The document is an application letter from Thuruthimattam Biju James to UNIV for admission to the M.S. program in the department of Structural Mechanics with a specialization in composite materials. He discusses his academic background, areas of interest in structural mechanics and composite materials, career objectives of pursuing research and a Ph.D., and reasons for choosing UNIV's program which is highly regarded in structural mechanics.
The document is an application letter from Thuruthimattam Biju James to UNIV for admission to the M.S. program in the department of Structural Mechanics with a specialization in composite materials. He discusses his academic background, areas of interest in structural mechanics and composite materials, career objectives of pursuing research and a Ph.D., and reasons for choosing UNIV's program which is highly regarded in structural mechanics.
The document is an application letter from Thuruthimattam Biju James to UNIV for admission to the M.S. program in the department of Structural Mechanics with a specialization in composite materials. He discusses his academic background, areas of interest in structural mechanics and composite materials, career objectives of pursuing research and a Ph.D., and reasons for choosing UNIV's program which is highly regarded in structural mechanics.
The document is an application letter from Thuruthimattam Biju James to UNIV for admission to the M.S. program in the department of Structural Mechanics with a specialization in composite materials. He discusses his academic background, areas of interest in structural mechanics and composite materials, career objectives of pursuing research and a Ph.D., and reasons for choosing UNIV's program which is highly regarded in structural mechanics.
I, Thuruthimattam Biju James, am applying to {UNIV} for admission to the
M.S. program in {dept} with a specialization in {\em Structural Mechanics}, with a particular interest in Composite Materials, Structural Optimization and Finite Element Modeling.
{\sc Background}\\
Since childhood, I have wanted to be a scientist. In school, I was always
at the top of my class, especially in science and mathematics. I appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination for entrance to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the premier engineering colleges in India. I obtained 99.5 percentile among 1,20,000 examinees. Having been always interested in aircraft and spacecraft, and being an avid reader of Science Fiction, I chose to take up Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay. It was here that as the extent of the disparity between my dreams and reality was driven into me, my resolve towards research hardened further.
At IIT Bombay, I was introduced to the wide expanse of Aerospace
Engineering. The core courses gave me a deep as well as broad exposure to the various fields. During my sophomore and junior years, I found myself becoming more and more interested in {\bf Structural Mechanics and Composite Materials}. I did my Seminar {Junior thesis} on {\bf System Identification Techniques in Structural Problems}, in which I compared various techniques of structural identification for their merits and demerits. I am currently doing my B.Tech. Project {Senior thesis} on the {\bf Thermo-Mechanical Analysis of 3D Woven Composites}. In this project, I have developed a computational model based on the Volume Averaging method for the prediction of the properties of orthogonally woven 3D composites, and am currently extending the model to angle-weave composites. The significance of this project lies in the fact that though 3D composites are definitely of interest to the Aerospace industry, the common modeling techniques used are either quite complex (FEM Methods) or not always applicable (Modified Classical Lamination Theory). %change the last sentence Keeping in mind that as broad a knowledge base as possible is required for a successful career in research, I have striven to go beyond my curricula. I have, of my own interest, done project work at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, on Boundary Layer Flows and Free Jets. For my practical training at the Center for Mathematical Modeling and Computer Simulation (C-MMACS), Bangalore, I developed a Neural Network software for Time Series modeling of sea-level variation.
{\sc Areas of Interest} \\
Through my undergraduate course work, I was exposed to the various fields in Aerospace Engineering and I have found that the field that I enjoy working in most is that of {\bf Structural Mechanics and Composite Materials}. In my courses, I have been exposed to static and dynamic analysis of Linear Structures and introduced to Composite Materials. Beyond these, Non- linear Structures, FEM, Structural Optimization, Smart Structures and Aeroelasticity are the other fields that interest me. %change last sentence
{\sc Career Objectives}\\
I have always excelled in an environment where innovation and creativity are encouraged. I find it really exciting to work in unexplored areas and to produce original work, which has practical significance. This can be seen in my B. Tech. Project, which is in a field where there exists a lack of open knowledge, but which is of significance to the Aerospace industry.
My long term goals as stated above are to take up research as a career.
I would like to develop myself as a researcher in multidisciplinary areas. Based on my current interests and background, I feel that I would be better at theoretical and computational work. Hence, However, I also believe that teaching is the best way to learn, and this will definitely make me an enthusiastic teacher. Hence, a decade or so from now, I visualize myself as a full fledged research professional in a premier research laboratory or as a faculty member in a leading university.
The initiation of the process of original contribution is best done by
working towards a Ph.D. I view the M.S. degree as an intermediate step in achieving this goal. Hence, I would like to take up an M.S. culminating in a Ph.D. as my immediate goal.
{\sc Choice of University} \\
The graduate program in Aerospace Engineering at {univ} is widely held to be among the best in the world, especially in the field of Structural Mechanics. I know that comprehensive knowledge and a clear understanding of fundamentals are essential to me. From your departmental brochure, I have found your breadth of graduate level courses to be quite vast. Also, your faculty has distinguished researchers in my field of interest. Hence, my aspiration to work at the frontiers of research leads me to apply to your university.
Having decided my long term goals, I am well aware of the implications. I
am aware of the kind of dedication, resilience and resolve that it calls for, and I feel that I am adequately prepared. I know that {univ} has a lot to offer me, and too, I am confident that I would be able to make a positive contribution to the on-going work at {univ}. I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with {UNIV}.