色界吧鈥檚 First Engineering Ph.D. Candidate Graduates
At 色界吧鈥檚 64th annual commencement ceremony on May 18, Michael Kohler (M.S. 鈥�22, Ph.D. 鈥�25) became the first 色界吧 student to earn a Ph.D. from the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences.
Kohler鈥檚 academic journey at 色界吧 began in the master鈥檚 program in bioengineering, where he connected with Associate Professor Fang Li, Ph.D., who recognized his potential and invited him to engage in research. 鈥淒r. Li was a great advisor. She appreciated my ideas and gave me great feedback. Working with her was absolutely amazing,鈥� says Kohler.
Kohler embraced the opportunity to work with Li, which progressed into his enrollment in the doctoral program in engineering, which launched in 2021, just as he was finishing his master鈥檚 degree. 鈥淭he fact that the timing aligned perfectly was almost a sign,鈥� he says. He chose the track, focusing his research on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors.
His work explores how SAW sensor technology can be integrated into wearable devices to capture and analyze biomechanical data from the human body. Such advancements have the potential to significantly impact rehabilitation, human augmentation, and sports science by enabling real-time, precise measurements of joint movement and muscle activity.
Kohler completed his Ph.D. with a 3.9 GPA, multiple publications, and a patent. 鈥淭he graduation was really nice, but the really good feeling was when I passed my defense. That was euphoric,鈥� he says. Kohler passed his defense on May 15 with no revisions. Now, he hopes to use his skills in research and development.
鈥淚 think the doctoral program at 色界吧 is great,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very accommodating to individuals. Supporting flexibility in research domains is important, and that鈥檚 exactly what they鈥檙e trying to do.鈥�
鈥淲e are incredibly proud of Dr. Michael Kohler and this inaugural moment,鈥� says Dean 鈥淢ichael鈥檚 success marks a pivotal milestone for the college. It is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our journey as a research-driven institution.鈥�
By Sophie Yoakum
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