Engineering Evolution: HEC Alum Advances to Doctoral Studies
May 1, 2024 | Hannah Buchanan
UT Tyler Magazine Winter '24
Engineering Evolution
Jorian Khan transformed his love of designing and building things – namely vintage-inspired espresso machines – into the start of
a promising research career.
The Katy resident advanced to doctoral studies after completing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the UT Tyler Houston Engineering Center in May. He is now a PhD student and research participant in the University of North Carolina-Charlotte’s Center for Precision Metrology.
The moment Khan knew he was accepted into the doctoral program was “exciting and pretty surreal,” he says. “It felt like the stars had aligned, and I could finally see how my hobbies and interests could be applied.”
Although Khan was surprised to receive admission into the doctoral program at UNC-Charlotte, his mentor was not.
Dr. Nael Barakat, professor and chair of the UT Tyler Department of Mechanical Engineering, established a collaborative relationship with Khan during Khan’s senior year, finding the young engineer’s work as a research assistant and Student Government Association senator to be impressive.
“Jorian is a talented, smart and thorough engineer, and I am sure he’ll be successful in any endeavor he chooses to pursue,” Barakat says. “I actually offered Jorian the opportunity to stay with us for the master’s program, but he was looking specifically for metrology, which happened to be one of the areas I worked on. So, I gave him a point to start, and he took that lead and ran with it.”
Khan, who returned to school for his bachelor’s after working several years in the oil and gas industry, says he found the UT Tyler Houston Engineering Center to be an “absolute gem. “The HEC has such a high value proposition for nontraditional students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to study engineering.”
He says the HEC afforded him the opportunity to learn important principles of engineering, noting that UT Tyler’s faculty, staff and administration are dedicated to providing students a high-quality engineering education.
“I’ve been especially fortunate to participate in undergraduate engineering research,” adds Khan, who was a research assistant to HEC associate professor Dr. Mohammad Biswas and lecturer Aws Al-Shalash. “Between the engineering coursework and experiences in student government and undergraduate research, I feel that the HEC has inspired me to contribute to and pursue more engineering endeavors.”
Khan restores and builds machinery in his home machine shop and was driven by those hobbies to return to school. He developed an interest in coffee, which led to the desire to build vintage-inspired espresso machines. Building them sky-rocketed his interest in engineering.
He is anticipating the many exciting endeavors and challenges ahead as he takes the next steps in his educational journey. After completing his doctorate, Khan plans to further study precision engineering in an industrial lab or other setting.
“My hope is that the relationships and the research at the CPM will drive me to achieve – just like what I experienced at the UT Tyler Houston Engineering Center,” Khan says.