How Muhammad Waleed Khan Secured a Fully Funded PhD in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, United States Through a Research Assistantship

I am Muhammad Waleed Khan, currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, focusing on control systems, intelligent transportation, and energy-efficient mobility.

Research Assistantships Details

My MS at The Ohio State University and PhD at UT Dallas have been fully funded through research assistantships. At UT Dallas, I also received the Louis Beecherl, Jr. Fellowship and Amelia A. Lundell Scholarship.

Other Awards

At UT Dallas, I received the U.S. DOE VTO Team Award, GSA Travel Award, IEEE Travel Award, and a MECC Student Grant. I was also a Best Conference Paper Finalist at MECC 2025 and the American Control Conference 2026.

Educational Background

I earned a BE in Mechatronics Engineering from Air University (3.95/4.00) with a Gold Medal, an MS in Systems Engineering from PIEAS (3.85/4.00) with a Gold Medal and the Best Thesis Award, and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State (3.89/4.00). I currently have a 4.00/4.00 GPA in my PhD.

How I Chose Universities and Labs

For research-based graduate programs, I believe the advisor matters as much as, and often more than, the university name. I focused on finding faculty whose research matched my background and long-term interests. Applicants should carefully study the advisor's recent publications, active projects, funding, lab environment, and student outcomes before applying.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

The GRE was waived or not required for many of the universities I considered, so I focused more on research fit, academic preparation, and the strength of my overall profile.

Experience at UT Dallas

My PhD research involves U.S. DOE-funded projects in cooperative driving automation and vehicle simulation. During summer 2026, I conducted research at the National Transportation Research Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where I worked on co-simulation and vehicle-in-the-loop testing. I have since returned to UT Dallas to continue my PhD research.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe my strong academic record, consistent research direction, publications, technical skills, and experience on major DOE-funded research projects helped my application stand out.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Do not focus only on university rankings or traditional scholarships. For research degrees, advisor and lab fit are extremely important, and research assistantships can provide full funding. Build strong technical and research skills, study potential advisors carefully, and apply where your background genuinely matches the work being done.