Statement of Purpose- Civil Engineering

SOP 1: Technology has changed the face of Civil Engineering is the last two decades. The most visible impact of this is in the area of application of Information Technology to the traditional fields of Engineering Design and Construction. Emerging technologies and principles of E-commerce have today become integral parts of the working of the construction industry. I am greatly fascinated by the complexity of modern day construction that necessitates the application of tools of Information Technology at every stage of design, construction and management of projects. It is in such challenging areas that I want to make fundamental contributions. I hail from a family of medical professionals, and this has ingrained in me a strong inclination to pursue a career in the professional service sector. The Engineering profession was a natural choice considering the firm grounding in mathematics and sciences that I received during my school education. IIT JEE 98, the joint entrance exam for the Indian Institutes of Technology, saw me qualify within the top 1.5% out of more than 100,000 aspirants. I chose Civil Engineering as my major because it seemed to encompass all facets of my interests. The course structure offered by the Civil Engineering department at IIT Madras has indeed given me a broad perspective and my understanding of the subject has received tremendous fillips.

Among all the branches of Civil Engineering, Computer Aided Engineering has caught my imagination the most. Computer Aided Engineering aims for a synergy between various domains of Engineering Design and Construction and this I find extremely exciting. The applications of this field are all pervading and have touched every segment of civil engineering. By virtue of being industry oriented in its applications, the field also offers the researcher plenty of opportunities to do high impact work of the best quality.

As part of the undergraduate curriculum, I have been exposed to Computer techniques with the courses, Introduction to Computing and Computer Methods in Civil Engineering. These courses have given me a sound grasp of the fundamentals of programming and the application of these techniques to Civil Engineering. I gained valuable exposure to object oriented programming while working on a mini project to develop interactive software for the design of steel columns. I have done a course, Advanced Structural Analysis, which has given me valuable exposure to matrix methods for structural analysis and its application. I have gained useful knowledge of decision-making tools and also honed my computer skills with the course, GIS in Civil Engineering. As part of this course I worked on a mini-project to identify locations for rain water harvesting in the campus of IIT Madras. This required me to collect data on topography, drainage pattern, soil characteristics within the campus and integrate them into the GIS database. Next stage was to identify the ideal locations for locating the recharge pits and sumps. PC Arc Info software was used for analysis and SML was used to customize the interface for user inputs.

As part of my B Tech Project, I am working to develop "Cost models for low cost housing". The challenges of developing a methodology for selecting and evaluating costeffective technologies are multifold. It has required me to develop a deep understanding of the socio-economic forces at work, collect exhaustive data on housing projects and develop an interactive set-up for decision making. I am presently working to apply the concept of a statistically generated pre-design cost estimation function to the cost model. The cost model

is to be a computer application in Visual Basic that will combine features of spreadsheets and data bases.

Backed by the experiences from these projects, I am now confident of my ability to work independently and in a team. I have also found that I have good aptitude and a love for basic research. With regard to these projects and otherwise, I have made numerous presentations and feel confident of my abilities to articulate ideas well. My student life at IIT Madras has also provided me with a wealth of opportunities to hone my leadership and organizational skills. I have been the organizing coordinator for the Debate and Quiz competitions in SAARANG, the cultural festival of IIT Madras and also the Secretary of the Civil Engineering Association of IIT Madras. My tenure as the Hostel Literary Secretary allowed me to show initiative and motivate my fellow hostel mates. That we won the highly competitive literary and cultural competition at IIT Madras has made me confident of handling responsibility and reassured me of my ability to deliver under pressure. I am sure that I will be able to translate these experiences into substantial assets when pursuing graduate studies. The coursework I have completed along with the experience I derived from my project work have not only given me an insight into my areas of interest but also the confidence to pursue them. I now feel the need for a good graduate program that will assist me in deepening this insight and broadening my knowledge base.

My interest in Computer Aided Engineering makes North Carolina State Universitymy foremost choice. The top class research work that the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering produces is clearly indicative of the superlative research ambience and the excellent quality of facilities. There are few universities where one can pursue work in core as well as interface areas of Civil Engineering. In my view,North Carolina State University is without equal in this respect because of its distinguished faculty and the active involvement of industry in its research programs. It is my belief that as a student I need as much exposure as I can get and am quite convinced that undertaking graduate study in North Carolina State Universitywould be a very rewarding experience.

I look forward to a long and fruitful association with North Carolina StateUniversity.

SOP 2: My past intellectual pursuit for infrastructure constructions can be traced to the days when I used to observe the high rise buildings being constructed on my way home from school . For some reason , I always got transfixed at the sight of the construction staff running around with their hard hats , clutching the blue prints of the building in their arms while others are busily laying the foundations of an extensively designed structure . This pursuit of mine sustained by the time I started reading history books during my high school years . Somehow , whenever I flipped the pages of history books , I came to realize how powerful civil engineering is in affecting social and economic changes . From desolated small villages laden with primitive huts constructed out of woods and dried leaves , communities started to become sizeable urban towns complete with bridges , irrigations , airports , terminals , and skyscrapers made out of materials that are strong enough to stand for long periods of time . In to reinforce my dream of becoming a faction of those people who spearheaded such global urbanization , I decided that my scientific discipline would be focused on civil engineering During the onset of my undergraduate program , I initially took up an associate of arts degree focused in Liberal Arts . From there , I managed to have a broad introduction in various fields of sciences that became my basic foundation to envision myself in completing a bachelor 's degree that would continue my desire to become a successful engineer . To strengthen what I have already started , I took up another course which I viewed as a good head start for me to complete my objectives Construction engineering management with an emphasis on facility management reflects my desire to reap all the possible knowledge about my chosen field . The education I received from my professors covered all the important aspects of construction management . My plans for academic development and the objectives I have outlined in to achieve success paid off because I am about to graduate this fall . I am proud of what I have achieved because I believe that the academic landscape of California State University Long Beach is highly competitive and profound Apart from the education I have acquired from the books and my professors , I have also practical work experiences that I believe have prepared me for making an immediate contribution for my master 's education in civil engineering . Having interned as a field engineer and project rec and having a strong background as a CAD drafter and computer technician , I understood and became accomplished at various logical fields that would significantly intensify my knowledge and skills in civil engineering and would contribute for my future success I also became familiar with diverse office electronics and peripherals and have a strong capability for troubleshooting and setting up electronic equipments that are needed for managing construction designs My

practical experiences have also shaped my communication skills and reinforced my ability to relate with people.

SOP 3: The belief that an education is most valuable when it is used to serve one’s community has been instilled in me. This conviction and a natural aptitude for science and mathematics convinced me civil engineering was the most fitting career for me. In fact, they continue to be the driving forces in my pursuit of academic excellence as a senior at the University of Missouri (MU). I desire a degree in civil engineering not only because it is the most fulfilling way I can exercise my natural talents as a scholar, but because it also gives me the opportunity to solve challenges directly impacting my community. Upon receiving my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, I plan to continue my education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering in the Geotechnical specialty. My interest in geotechnical engineering was sparked by topics such as the theory of consolidation, shear strength, and ground improvement methods introduced to me in my fundamentals of soil mechanics course. It was further cultivated when I began attending seminars presented by the geotechnical engineering program and participating in undergraduate research. I am interested in a broad range of topics including ground improvement methods, earthworks, and seismic response and would like to further my knowledge of concepts similar to these through my graduate program of study. During my four years at the University of Missouri, I have gained the qualifications and work ethic necessary to be a successful graduate student. These characteristics are exemplified by my contributions as an undergraduate research assistant in the geotechnical engineering program at MU. I began conducting research during the summer of 2008 with Dr. Greg Greene and have worked on projects focusing on driven pile foundations and slope stability. Currently I am aiding in the development of shear strength resistance factors for Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) methods for slope stability. The goal of this project is to convert the traditional Allowable Stress Design methods currently employed by the Missouri Department of Transportation to the more efficient LRFD methods. This will ensure appropriate levels of reliability across slope designs as well as reduce slope construction expenditures by eliminating overconservatism. Conducting research has required me to extend my knowledge of geotechnical engineering and statistical concepts which I have not been taught in undergraduate courses. It has given me experience with geotechnical lab testing, large scale lab experiments, field work, and probabilistic geotechnical software. Being an active undergraduate researcher has held me to a level of responsibility and accountability similar to what I expect to encounter in graduate school. Lastly, as a Master’s student my goal is to make a direct contribution to the growth and advancement of the field of geotechnical engineering through my research and studies. Following graduate school, I would like to establish a consulting career specializing in geotechnical engineering. In this position, I will utilize the knowledge and problem solving skills I have developed as a student to provide solutions to a vast array of geotechnical engineering challenges. After gaining essential professional experience, I want to acquire my Professional Engineer license. It is my goal to use my expertise to provide innovations to the field of geotechnical engineering and more importantly serve the public in a practical way.