Charles DeVore , Institute of Technology 08'
Forward Displacements in Seismic Isolator
Major
Civil Engineering
Mentor
Steven Wojtkiewicz
Brief Bio
I grew up in the forest lake area, and have done research for over two years now. I had a research fellowship in Illinois this past summer.
Future Plans
I want to go to graduate school.
Why Research?
I have always enjoyed doing research, and working with structural dynamics is something that really interests me.
What Did I Get from Research?
It has given me a lot of focus with what I want to do in life. It has opened up opportunities for me. It has given me more of a focus for my career.
How Did I Start?
I was working with my mentor on a similar project, and then in the process I read several journal articles in the field and researched information I found in the articles.
My Advice for Another Student:
Definitely do it. Even if you are not sure on what you want to do, find someone who is willing to do research and work into it. After a couple of years, you will find what you like.
Research Summary
Develop a means to dampen vibrations in a structure due to earthquakes and other horizontal loads to stabilize the building and improve its performance. The method I am using is the active map driver, which is a cart that runs back and forth on the top of a building.