I knew the strong research capabilities and like the collaborative mindset of CEEE students and faculty.
Before beginning graduate school at University of Maryland in 2015, Sevket Yuruker received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Ozyegin University in Istanbul, Turkey. He came to CEEE initially just to pursue a master’s degree, which he received in 2017 before returning to work in Turkey. After a year working in the aerospace industry as a thermal/mechanical engineer, Yuruker returned to CEEE in 2018 and began a doctoral program in the AHXPI consortium, which he completed in August 2021. Upon graduation, Yuruker accepter a full time position as a senior mechical design engineer with Tesla in Palo Alto, California.
Returned to CEEE for a Ph.D. after completing a master's
Yuruker said he decided to pursue a doctoral degree with CEEE because he knew the strong research capabilities and he likes the collaborative mindset of CEEE students and faculty.
“During my master’s here at UMD, I was already working with Prof. Yang and Prof. Ohadi under the DARPA-ICE Cool project that is related to electronics cooling,” he said. “I was especially interested in continuing electronics cooling related topics and having already worked with Prof. Ohadi in the past in this field, and our previous conversations with him regarding me staying for a Ph.D. encouraged me to apply to his group.
Spending the summer interning at Tesla
Before continuing his research at UMD in the fall of 2021, Yuruker spet his summer working for Tesla where he worked on the the power electronics team designing the next generation power converters and chargers for the electric cars. Yuruker’s group is interdisciplinary, giving him the opportunity to work alongside electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, materials and test engineers. He said his main responsibility is to help with the thermal analysis of high power mosfets on the PCB and innovate possible design and material improvements to achieve increased performance and enhance reliability.
“My favourite part about Tesla so far is how all teams are so energetic,” said Yuruker. “Everybody works hard and efficiently to achieve their team’s goals and it is a lot of smart and experienced people to work with.”
Keeping his options open but prioritizing thermal management
When asked if he would want to continue working in the automotive industry after he graduates next spring, Yuruker said electric cars would be a good candidate but he is not focused on a particular industry at the moment, and is more focused on working in whatever industry he can put his thermal and electronics packaging skills and knowledge to good use.
“In terms of the field, I am interested in fields that my thermal/mechanical background is relevant to. Packaging and thermal management of high heat dissipating electronics will probably be my starting point, as it has been my main focus in graduate school, and is relevant to many industries ranging from space applications, renewable energy, transportation and defense industries,” he said.
After some time in industry, Yuruker says he isn’t ruling out the possibility of returning to academia. “I do believe working in the industry is valuable because it makes one understand the needs, capabilities and realities of the industry outside of our academic bubble. And also, I believe that will give me a better idea regarding which environment is a better fit for my future.
When he isn’t busy researching and studying, Yuruker can be found staying healthy and active or hanging out with a small circle of friends on the weekends.
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