A faculty mentor and two exceptional Ivy Tech student researchers driving the 2026 program.
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| Aakash Gupta, PhD Department Chair Engineering & Green2Gold Faculty Mentor |
Skye Warren Piston Analysis Lead Student Researcher |
Teagan Bensheimer Connecting Rod Analysis Lead Student Researcher |
| Dr. Gupta is the founder and faculty mentor of the Summer Engineering Research Experience. He holds a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, where his dissertation developed a novel Equivalent Static Displacement method for topology optimization of multibody systems under dynamic loading. He also serves as a System Validation Leader at Cummins Inc. | Skye leads the piston side of the 2026 project — from geometry setup and loading conditions through multi-load, duty-cycle ESD topology optimization and results interpretation. He is focusing on a probabilistic approach for engine duty-cycle topology optimization. | Teagan leads the connecting rod analysis — geometry, loading conditions, and multi-load, duty-cycle ESD topology optimization, with a focus on inertial loading and structural response. He is focusing on stress-constraint-based fatigue topology optimization. |