Doctoral Student Earns National Science Foundation Award

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Venkatesh Venkataramanujam, a Florida Tech doctoral student in mechanical engineering, has won a $1,250 National Science Foundation (NSF)
travel grant in the NSF/ASME Design Essay Competition. The ASME is the American Society for Mechanical Engineers.

Venkataramanujam earned the award in the 2007 NSF/ASME Design Essay competition. The funding will allow him to attend the 2007 ASME International Design
Engineering Technical Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., Sept. 4-7.

The competition required entrants to write an essay on the topic, “A Scientific Formalism for Product Realization for a Global Manufacturing Enterprise.”
Venkataramanujam won for his essay, “Customerization in 2030: A Vision for the Premier Global Manufacturing Enterprise.”
Venkataramanujam conducts his research in Florida Tech’s Robotics and Spatial Systems Laboratory. His advisor is Dr. Pierre Larochelle, professor of
mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Florida Tech offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanic engineering and aerospace engineering. The academic year starts on Aug. 20.