Graduate Students & UNDERGRADUATES

Current Graduate Students and Undergraduates

S. Garapati, PhD Student Dissertation Area: Delaying Onset of Pressure Wounds in a Wheelchair Bound Patient Expected Date of Graduation: August 2012.   Sri Harsha Garapati, is a doctoral student degree of Mechanical Engineering at University of South Florida (USF), Tampa. He is currently conducting research on stresses in human nates in sitting posture. He received his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from USF. During his masters degree, he completed a design of experiments study on nanoindentation of fiber-reinforced composite with nonhomogeneous interphase. He also worked as a graduate research assistant for award winning Holistic Numerical Methods website.  Before coming to USF, Sri received his bachelors degree from Acharya Nagarjuna University, India. During his bachelors degree, he worked as a student intern in organizations in India such as Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and MAXrad SOFTware. His areas of interest include Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Mechanics of Solids, and Mechanics of Composite Materials.
J. Zitko, MS Student Thesis Area: Micromechanical Models for Composite Materials Expected Date of Graduation: August 2012.   Jarret is developing micromechanical models for elastic moduli of composite materials using multiple-cell models.
A. Lambert, Undergraduate Expected Date of Graduation: May 2013.   Abigail Lambert is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics at the University of South Florida. She is currently close-captioning the audiovisual lectures for iTunes, developing a program for automatic indexing for customized books, and writing Wolfram Demos. While studying at USF, she has completed an internship in manufacturing where she focused on fabrication processes and designing with Solidworks.
D. Boston, Undergraduate Honors Students Expected Date of Graduation: May 2012.   Daniel is reprogramming the popular PROMAL program for Mechanics of Composite Materials textbook.  He is using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and it will run on the new 64-bit PC format.  Daniel is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida. He has performed research analyzing data and performing statistical regression to find relationships between physical movements and dementia. He has also interned for Southern Switch and Contacts where he drafted three-dimensional models of parts using Solidworks so they could be manufactured more quickly using a CNC machine. His areas of interest include Computer Aided Design (CAD), sustainable energy, and nanotechnology.

Graduated Students

1. V. Das, "Analysis of Interface Cracks in Composite Structures," May 1990 (MS). Employed by Intergraph, AL

2. A. Selvarathinam, "Comparison of Interphase Models in a Fracture Problem in Fiber Reinforced Composites," August 1991 (MS). Continued for Ph.D. at Clemson University; Postdoctoral work at University of Tennessee; Knoxville; Research Engineer, University of Houston, Texas; Research Scientist at Exxon Research; Research Engineer at Lockheed.

3. G. Sudhakar, "Mechanics of Multiple Cracks in Fiber Reinforced Brittle Matrix Composites," August 1992 (MS). Posthumously awarded Ph. D. from Clemson University.

4. J. Dorula, "Effect of Debonding of Fiber-Matrix Interface on Transverse Stiffness of Composites," May 1993 (MS).

5. V. Bechel, "Effect of Nonhomogeneous Interphases and Global Fiber Volume Fraction on Mechanical Behavior of Composites," August 1993 (MS). Received USF Graduate Fellowship; Received Sigma XI Master's Thesis Award; Continued Ph.D. at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Palace-Knight Scholarship; Currently Materials Research Engineer at AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

6. D. Jadhav, "Analytical Modeling of a Fiber Crack in Fiber Reinforced Composites," December 1993 (MS).

7. S. Chidambaranathan, "Fracture Mechanics of Brittle Matrix Composites with Transversely Isotropic Fibers," December 1993 (MS). Currently Lecturer in Chidambara University, India.

8. J. Ye, "Comparison of Fracture Mechanics Models with Axisymmetric and Planar Assumptions," May 1994 (MS). Received USF Graduate Fellowship Received ME Graduate Studies Award Completed Ph.D. at USF under my guidance. Currently employed by Verizon, Tampa.

9. S. Kunchithapatham, "Fracture Mechanics of Ceramic Matrix Composites with Imperfect Interfaces," May 1994 (MS).  Employed by Wipro.

10. K. Gangakhedkar, "Effect of Fiber/ Matrix Cluster Breaks in Fracture Mechanics of Composites," December 1995 (MS). Received USF Graduate Fellowship Currently employed by Phoenix Industries, CA.

11. P. Krishnan, "Finite Element Simulation of a Slice Compression Test," May 1997, (MS). Currently employed by SDRI, Ohio

12. J. Ye, "Local Interaction Effects on Fracture Mechanics of Brittle Matrix Composites," December 1998, (PhD) Currently employed by Verizon, Tampa.

13. M. Deepak, "A Computer-Aided Design Model for Fiber-Reinforced Pressure Vessels", May 1999(MS). Software Engineer blackbaud.com

14. M. Denninger, "A Computer Aided Design Tool for Bascule Bridge Trunnion Assembly", December 2000 (MS). Received USF Graduate Fellowship;  Executive MBA USF, Corporate Director, Rides & Engineering at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

15. B. Ratnam, "Analysis of Trunnion Assembly Failures in Bascule Bridges", December 2000 (MS). Received USF Graduate Fellowship; Employed by GE Welch Center, Bangalore, India.

16. S. Nichani, "Experimental Investigation of Failure of Trunnion-Hub-Girder Assemblies in Bascule Bridges", August 2001 (MS) Received USF Graduate Fellowship; Employed by Schlumberger.

17. N. Collier, "Benefits of Staged Cooling of Composite Cylinders", May 2004 (MS). Received Outstanding Masters' Thesis Award 2004; Post-Doc in KAUST.

18. M. Berlin, Innovative Procedure to Install a Trunnion-Hub Assembly Into a Bascule Bridge Girder, December 2004, MS (co-advisor); Employed by Boeing. 

19. J. Paul, "Sensitivity Analysis of Trunnion-Hub Girder Assembly Procedure", Received USF Graduate Fellowship; May 2005 (MS).  Employed by Johnson & Johnson.

20. T. Wasik, "Effect of Fiber Volume Fraction on Fracture Mechanics of Composite Materials", May 2005 (MS).

21. P. Chalasani, "Nanoindentation of Layered Materials", May 2006 (MS).  Employed by Wells Fargo.

22. C. Nguyen, "A Design of Experiments Study of Procedure for Assembling Bascule Bridge Fulcrum", May 2006 (MS).  Finished PhD at UCF.  Employed by Honeywell, Arizona.

23. J. Daly, "On Nanoindentation Tests of Thin Films", May 2007 (MS).  Employed by Pall Aerospace.

24. S. Garapati, "Nanoindentation Tests: Synergizing Experimental, Analytical and Numerical Results", May 2009 (MS).  Pursuing PhD at USF.

25. L. Snyder, "Sensitivity Analysis of Alternative Assembly Procedure in Fulcrums of Bascule Bridges", MSME May 2010. Employed by Lockheed Martin, Arkansas.

26. D. Miller, "Design and Analysis of an Innovative Semi-Flexible Hybrid Personal-Body-Armor System", MSME May 2011, Employed by Hatch Corporation.

27. S. Carballo, "Thermo-Mechanical Beam Element for Analyzing Stresses in Functionally Graded Materials", PhD August 2011, Employed by Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica (UNEXPO), Venezuela.

28. M. Rajapakse, "Physically Meaningful Harmonization of Tire/Pavement Friction Measurement Devices:, PhD (co-advisor), December 2011.  Employed by Smithers Rapra, Ohio.