Welcome to Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Louisiana State University Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Symposium is an annual exchange of ideas and research in the different areas of Mechanical Engineering.  The symposium is aimed at bringing the Mechanical Engineering graduate students together for a day of research presentations to foster cross-disciplinary discussions and collaboration.  The opportunity to  present current research in mechanical engineering is being offered to all master's and doctoral students planning to graduate in 2003.  This conference is being organized by the graduate students and faculty of Mechanical Engineering Department of Louisiana State University.

Kumar V. Singh, Rakesh K. Behera and Ryan T. Hebert,
Graduate Student Co-Chairs
     

Message from the Chair

This volume contains the abstracts for the second Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Conference held at LSU.  Our first such conference was held last year.  Research was clearly presented and explained, and the research itself was of fine caliber.  Overall, in my thirty plus years of attending conferences, I have never attended a better set of presentations.  I wish this year’s presenters the best of luck as they strive to attain such high standards.

 The efforts of Mechanical Engineering students in organizing the first conference was also of the highest standards.  From all accounts to date, this year’s conference should at least match last in terms of organization.  My congratulations to all involved and especially to those students who took leading roles in this regard: Kumar Singh, Rakesh Bahera, and Ryan Hebert.  While it is clear that graduate students are principally responsible for the conference, I am sure those involved also appreciate the help given them by faculty, notably by Professors Keith Gonthier, Srinath Ekkad and Dorel Moldovan.

What is new, and especially pleasing, about this year’s conference is graduate student participation from a neighboring institute, Louisiana Tech.  All of us here at LSU welcome the Louisiana Tech participants, and look forward to exchanging research ideas.

Heres to good research and clear presentations.

Glenn Sinclair