YSU graduate student earns first place for Best Student Paper at engineering conference

Student Spotlight

Katie Chludzinski, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Youngstown State University, earned first place at the American Society for Engineering Education North Central Section Conference for her research and paper on continuously variable transmissions.

Chludzinski’s work focuses on improving CVT performance by developing a predictive model to determine which adjustments to the transmission's tuning are most effective. Her research stemmed from her six-year involvement with YSU’s Baja racing team, which utilizes CVTs in their off-road vehicles. Frustrated by the team’s longstanding difficulty with tuning, she saw the opportunity to solve a real-world challenge through graduate research.

Her project also led to the installation of an inertia dynamometer at YSU, which she helped purchase, install and operate. The equipment not only played a critical role in her research but is now being used to enhance student labs in the University’s dynamic systems modeling course.

“I didn’t want to research something that would be written and never used,” Chludzinski said. “Now, this work supports the Baja team and creates an educational tool for future students.” She also highlighted the collaborative support of the Choose Ohio First scholars, who helped construct safety guarding for the equipment, and praised her advisor, Constantin "Virgil" Solomon, for his guidance throughout the process. Additional faculty mentors, including Hazel Marie and Anthony “Viv” Viviano, played significant roles in her academic journey.

Chludzinski described presenting at the ASEE conference as both “exciting and intimidating,” noting that most attendees were seasoned professors. “It was my first publication, and the recognition gave me a huge boost of confidence,” she said.

Beyond academics, Chludzinski works at Center Street Technologies in research and development for large-scale 3D printing and metrology. She plans to continue bridging her hands-on machining background with engineering analysis in future projects.

Reflecting on her time at YSU, Chludzinski emphasized the impact of close faculty relationships and hands-on learning through her research opportunities. “YSU gave me the confidence and connections I needed to succeed – not just as a student, but as a professional,” she said.

For students looking to follow a similar path, her advice is simple: “Be disciplined, put your best into everything you do, and don’t be afraid to talk to people. Communication is key – especially in engineering.”