IME graduate students Anil Kumar and Jai Thomas have earned All-University Graduate awards. They are part of a select group of 20 who were recently honored by the Graduate College in a Bernhard Center ceremony.
Anil Kumar, a doctoral student and a research scientist in IME’s Human Performance Institute, was honored with one of eight Graduate Research and Creative Scholar Awards for his chair research. In a 10-minute presentation at the awards ceremony, Kumar presented “snippets from the chair study” that he’s been working on for about two and a half years.
Specializing in biomechanics and ergonomics, Kumar has participated on biomechanical projects involving the Anil Kumar (right) runs tests on a seat with grad student Supreeta Amin evaluation of EMS personnel, labor and delivery nurses, lifting during manual material handling, and the ergonomics of hand tools. Kumar has also managed research projects that have considered human factors and cognitive usability issues related to task chair seating. He has numerous publications and presentations.
Kumar’s dissertation and chair research involved Haworth Company, which has provided support for him. He has already influenced product design and been invited to establish protocols in this area. His other research endeavors were for Stryker Medical and Bronson Methodist Hospital.
Kumar earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pune in India. He came to WMU in 2002 from Wichita State University in Kansas where he had earned a MS in Industrial Engineering with emphasis on ergonomics. Following the completion of his dissertation, Kumar plans to seek a tenure-track academic position and continue his research in seating and ergonomics.
Jai Thomas is an IME doctoral student who has served as a secondary instructor for four years in many courses, including descriptive geometry, introduction to CAD, CAD applications, and CAD programming. He received one of 12 Graduate Student Teaching Effectiveness Award. “My teaching experience at Western has been very rewarding and encouraging,” he said.
The engineering technology courses that he teaches are particularly difficult because they require the use of tools that are constantly being updated and the understanding of underlying concepts.
Thomas said he reinforces theory with practical and real-life examples and motivates students to do well, encourages “independent thinking,” and makes students “work more to learn more.” In evaluations, students describe his presentation of the material as “excellent.”
He said he was impressed by the IME faculty’s “dedication to making students think” in the classroom. “I would like to pass on that dedication to the students,” he said.
After earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pune, Thomas came to WMU in 2001. He plans to earn his Ph.D. with a specialty in brake-hose modeling by December 2007.
Kumar and Thomas were also unanimously selected by the IME faculty as the department’s recipients of their respective awards. Kumar was nominated and supported respectively by Drs. Tycho Fredericks and Steve Butt. Thomas’ nomination and support was provided respectively by Drs. Mitchel Keil and Jorge Rodriguez. Both received letters of recommendation from IME Chair Dr. Paul Engelmann.
A total of 59 grad students competed for the university awards. The grad students received news of the awards via email. In the 21 years that the research and creative scholar award has been offered, 565 grad students have earned the award, and in the eight years that the graduate teaching award has been made, 225 grad students have been recognized.
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