Statement of Purpose of Prasanna Satyanaryan

Applying for Masters of Science (Mechanical Engineering)

For Fall 2015
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest"-Benjamin Franklin

I remember playing chess right from school days. The game was introduced to me by my father.
He told me about the Majestic Knight and how it was the only piece that could jump over other pieces.
I played most games centering on the Knight and I rarely won, which made me start to lose interest in
the game. Then one day I felt I should study the game more comprehensively which led me to decipher
the game better. Slowly but steadily results started coming in my favor and it made me believe that
"through understanding, dedication and application in any field will yield positive results ". I went on
to represent my college for 3 years in university level championships winning several times for my
college. Truly I had found a way out and also happiness in the game. This process of trying to
understand and identify the right path for me has become a habit of different choices based on my
learning and experience from the past. The same goes for my choice of pursuing Masters of Science
(MS) in Mechanical Engineering from your esteemed University.
My undergraduate course in mechanical engineering was a well thought of course. I had
inclination towards subjects like Management & Entrepreneurship and Total Quality Management. At
the start of the course I loved these topics and felt that I would be good at it as my grades were good in
these subjects. But later subjects like Modeling & Finite element methods, Material Science, Mechanics
of Composite material, and Tribology was more appealing to me. My final semester project was on
Vibration Analysis of Groundnut Shell Composite". The project involved preparation of a composite
material of groundnut shell and epoxy resin. Thorough testing and analysis of the strength of the
composite was done using the Universal Testing Machine. The data was correlated using Ansys TM by
creating the Finite Element Model of the test specimen and applying properties of the material to
analyze its strength. Half did I know that these subjects, topics and area of project work would become
a part of my career choice later.
In my final year I had opted to sit for placement as the idea of working for software firms
looked like a good idea. The reasons were two, one that it would be easier to get a job and the end
result I would get better growth prospects and better joining salary. But something in me told me that I
would just end up believing that I was happy like the few subjects mentioned before, where my marks
defined my liking. That's when I decided that I had the choice to opt out of software placements and
wait for companies where I could utilize my liking towards core Mechanical Engineering. In fact I was
among the only three students from my class who ended up getting a job in JSW Steel Limited
(Leading Steel manufacturer in India)
But I joined a design company called Promas Engineering Pvt. Ltd as a Design Intern. At the
organization my seniors were eager to help me and make me feel comfortable. They even put their
trust in me by giving me hands on experience in real-time projects. The internship really helped me
identify my liking towards CAE (Computer Aided Engineering). I used FEA tools like CATIA TM and
ANSYSTM and learned a lot on the design process of Medical Equipment like Medicine Dryer and Tablet
Counting device. The four months of rigorous work as an intern and my research habits towards the
topic made sure that very soon another engineering firm, ATG Innovations Pvt Ltd absorbed me as a
full time employee. Working as Project Engineer, I continued my learning in the field of CAE to aid my
work at office. I felt that I should switch to a bigger organization with better projects. After fifteen
months of work in ATG Innovations I joined Altair as a CAE-Consultant Engineer.
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Statement of Purpose of Prasanna Satyanaryan

Applying for Masters of Science (Mechanical Engineering)
For Fall 2015
Currently I am an employee of Altair Engineering as a CAE-Project Engineer. I am working on
deputation at General Motors in Closure Group, where I do durability analysis on doors, hoods and
liftgate of a car. The primary objective is to improve life cycle of subsystem. Working with the current
project I have used tools like Hypermesh TM, OptistructTM and AbacusTM. It is working here that I felt
that Masters degree would add a different dimension for my research acumen.
I was always interested in Science & Math which helped to participated in a many national level
competitions like Green Olympiad (by Teri-Energy and Resources Institute) and National Children's
Science Congress (by Dept of Science & Tech, Govt. of India). The idea of Community Services was
ingrained into me by my parents who have always asked me to help the underprivileged and contribute
for betterment of society. This made me take up volunteering for the National Service Scheme (NSS)
which is under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India. I had actively taken part in
Camps to build leadership and pass on the learning to rural youth. Tree planting drives and blood
donation camps were also part of my volunteer activities at NSS.
I plan to take up MS in Mechanical Engineering as it would give me a scope to develop better
understanding in the field of my work and augment my research capabilities. A Masters degree would
add a different dimension to my existing knowledge base and make me adept to face the real life and
practical challenges. Coupled with my good marks in the Mechanical Engineering subjects and my four
years of work experience makes me feel that I am suitable candidate for the pursuing my MS &
Research at your renowned University. At this juncture I realized that in life the only competition is
myself and not others. That makes me feel that I am ready to push my limits and work hard to make
sure that my area of interest in higher education is not only rewarding but also gets me suitable
research acumen. I write this Sop with the hope that your university finds my candidature worthy from
among the several hundreds of applications. Life for me has been about learning and correction, about
results and choices and I hope the journey remains meaningful because "The day I feel that I know
everything, thats the day I stop learning"-Zen Philosophy.

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