Grad Profile: Michal Osusky
Michal Osusky, UTIAS | BEng, University of Victoria, 2007 |
PhD Candidate,
University of Toronto
Affiliations
- Student member, American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Awards & Honours
- Canada Graduate Scholarship–Doctoral, NSERC, 2008
- Gold Medal, Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2007
- Canada Graduate Scholarship–Master's, NSERC, 2007
- Undergraduate Student Research Award, NSERC, 2007 and 2004
- Finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship for British Columbia, 2007
- Charles Humphrey Memorial Scholarship, University of Victoria, 2004 and 2006
- Johannes G. Nordal Scholarship in Engineering, University of Victoria, 2005
- Canadian Inter-university Sport Academic All-Canadian, 2003-2004 and 2002-2003
- Vikes Provost's Award, University of Victoria, 2004
- McGeer Scholarship, University of Victoria, 2003
- Excellence Entrance Scholarship, University of Victoria, 2002
- Governor General's Bronze Medal, Government of Canada, 2002
Research
As a part of Professor David Zingg's Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Group at UTIAS, our research is concerned with optimizing aerodynamic configurations. In order to do this as accurately as possible, we need a way of calculating how the flow of air is behaving around the configuration (e.g. aircraft wings). My job is the development of this flow solver, which will then be used as part of an optimization algorithm. U of T's new computational facility, SciNet, is a great tool that will allow us to run bigger, more complex problems than ever before, possibly resulting in novel approaches to optimizing aircraft for reduced drag, which will improve their efficiency, lowering their environmental impact and operational cost.
Why did you choose U of T Engineering?
I have always been interested in aviation, and UTIAS presented a great opportunity to pursue some of my interests. In addition, while at UVic, I worked for a former graduate of UTIAS who put me in touch with my current supervisor. From several discussions, it became apparent that the CFD Group would be a great place to pursue my graduate degree.
What has been your most memorable moment at U of T so far?
My most memorable moment was having my first paper accepted by one of the largest aerospace conferences in the world. Hosted by AIAA, the conference will take place in Orlando, Florida in January 2010.
What are your plans after graduation?
As I still have a few more years to go before I graduate, it's hard to say exactly what I will be doing once I do, especially with today's economic climate. I have always tried to keep an open mind as to what I might be doing in the future, not wanting to prematurely make up my mind about certain avenues of work. I am basically open to either working in academia or industry, and will decide based on the opportunities that present themselves when the time comes.
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