Model Research Presentations by Graduate Students 

The research presentations on this page are model talks given by graduate students. All presentations follow the assertion-evidence approach. Although the audiences for these films are students at Penn State, all of these presentations arose from talks given either to professionals in industry or to attendees of research conferences.

Jacob Snyder, a PhD student in mechanical engineering from Penn State, gives a research presentation about the effect of the build direction on tolerances of additively manufactured microchannels in a gas turbine engines. Jacob works for Professor Karen Thole in the Penn State START Laboratory.

Michelle Kehs, a PhD student in mechanical engineering from Penn State, gives a research talk on the optimized control of a buoyant wind turbine. Such turbines operate hundreds of meters in the atmosphere where the wind currents are stronger. Michelle studies in the laboratory of Professor Hosam Fathy. (Handout)

Kathryn Kirsch, a PhD student in mechanical engineering from Penn State, discusses the application of additive manufacturing (AM) to blades in gas turbine engines. Kathryn works for Professor Karen Thole in the Penn State START Laboratory. Kathryn recently won best paper awards at an IGTI Conference (Heat Transfer Division) and an AIAA Conference (Bet Paper Overall). (Handout)

Shawn Siroka, a PhD student in mechanical engineering from Penn State, makes a pitch for the gas turbine facility named START: Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine. Shawn works for Professor Karen Thole.