GATA award winner seeks opportunities to make a difference

Mithun Goutham grew up in Kerala, India, known for beaches and backwaters. It comes as no surprise that he developed a fascination for animals and nature, telling friends and family that he’d become an environmentalist as a child. Never losing his desire to make a difference where it mattered, he got involved in student motorsports projects while pursuing an undergraduate education in production engineering.  

Gaining experience in racing as an undergraduate student helped him land a job at Honda R&D India. He worked as a designer of intake and exhaust systems for four years, helping him develop a love for internal combustion engines. He took his passion for engines and ran with it, deciding to pursue a graduate degree in mechanical engineering. With HCCI engine research and strong ties with industry, The Ohio State University was positioned as a great fit for Mithun’s next pursuit: a masters in mechanical engineering with plans to start a PhD in the Fall of 2020.  

He knows firsthand that committing to a goal and following through is hard; it requires a dream you’d be willing to prioritize time and time again over tempting opportunities. Harder still is to realize that the initial goal was short-sighted, and that it’s okay to move on to greener pastures. In the end, so long as the path you choose has you excited and daydreaming about new ideas, he advises to keep at it and let the adventure take you someplace where you feel you can make a difference. This persistence, coupled with his will to make a difference, earned him a Graduate Associate Teaching Award from The Ohio State University in 2020.  

At SIMCenter, Mithun fueled his adventurous spirit by building a better calibrated engine model for the Formula Buckeyes team. Later, he started working with David Hillstrom on a research project related to the modeling of 3D combustion. Currently, Mithun is working on the modeling and control of a Smart Home Energy Management System which deals with the minimization of energy expenses. Looking back on his time at SIMCenter, he fondly recalls spur-of-the-moment lunch plans, small pranks and spending time with great people as his favorite memories.