Scott Zenier
Department/Discipline:
Mechanical Engineering Program: Mechanical Engineering
Degree Sought:
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Research Adviser:
Dr. John Parmigiani, School of Mechanical, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Research Topic:
Design and simulation of attachment improvements for whale satellite tracking tags
Dr. Parmigiani's lab focuses on using engineering design and simulation to provide solutions to real world problems. Scott Zenier's project comes from Dr. Bruce Mate of Oregon State Unversity's Marine Mammal Institute. Zenier is using finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments to investigate design changes to the tag Dr. Mate uses to track the location of whales. These changes are aimed at increasing the duration and reliability of the tag attachment to provide better location data, while minimizing any impact on the animal. The project has also utilized undergraduates to assist with the testing and evaluation of tag performance.