MIHIR PATHAK
EDUCATION
Georgia Institute of Technology
Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering, GPA: 3.89/4.0
Dissertation Topic: Periodic Flow Physics in Porous Media of Regenerative Cryocoolers
Advisor: Dr. S. Mostafa Ghiaasiaan
Minor: Economics and Finance, Advisor: Dr. Thomas “Danny” Boston
(expected) 8/2013
Georgia Institute of Technology
Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, GPA 3.85/4.0
8/2010
Thesis: Thermal Dispersion and Convective Heat Transfer during Laminar Pulsating Flow in Porous Media
Georgia Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, GPA 3.6/4.0, Highest Honors
12/2008
EXPERIENCE
Visiting Fellow, NASA Ames Research Center



Leading project involving next generation space cryocooler technology for rocket propulsion
Conducting porous media steady and oscillatory flow physics experiments
Collaborating with Georgia Tech, NASA, and NIST
PhD Student, School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech





5/2010 – Present
Founded company focused on technology products and business services
Prepared business plan, presented to potential investors, filed all legal documents, managed projects
Secured future funding and relationship with start-up incubator
Executive Vice President, Student Government Association, Georgia Tech

8/2011 – Present
Developing and initiating innovative solutions for small businesses such as methods to raise capital
for start-ups and financial modeling of penny stock firms in the energy industry
Serving as board member and team co-leader for the Gazelle Index (gazelleindex.com) which predicts
outlook and future hiring plans of small, minority, and women business owners
President & Co-Owner, Mechistry Technologies, LLC



8/2010 – Present
Senior student in the GT Cryogenic Laboratory – top ranked CFD cryogenics lab
Lead several ITAR, DOD, DOE, and industry/privately funded group projects
Economic Analyst, EuQuant

2/2012 – Present
4/2011 – Present
Serving the graduate student body by promoting programs, debating important issues with GT
administration and Board of Regents, and allocating student activity fee (~$5 million)
Acting chairman of the Graduate Student Senate - consisting of ~50 graduate student leaders from
each department across campus
Serving on the following committees: Institute Student Grievances, Mandatory Student Fee
Advisory, Student Life Allocations Board, Rules & Regulations
FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, & CERTIFICATES
NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, NASA

Georgia Tech Presidential Fellow, Georgia Tech

8/2010 – Present
$22,000 over 4 years as a topping award – given to a select number of students per year, current
graduate enrollment is ~7,000 students
G.W. Woodruff Presidential Fellow, Mechanical Eng. Dept.

8/2011 – Present
$261,152 over 4 years for stipend ($36,000/yr), tuition/fees ($10,000/yr), health insurance
($288/yr), advisor allowance ($9,000/yr), and on-site experience allowance ($10,000/yr) – highly
competitive national award
8/2010 – Present
~$15,000 over 4 years for fees - approximately 12 awards given out per year, current department
enrollment is ~1,000 students
Other Awards








National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention
Sandia National Laboratory Master’s Fellowship Winner – declined due to work requirement
Georgia Tech Pi Tau Sigma Outstanding Senior Award – Runner Up
Faculty Honors & Dean’s List
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Scholarship
Sidney Goldin Scholarship
Grace & Ewell Barnes Scholarship
H & M Bourne Scholarship
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL/CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS
1. Mulcahey, Pathak, and Ghiaasiaan, The effect of flow pulsation on drag and heat transfer in an array of
heated square cylinders, Int. J. of Thermal Science, 2012, (under review)
2. Pathak, Mulcahey, and Ghiaasiaan, Hydrodynamic and thermal effects of drag and heat transfer
coefficients under laminar unsteady flow conditions in porous media, Advances in Cryogenic Eng., 2011
3. Conrad, Pathak, Ghiaasiaan, and Kirkconnell, The Effect of Component Junction Tapering on
Miniature Cryocooler Performance, Advances in Cryogenic Eng., 2011
4. Pathak and Ghiaasiaan, Thermal Dispersion and Convective Heat Transfer during Laminar Pulsating
Flow, Int.l J. of Thermal Science, 2010 *Listed as Top 25 Hottest Article
5. Pathak, Thermal Dispersion and Convective Heat Transfer during Laminar Pulsating Flow, Master’s
Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2010
6. Pathak and Ghiaasiaan, Thermal Dispersion and Convection Heat Transfer during Laminar Pulsating
Flow, Cryocoolers 16, 2010
7. Landrum, Conrad, Pathak, Ghiaasiaan, Kirkconnell, Crittenden, Yorish, Effect of Frequency on
Hydrodynamic Parameters of Mesh Fillers in Oscillatory Flow, Cryocoolers 16, 2010
8. Patent: Domestic Lifting Dolly , U.S. 61/192,305, 2008
9. Technical Reviewer: Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics,
International Journal of Thermal Science, Advances in Cryogenic Engineering, Cryocoolers
PRESENTATIONS
1. Hydrodynamic and thermal effects of drag and heat transfer coefficients under laminar unsteady flow
conditions in porous media - Cryogenic Engineering Conference, 2011
2. The Effect of Component Junction Tapering on Miniature Cryocooler Performance - Cryogenic
Engineering Conference, 2011
3. Thermal Dispersion and Convection Heat Transfer during Laminar Pulsating Flow - International
Cryocooler Conference, 2010
4. Effect of Frequency on Hydrodynamic Parameters of Mesh Fillers in Oscillatory Flow - International
Cryocooler Conference, 2010
PREVIOUS RESEARCH & TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Graduate Research
 Graduate Research Assistant, GT Cryo Lab, Georgia Tech
 Graduate Research Assistant, Bio-Inspired Design Lab, Georgia Tech
Graduate Teaching
 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Thermal Energy Fluids Lab, Georgia Tech
 Graduate Teaching Grader, Convection Heat Transfer
 Teaching Practicum, Thermal Fluids Engineering
Undergraduate Research Assistant
 Direct Digital Manufacturing Lab, Georgia Tech
 Bio-Inspired Design Lab, Georgia Tech
 Nuclear Medicine/Medical Physics Lab - Emory University School of Medicine
Undergraduate Teaching Grader
 System Dynamics and Controls
 Heat Transfer
PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP & SERVICE
Student Government Association

Coordinating Officer, Senate; Senator, Senate; Mechanical Eng. Governor, Board of Governors;
Representative, House; Committees: Georgia Tech Provost Search, Student Advisory, Student
Center Governing Board, Technology Fee
School of Mechanical Engineering

Chairman, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Association; Chairman, Woodruff School
Student Advisory Board; Vice Chairman, American Society of Mechanical Engineers;
Representative, Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Committee; Woodruff School Steering
Honor Societies

Pi Tau Sigma (Academic), Order of Omega (Greek), Omicron Delta Kappa (Leadership)
Sigma Beta Rho Multicultural Fraternity

Brotherhood Chair, Rush Chair, Treasurer - Alumni Association; Showcased in Georgia Tech
Greek Guide, 2009
Other Leadership

Graduate and Undergraduate Recruiter for Georgia Tech; Co-Founder/Advisor - Global
Leadership Conference; President’s Council Governing Board; Georgia Tech Emerging Leaders
Membership
Service

Cryogenic Society of America, GT Student Alumni Association, Sigma Beta Rho Alumni
Association, Institute of Industrial Engineers, American Association of Physicists in Medicine


100+ Hours; Project Coordinator, Tech Beautification Day; Team Buzz; Hands On Atlanta
Mentorship: Wheeler High School, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, other
undergraduate and high school students
CERTIFICATES, SKILLS, & SOFTWARE






EIT/FE Certification
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
Basic Laboratory and Machine Shop Skills
Training - Clean Room Training, Fume Hood Training, CITI Ethics Training
Safety - Laser Safety, Laser Awareness, Chemical Safety Training, Lab Safety Training, X-RAY
radiation safety training
Software: (Physics) Fluent CFD, Gambit, Sage, REGEN, ISOHX; (Mathematical) Matlab, C++,
Engineering Equation Solver, Maple; (Other) Microsoft Publisher, Linux, Windows, MS Office
*U.S. Citizen