Two 2013 Spring ME PhD Student Positions Available @ Missouri S&T

Two openings for Ph.D. studies are available in Dr. Xiaoping Du’s group in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla). The research will be in engineering design, focusing on reliability-based design, multidisciplinary design optimization, and probabilistic methodologies. Potential applications include mechanical systems, wind/hydrokinetic turbines, and structural systems. The students will receive rigorous training and intensive interactions with his/her academic advisor.

The estimated annual stipend is approximately $23,000 with the out-of-state tuition waived. The annual in-state tuition, approximately $6,000, for fall and spring semesters, may be partially or completely waived based on quality and performance. (Even without the waiver of in-state tuition, the stipend level would still be sufficient given the low living expenses in Rolla.) The financial support may be in the form of GRA or combination of GRA and GTA. The minimal requirements are as follows:

·         Self-motivated, independent, responsible, and hard working

·         Willing to make contributions to the research field involved

·         An earned MS degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related area

·         Strong background in mathematics

·         Satisfaction of the following:

§ A minimum GRE quantitative score of 155

§ A minimum GRE quantitative + verbal score of 302

§ A minimum GRE analytical writing score of 3.5

§ A TOEFL score of at least 88 (IBT); see more information at

http://mae.mst.edu/academicprograms/graddegree/phdmechanicalengineering

The following skills are a definite plus:

·         Skills in using probability, statistics, and optimization

·         Publication writing experience

·         Familiarity with Matlab and CAD/CAE software

Sources of more information are below.

·         For research, http://web.mst.edu/~dux

·         About how a PhD student in the research group would be, contact Dr. Du’s current Ph.D. student, Mr. Zhen Hu, at zh4hd@mst.edu

·         For living expenses in Rolla, contact Mr. Zhen Hu at zh4hd@mst.edu or read http://cssa.mst.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/MST2011-Guide_V1.pdf

If you are interested, please send your CV and other relevant materials to Dr. Du at dux@mst.edu.