs,” said Director of Graduate Studies Jim Van de Ven. “We congratulate these students on their research achievements and vision.”
Frontera Fellowship Goes to ME Student
ME PhD candidate Hongyuan Zhang is one of four fellows chosen across the U.S. to compute on the most powerful academic supercomputer in the world.
The Frontera Computational Science Fellowship, administered by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin, provides a year-long opportunity for talented graduate students to use TACC’s supercomputer
alongside leading experts. Only four students are selected in the U.S. per year from all STEM fields.
6 ME News Fall 2021
Credit: Texas Advanced Computing Center