Name: David Emmanuel Farrell

Year at MIT: 2nd year (grad student)

Hometown/Country: Sugar Land, TX

Anticipated Degree Date: June 8th, 2007

Projects: I’ve worked several approaches to the same problem of reducing the amplitude of vibration and the drag force of ocean cylinders both of which result from vortex induced vibrations (or “VIV”, in MIT ocean engineering lingo). I’ve designed and built several different types of cylinders (note that the cylinder is not the novel idea, but rather the appendages), and then tested them in the towing tank using various techniques. Below are three examples:

Professors work(ed) with: Triantafyllou and Hover

Plans for the Future: Immediate: Navy flight school and ten-year service commitment

Long-term: Possibly upper-level government

Professional Societies: These aren’t my thing at the moment.

Student Groups: Kickboxing, swing dancing, Joint Program with Woods Hole Hobbies: Going to the Boston Vineyard Church—it’s life-changing. Handstands, holding my breath, cooking, talking to all the cool people at MIT, trying out new vegetables.