statement of purpose

Having passion and curiosity to discover the unknowns, I disassembled the first toy car I received from my parents. As far as I remember, I have always been enthusiastic about learning. This eagerness to learn in conjunction with my intelligence was the main cause of my success in winning the first prize of the regional Mathematics Olympiad in elementary school. However, not until I started studying in NODET (National Organization for Developing Exceptional Talents) high school did I become experienced enough to design and fabricate my first professional mechanical apparatus. It was a rescue robot which could move on ground, on water surface, and through fire flames.
During my undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering, I was so passionate about practical aspects of mechanical engineering that I spent most of my time in laboratories and workshops. Two years of hard work and creative thinking culminated in success when I successfully designed and fabricated a science underwater robot with innovative diving system. This patented innovation won Khwarizmi Award which is an international award that acknowledges the outstanding achievements in research and invention. I showed great perseverance in the process of fabrication and examination of the device as I tested the robot numerous times and every time the robot sank to the bottom of the pool until I could finally adjust the robot’s diving mechanism and make it work optimally. While working on this project, I gained not only deep knowledge and experience in the field of fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics but also confidence that devoting myself to research in this field was the right decision. As part of my B.Sc. dissertation project I performed experimental and numerical study of flow in a centrifugal pump. This study was exceptional for a B.Sc. student. After conducting experiments and gathering experimental data, I disassembled the pump and measured its different dimensions. Afterwards, I made a model in Gambit and simulated the flow in Fluent. Seeing the resulted graphs, I was wondered about this amazing fact that numerical simulation could correctly predict the results and I found my real interest in CFD and turbulence.
In order to make balance between practice and theory, I decided to continue my education and I dedicated a full year after my graduation reviewing the text books. Practicing hard for the university national exam, I admitted to the mechanical engineering department of Tarbiat Modares University which is the only exclusively graduate university in Iran and it is consistently ranked among top universities in the country. I had the background regarding turbulence and numerical simulation of the fluid flow in my undergraduate years but my interest and knowledge in these fields matured when I took advanced courses in fluid mechanics, CFD, and turbulence as part of my graduate studies. Studying vigorously, I could pass all my courses with great scores. My primary goal in my M.Sc. thesis was to investigate the influence of dimensional scaling on wind turbine aerodynamics and structural characteristics and I wanted to achieve this goal by performing Fluid-Structure-Interaction simulations. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of this analysis I took an extracurricular course in FEA and I also studied several text books and many papers in the field of wind turbine aerodynamics. I accomplished my M.Sc. thesis excellently and I wrote several papers published in journals or presented in conferences. During my graduate studies I acquired solid knowledge of aerodynamics, CFD, turbulence, and Fluid-Structure-Interaction as well as important skills in working with CFX, Ansys-Structural, Fortran, MATLAB, and Fluent.
Joining Fan-Niroo Company right after my graduation was an enriching experience which helped me to deepen my knowledge in the principles of team work as I was a member of research and development team. We successfully designed, fabricated and optimized a zero-liquid-discharge water treatment prototype and several other equipment. At Nillab-Sanat Company, dealing with installation and commissioning of waste water treatment plant equipment, I gained valuable skills on how to work on different tasks simultaneously without making mistakes. I also gained proficiency in working with Access software, creating databases and processing a large amount of data. Although I had very limited free time due to the full-time job, I was never apart from academic research. Using time management techniques, I handled to write new papers related to my thesis subject and I prepared myself for TOEFL test which I got an exceptional score of 112/120 in it. Currently I am working in Taban Company and I have the responsibility to supervise the maintenance team. I am also responsible for adjusting the machinery to work in their optimal situation and this task requires a great deal of knowledge, technical skill, and initiative.
While taking steps to fulfill my goals in my academic and career life, I always tried not to disregard other aspects of life. I have always been fascinated by going to wonderful mountains and I possess mountaineering training certificates from Iran Mountaineering Federation. I believe that this exercise has a profound effect on strengthening willpower.
Now after all these experiences, theoretical and practical, I am seeking an even more challenging and dynamic environment to be able to overcome the challenges, learn, and enjoy. I believe that pursuing my studies as a PHD student is the right track for me because it will provide me an opportunity to get involved in research works performed on the cutting-edge science and engineering. I am confident that I will be able to overcome all obstacles relying on my requisite background, talents, and high level of personal motivation. I wish to follow my education up, to pursue a career as a professional researcher and developer within a corporation or to become a faculty member at a prestigious university. I feel that it is this kind of life that I am best cut out for.
The strong involvement of University of Calgary in research, well-equipped labs and distinguished academic staff will enable me to gain the high-level education and experience necessary to achieve the above mentioned goals. I have reviewed current projects on LTRAC and CFSM laboratories and found them very close to my research interests. The outstanding experiences of Professor Wood in wind turbine aerodynamics, remarkable research of Professor Korobenko in computational fluid mechanics and fluid-structure interaction, and exceptional works of Professor Morton in bluff body aerodynamics are of particular interest to me. Finally, Professor Wood’s encouraging reply reinforced my decision to apply to University of Calgary and I firmly believe that given the opportunity, I will be able to make substantial contribution to the ongoing research at mechanical engineering department.