Q: Can you tell us a little about your background?
I come from Pune, India; a city close to Mumbai (Bombay). I completed my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Pune.
Q: Why did you decide to attend the University of Cincinnati?
I wanted to come to the United States to earn a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in NVH. I had interest in structural dynamics and mechanics, and I found the University of Cincinnati to be one of the pioneers in the research in this domain. I became interested in the history of SDRC and its close relation to the university.
Q: How many places have you been a co-op / intern?
In the US, only at 6D. I have interned at a start-up company in Pune. There I helped design a few components for an ‘Olympic rifle shooting’ training and analysis system.
Q: Talk about your experience with 6D… how was it different from other internships?
I had a great experience at 6D. Apart from the regular engineering experience, I got to learn project management and customer interaction. I was the main point of contact for a few projects. I was also able to materialize testing and analysis procedures to provide viable solutions to clients. I generated and presented technical reports.
Q: What are some of the things you learned while working at 6D?
Data acquisition, remote testing, setup for tests, static and dynamic testing and analysis, automated analysis, and torsional analysis. I also developed routines for automated processing of large sets of data, client interaction, making proposals and reports.
Q: How was your experience in working at 6D; did you like it?
It was great! The work culture is really nice and everyone is very polite and welcoming. They put a lot of confidence in me and helped me gain vital experience rather than just limiting me to engineering work. It was enjoyable and extremely helpful. I also got a chance to travel. Work took me to Chicago, Indiana and Georgia.
Q: How will what you learned at 6D help you to become a better engineer?
Engineering is never limited to theoretical knowledge. You need to improvise, understand and find a feasible solution while considering the cost of the project. I was able to experience how real-life testing differs from lab. Analyzing and processing data is easy, finding the conclusions is where the real expertise lies; and I was able to experience it. It also polished my interaction skills and working as a team member not only with 6D but also with the clients and the engineers at the client site. Being flexible and adjusting to situations is also a very important skill I learnt, and it can’t be taught in class.