About

Shara Rhagha Wardhan Balakrishnan is a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual seeking full-time entry-level opportunities in MEMS, Embedded Systems, and Control Systems. Currently working as an Intern at Imerys Filtration, Shara has been involved in automating the characterization of the transient and steady-state performance of an autonomous packaging machine, as well as documenting Programmable Logic Controls (PLCs) to minimize troubleshooting time and reduce downtime. Shara's past experiences include working as a Graduate Student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she focused on Control Systems, Embedded Systems, MEMS Design, Fabrication, and Characterization, Robotics, and Haptics. She was involved in designing and fabricating a micro-channel embedded with riblets and analyzing its effects on the flow rate, graphic and haptic rendering of an elastically deformable body, and designing MEMS devices such as an Electrostatic Actuator for Drug Delivery and a Microfluidic channel for cell elongation. Shara has also worked on Robotics Trajectory Planning and Control for stationary and mobile robotics and embedded control of a vertically hanging harmonic chain oscillator using Nexys4 DDR Artix-7 FPGA board. Shara has also served as the President of Toastmasters Club IITM Chapter, where she successfully increased the membership from 20 to 43 members and received the "Best Club Award" within the Division. She also expanded collaboration with neighboring clubs, formed a team within the club to aid in laying the foundation of creating a new club in the area, and groomed three members to take up the office roles for the next tenure. Shara holds a Master's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on Control Systems from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Intelligent Manufacturing from IIT. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT. Shara's tech stack includes Mobile, and she has a relevant experience of 6.20 years.