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FutureME Mini-Talks

IDETC/CIE/AM3D

Electric. Mitchell holds a BS in mechanical engineering from NC State The next portion of the program will be held in room 217D, for
University (2009). He enjoys spending time with his wife, his two dogs, the Student Networking Social and Team Design Competition
and striking out in church league softball.

An Incredible Ever-Shrinking World

Chris Sharp, PhD Candidate, Oregon State University
Effective networking is recognized as being of great
importance for remaining relevant in one’s professional
field. With technological advancements making the
world we live in feel smaller, the increased access to varying cultures and
ideas makes it necessary to include an international component to one’s
professional network. However, creating an international network can be
daunting given large geographical distances and language barriers.
Through international conferences, peer interaction, online
communication services, and perseverance, one will find that being part
of an international community supports greater creative thought and
betters one as an individual through exposure to a varied array of people
and their ideas. This talk highlights personal anecdotes about how an
international network can be created and the benefits that have come
from such a network.
Presenter Biography: A PhD Candidate at Oregon State University in
Corvallis, Oregon, Chris Sharp is pursuing a degree in mechanical
engineering with a research focus in ocean wave energy. Chris graduated
in 2012 from the University of New Mexico with a degree in mechanical
engineering and applied mathematics and obtained a MS in mechanical
engineering in 2015 from Oregon State University with an emphasis in
renewable energy and engineering design.
For his PhD, Chris is pursuing research in the creation of a tool which
suggests optimal arrangements for wave energy converter (WEC) arrays.
This tool will take into consideration WEC economics, power output, and
eventually, environmental/social impacts. The output will be array layout
suggestions that minimize cost, minimize negative environmental/social
impacts, and maximize power. At this stage, preliminary results have been
obtained from a novel, real-coded genetic algorithm using a simplified
device geometry.

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