Statement of Purpose Shravya Donkada - Applying to Master’s program in Structural Engineering at Cornell University
Motivation
“It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.” likewise.” - Johann Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I remember the day as if it were were yesterday yesterday.. During During my first year year in Universit University y, I built a bridge from scratch using paper cardboard, match sticks and thread. First, I constructed the piers using match sticks and thread and then connected the cardboard deck with the piers using thread at multiple locations along its length.“Wow, I want to do this for a career!”- I exclaimed as I saw the bridge bear the weight of four water bottles ( 4kgs). 4kgs). While I realized intuitivel intuitively y that a complex version version of this elementary elementary model model could could achiev achievee much much,, at the time I had no real real idea idea what. what. No Now, w, four four years years later, later, I know know that that Structural Engineering makes possible a plethora of engineering marvels, from a simple foot bridge to the world’s tallest skyscraper. It still seems like magic. Or rather, a grand adventure - one that I most certainly want to be part of. ∼
Since childhood, I was fascinated by the gigantic structures, be it skyscrapers, bridges or dams that stood by boldly against nature and time. I grew up wondering wondering how man could create such such marvels, marvels, when I found the solution to my puzzles - ‘Civil Engineering’. Since then I drew my attention to how I could be a part of this magnificent field and worked arduously to get to the first step of the ladder to my Career path - I stood among the top the top 0.6% of 0.6% of the 300,000 students who took the IIT Joint Entrance Examination and opted for B.T B.Tech Program in Civil Engineering at Engineering at the Indian Indian Instit Institute ute of Techno echnology logy Madras (IIT Madras (IIT Madras). I was also awarded the Central the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Merit scholarship for scholarship for the year 2006 for my exceptional performance in All India Engineering Entrance Examination taken by about one million students across the country. Thus began the journey in realizing my dream. Academic Background
Undergraduation at IIT Madras has been an exciting experience, providing an opportunity for intellectual stimulation stimulation and growth growth in the form of various various academic academic projects and labs. I have taken taken up projects in the fields of Construction Construction Management, Management, Water Water Resources Engineering Engineering and Structural Structural Engineering. Engineering. I was awestruck by the simplicity of the construction of the Tensegrity tower in my University campus which which was the tallest of its kind in Asia. I then realized realized Structural Structural Engineering Engineering gives ample opportunity opportunity to human human creativity creativity and forms the backbone of any construction construction.. My interest interest towards towards Structural Structural Engineering can be attributed to the challenges posed by the field, involving logical thinking, mathematical analys analysis is and imag imagina ination tion,, the very very areas areas I enjoy enjoy the most. most. I still still remem remember ber the adrena adrenalin lin rush I felt felt when I first saw Santiago saw Santiago Calatrava’s Calatrava’s creations. creations. I wondered wondered what the element element was that connected connected his imagination to reality, only to realize that anything can be made possible with Structural Engineering. Since then, I directed every step towards building my foundations in this very field. The exhaustive and exacting nature of undergraduation at IIT Madras has provided me with a strong multifarious background for pursuing graduate studies. I took courses like Advanced Structural Analysis, Mechanics Mechanics of Materials, Materials, Structural Structural Steel Design, Design, Design Design of Reinforce Reinforced d Concrete Concrete Structural Structural Systems (includes Seismic Design) and Case Studies in Structural Engineering which further elevated my interest towards towards the field. I scored excellent excellent grades in my major theory theory courses with a GPA a GPA of 9/10. 9/10. I aals lsoo took mathematics-based courses like Probability & Stochastic Processes, Probability Methods in Civil Engineering (includes Time Series Analysis), Calculus and Differential Equations which strengthened my foundations in problem solving tools. I am taking up courses on Engineering Seismology & Hazard Assessment and Structural Dynamics next semester to further widen my exposure.
Professional Experience
Inspired by the tremendous potential that Structural Engineering has to offer to the real-world scenarios, I did a proje project ct for for Toshi Toshiba ba Pla Plant nt Sys System temss and Serv Services ices Cor Corporat poration ion in the summer of ’08. I proposed an optimal design solution for a pipe rack system at Hisar Thermal Power Plant using STAAD.Pro which was accepted and implemented for a span of 0.8km on site. In the summer of ’09,
Shravya Donkada - Applying to Master’s program in Structural Engineering at Cornell University
I worked at MoldTek Technologies where I established that there is about 57% weight saving in a Pre-Engineered Building as compared to the corresponding conventional structure using Metal Building Software, receiving appreciation for my work. I also interned at Semac Design Consultancy this summer where I designed the Yogi Vemana University being built in India using ETABS software. Each of my internships have made a significant contribution to the industry, inculcating team spirit in me and further nourishing my interest towards Structural Engineering. Thus I chose to do my undergraduate thesis work in this field. B.Tech Thesis Project
I am currently working on the Optimal Design of Reinforced Concrete Retaining Wall, an undergraduate thesis project under Professor Devdas Menon of the Department of Structural Engineering, IIT Madras. The objective of the project is to arrive at a cost-effective optimal retaining wall design for a required height. Three codes are being constructed for cantilever retaining wall, counterfort retaining wall and retaining wall with relieving platforms using Genetic Algorithms which will provide an optimal design output. This project is being done for the first time in India and has ample scope for three technical paper publications at the end of my fourth year.
Objective
My exposure to the field of structures till date left me with an ever-growing zeal to explore this field to a greater detail. My zeal to achieve the best graduate education in this field further reinforces my decision to pursue Master’s Program at the Cornell University. I plan to pursue Ph.D. soon after my Master’s. The reason behind this decision is transparent - Structural Engineering being a vast field in itself opens the gateway to various spectacular paths, viz. earthquake engineering, structural health monitoring, probabilistic structural design, structural optimization and so on. Master’s program provides an opportunity to explore the finer aspects of Structural Engineering and thus a basis for the choice of specialization in Ph.D. Within the next ten years, I would want to become an essential part of a construction organization wherein people would approach me for my opinions. I want to work towards becoming the expert that others rely upon.
Research
The high quality pioneering research being done at the Cornell University is a highly compelling factor which drives me to be a part of this program and this University. I can closely relate my interests to Professor Phaedon-Stelios Koutsourelakis’s research interests in the fields of probabilistic models and stochastic simulations which is not only intriguing but also challenging and I would love to be a part of it. I have been enthusiastic about simulations ever since I took up a course on computer simulations in my seventh semester due to its tremendous potential and applications in almost every realm. I have a strong background in probability as well. Also, I worked on coding a design optimization problem with large number of design variables for my undergraduate thesis. I am also interested in Professor Wilkins Aquino’s and Professor Christopher J. Earls’s research interests in structural health monitoring which plays an important role in the safety of structures in day-to-day life. I believe that my expertise in Dynamic Optimization, Computer Simulations, Stochastics and Engineering Mechanics would be helpful to this particular research area. Professor Mircea D. Grigoriu’s research in assessing the life-cycle seismic performance of realistic structural systems is another one of those intellectually stimulating areas. In fact, I am so propelled to be a part of this research that I am exclusively taking up courses on Engineering Seismology & Hazard Assessment and Structural Dynamics in my final undergraduate semester just to gain some prior exposure to the field.
Interest
Conclusion
I feel that Cornell University with its rich blend of competent faculty, intense curriculum, and cherished history of success, state of the art laboratories and multi ethnic diversity among students would be the ideal place to shape my career. I am aware of the challenges and hardships of graduate research and am confident that my commitment, sincerity and passion will guide me through it successfully. I believe that my research experience coupled with professional exposure would enable me to excel in my graduate studies and contribute productively to the research being undertaken in your University. I thank you for your patience in perusing this essay. I hope that my application for admission for Fall 2010 with full financial assistance will be considered favorably.