Akshay Shankar

Curriculum Vitae

729 Escondido Rd. #202

Stanford, CA 94305
H +1-267-252-7790
B akshayshankar15@gmail.com
Website : www.akshayshankar.weebly.com

Education
Sept 2015 M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
Present Expected graduation period : March 2017, Current GPA : 3.89/4.0
Aug 2011 B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United
May 2015 States.
Cumulative GPA : 4.0/4.0
Relevant Coursework : Mechatronics, Vehicle Dynamics, Artificial Intelligence, Theory
and design of active control systems, 3D Modelling, Viscous Laminar & Turbulent flows, Jet
Engine Thermodynamics, Design of Rocket Propulsion Systems, Aerospace Structure Analysis
(using FEM), Numerical Estimation and Celestial Mechanics.

Work Experience
Summer 2016 Fossil Group, Burlingame, California.
Firmware Intern
Worked on the firmware development for time telling, animations and features like stopwatch, alarm, 24 hrs. and notifications for next generation of hybrid smart watches for 8 different
brands released in the Fall Quarter of 2016.

Spring 2016 Stanford Mechanical Engineering Department, Stanford, California.

Course Assistant and Grader
Evaluation of projects and labs for Stanfords Sensors course (ME220) consisting of 65
students across various fields of engineering.

Fall 2014 Texas A&M Athletics Department, College Station, Texas.

Spring 2015 Academic Tutor
Tutored 15+ Texas A&M athletes throughout the 2014-15 academic year in beginner
and advanced Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Math Courses.

Spring 2014 Texas A&M Aerospace Engineering, College Station, Texas.

Learning Assistant and Grader
Worked with 50 students on Numerical Methods and Estimation using C++ (AERO
320).

Summer 2013 AirWorks CMRO, Bangalore, India.

Intern
Assisted with restoration of wing leading edge for ATR-42 aircraft.

Project Experience
Winter 2016 Team Chiron High Speed Autonomous Robot.
Built an autonomous robot capable of sensing and acting according to magnetic fields, IR
radiation and optical sensing in 4 weeks. I was primarily responsible for all circuit design,
construction & troubleshooting nad making the state charts for performing all required tasks.

Fall 2015 Making an Arcade Game Machine to Promote Saving Water.

Made an arcade game controlled by a Tiva 20 Microcontroller from scratch in 2.5 weeks. I was
primarily responsible for programming the audio and light effects on the bucket as well as the
non-contact sensing employed in the machine.

Spring 2015 Construction of Scaled Personal Light Aircraft (DYEL GR-1).

Construction of remote controlled scaled version of personal light aircraft utilizing skills like
machining, 3D printing, laser cutting etc. For our plane, I worked on the batteries, electronics,
longitudinal and lateral stability as well as motor and propeller sizing and connections. Date of
Flight : 28th April 2015

Fall 2014 Complete Design of Full Scale Personal Light Aircraft (DYEL GR-1).
Comprehensive design of personal light aircraft capable of travelling 1800 nautical miles at a
cruise speed of 0.48 Mach at 25,000 feet. Responsible for engine and stability & control systems.
Airplane reviewed by industry professionals from Lockheed Martin & Boeing on 5 December 2014.

2013 2014 SAE AeroDesign West.

Worked on the stability & control systems for a RC aircraft capable of lifting 30 lbs. payload
under strict design parameters by SAE.

Spring 2015 Reverse Engineering and Fuel Analysis of the Rocketdyne F-1 Engine.
The aim of this project was to understand why the F-1 was designed the way it was and what
possible improvements could be made on it in regards to the current technology.

Fall 2014 MATLAB Program for Finite Element Analysis.

Creation of MATLAB program using p = 1 and p = 2 Finite Element Method to map
temperatures within pipes and annuli.

Research Experience
Fall 2013 Retrograde Properties of Fuel Mixtures.
Fall 2014 Worked with Dr. Adonios Karpetis from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M
University to understand and utilize the retrograde behavior of fuel mixtures to our advantage
using non-linear equations of state.

Honors
Spring
Fall
Spring
2013
2013
Spring
2012

2015
2014
2014
2014
2014
2013
2013

2015 Class of Whos Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges Member
Craig Brown Outstanding Senior Engineer Award Finalist, Texas A&M University
1st place SAE Aero Design West Competition, Regular Class
Outstanding Academic Junior, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets
Boeing Company Scholarship, Texas A&M University
Eppright Outstanding International Student Award, Texas A&M University
Deans Student Award and Honor Roll Recipient, Texas A&M University

Computer & Other Skills

Programming C++, C, Python

Typography LATEX through LYX

Scientific MATLAB, LabVIEW

CAD Solidworks, AutoCAD, Inventor

Other 3D Printing, Machining, Laser Cutting, Circuit Design and Debugging

Activities and Membership

2014 2015 Sigma Gamma Tau, Texas A&M University Chapter.
National Honor Society in Aerospace Engineering, Tutoring Chair
Responsible for organizing tutoring and exam review sessions for the sophomore and junior classes of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University.

2012 2015 Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M University.

Senior Military Training Organization, Squadron 18 Training Officer
Responsible for the physical and mental training of 120 cadets over a span of 3 years
for the United States Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.

2013 2014 Texas A&M SAE Aero Design Team.

Stability and Control Division
Came in 1st overall amongst 33 universities from 5 different countries for the 2013-2014
year. 1st in Technical Presentation and 2nd in Technical Report and Maximum payload lifted.

Spring 2012 MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow, Texas A&M University.

Counselor, Student Leaders of Tomorrow Conference
Provided training and guidance to 200+ high school students who came to Texas A&M
to learn more about leadership.

Volunteer Work
Fall 2014 Replant, Texas A&M University.
Leader of a 6 member team that helped in the reforestation of the Bryan-College Station area.

Summer 2013 Unpaid Tutoring for Buddhist Nuns at LNA, Leh, India.
Tutored Ladakhi Nuns in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics due to their limited access to
ideal educational facilities.

Winter 2011 Big Service Trip, MSC ALOT.

Participated in a 4 day community service trip in Pasadena, TX with LINC, Houston.

Fall 2011 Talent for the Cure.

Helped in organizing Talent for the Cure at Texas A&M to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes
Research.

Last Updated : 24 September 2016