Sathyan Subbiah

[Ph.D. ME 2006]
Assistant Professor
School of MAE
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore

E-mail: sathyans@ntu.edu.sg

I had applied to three top ranked universities in 2002. I must say that the Woodruff School at Georgia Tech made me feel more welcome than the others. The School gave me a chance to visit the campus and get a feel for the graduate program. During this visit I was impressed by the graduate program and the faculty I met. The high reputation of the School combined with the excellent faculty working in different areas that enabled me to find a good match to my research interests, were probably the prime reasons why I ended up choosing Georgia Tech.

I was more leaning toward an academic career during the time I spent at the Woodruff School. I am in one now as I am writing this. From this perspective, the graduate experience at the Woodruff School prepared me in many ways. The strong Ph.D. qualifying examination procedure really forced in me a basic understanding of the core mechanical engineering subjects. The rigorous, thorough, and quality research methods adopted by the faculty gave me good problem solving skills. The excellent facility and support staff at the School enabled to me acquire a wide range of hands-on experiences. The strong liaison of the faculty and various research centers with industry gave me an understanding of industrial needs.

The undergraduate tutoring programs at the School gave me a small flavor of what teaching could be like. In addition, the Teaching Practicum class that every PhD student had to go through at the School reinforced in my choice of an academic career. The graduate students association (MEGA) also provided me the flexibility and resources to conduct panel discussions to explore research in general and choice of an academic career.

The requirements to qualify as a Ph.D. candidate, the excellent research facilities, top-grade faculty and students are the major strengths of the Woodruff School graduate program.

Based on my interaction with faculty in the course of attending classes, interacting with some related to my research, I can say that most of the faculty at the Woodruff School are among the researchers world-wide leading the frontiers of their technology areas. The students at the Woodruff School come from various parts of the world and bring with them academic and learning experiences that enrich the student community. The graduate program at the Woodruff School really prepares a student for life-long problem solving, be it in academia or the industry. Even business consulting firms were seeking Ph.D. candidates from the Woodruff School. The facilities and opportunities are excellent in terms of research, teaching/learning, and personal development.