Updated: July 21, 2005

About Robert
Robert is a graduate student at Louisiana State University (LSU), preparing to complete his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering early next spring.

Robert participated in the 41st Annual 2004 Society of Engineering Science (SES) Conference at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he won first prize in the Student Paper Competition for his presentation entitled, “A C1 Finite Element Multi-Field Solution of a Gradient Plasticity Model.” (Read abstract)

Robert is also a recent recipient of the LSU College of Engineering Inaugural Donald W. Clayton Excellence in Engineering Award. This award is bestowed upon a student who has demonstrated exemplary character, scholarly accomplishment, leadership, and has served as a role model and ambassador for the College of Engineering at LSU. (See the LSU news release for details)

In his spare time, Robert enjoys the outdoors—from mountain biking through lush, green forests, to strapping on a parachute and jumping out of a plane with his fellow adventurous Sandia interns!

About the Competition
Twenty-eight students from universities around the country presented their papers to be judged by a panel of engineering scientists at the 41st Annual SES Conference. The technical papers were judged for their content, presentation format and style, and oral delivery lasting 25 minutes each followed by a short Q&A period. The three best papers were awarded certificates and the following cash prizes: $300 for first prize, $200 for second prize, and $100 for third prize.

Robert was very excited to learn of his award, and thanked his Sandia mentor and colleagues for their contributions to his work.

About His Work at Sandia
Robert has been interning at Sandia for the past four summers in the Engineering Sciences Summer Institute (ESSI), working in the Science-Based Materials Modeling group under the supervision of Sandia mentor, Esteban Marin. During his most recent summer internship at Sandia, Robert worked on the numerical implementation of a gradient-based constitutive model that he and his college advisor, George Z. Voyiadjis, developed at LSU. Since the implementation of this model involves the use of non-conventional finite element techniques, Robert found his research project to be very challenging technically, which kept his interest level high over the course of the summer.

Check out Robert’s 2004 spotlight to learn more about his research project at Sandia.

Congratulations, Robert!