Resume
Venuja Rodrigo
Mechanical Engineering (Hons) · UNSW Sydney
Career Profile
- Penultimate-year Mechanical Engineering (Honours) student at UNSW Sydney
- Completed a Mechanical Engineering internship at Contactile, designing and calibrating tactile sensing hardware
- UNSW Research Assistant, building a MATLAB framework for structural force identification from vibration data
- Leadership and communication built as a Casual Academic, running mechanics of solids labs for 30–40 students
Professional Experience
Research Assistant
Apr 2026 – PresentUNSW Sydney, Faculty of Engineering · Sydney, NSW
- Investigated low-instrumentation structural health monitoring methods for a research project.
- Constructed a MATLAB framework for inverse force identification from structural vibration data.
- Developed models to reconstruct time-varying force inputs from single-sensor measurements.
- Validated single-sensor approaches against multi-sensor setups in controlled experiments.
Mechanical Engineering Intern
Feb 2026 – Jun 2026Contactile Pty Ltd · Sydney, NSW
- Engineered tactile sensing hardware for 3D force-vector measurement.
- Developed a Python application to generate laser-engraving SVG files across different sensor types.
- Conducted robotic experiments to capture sensor and gripper signal data for calibration.
Research Scholar – Taste of Research Program
May 2026 – PresentUNSW Sydney, Faculty of Engineering · Sydney, NSW
- Awarded $6,000 research scholarship to design water treatment solutions for remote Fijian communities.
- Building and verifying an engineering solutions database and field deployment outcomes.
- Conducting co-design field engagement in Viwa Island and Wainika Village to inform final system design recommendations
Casual Academic
May 2026 – PresentUNSW Sydney, Faculty of Engineering · Sydney, NSW
- Led weekly lab sessions and workshops for 30–40 students across mechanical engineering courses.
- Marked student assessments and provided one-on-one technical support during labs.
- Coordinated lab demonstrations, enhancing student engagement through structured technical guidance.
- Demonstrated across 4 courses (ENGG2400, DESN2000, ENGG2500, ENGG1300) for 350+ students.
Academic Tutor
Feb 2026 – PresentWarrane College, UNSW · Sydney, NSW
- Selected on merit for strong academic results in Fluid Mechanics and Mechanics of Solids.
- Delivered small-group tutoring sessions to Warrane College residents covering core engineering subjects (ENGG2400, ENGG2500. MMAN2700, MMAN2300).
- Provided one-on-one technical support to help students work through problem sets and exam preparation.
Executive Tutor (Math, Physics, Computer Science)
Aug 2024 – Feb 2026Apex Tuition Australia · Hybrid
- Delivered 100+ tutoring sessions in IB Mathematics AA (HL/SL), Physics, and Computer Science.
- Improved exam performance through targeted practice and problem-solving strategies.
- Adapted teaching approach to individual learning styles across online and in-person formats.
Education
UNSW Sydney
B.Eng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
Feb 2024 – Nov 2027
Fluid Mechanics for Engineers
98
Mechanics of Solids 1
93
Advanced Thermofluids
92
Engineering Mechanics 2
90
Mechanical Design 1
89
Engineering Design 1
88
Engineering Design 2
89
Mechanics of Solids 2
86
Thermodynamics
86
Programming Fundamentals (COMP1511)
91
British School Jakarta
IB Diploma · 38 Points
2018 – 2023 · 96.50 ATAR equivalent
Leadership & Volunteering
Arc Delegate
Oct 2024 – Nov 2025UNSW Sri Lankan Society · Arc – UNSW Student Life
Sydney, NSW
- Helped the club follow Arc policies and represented Sri Lankan Society in dealings with Arc.
- Assisted with grant applications to help secure club funding.
- Kept communication clear between the committee and Arc, and supported the team with admin tasks.
Skills
Mechanical Design & Manufacturing
Fusion 360SolidWorksCAD/CAMGD&T & Engineering DrawingsTolerance Analysis & Stack-upBOM DevelopmentMaterial SelectionMachining & CNCSheet Metal FabricationFDM 3D PrintingLaser Cutting
Analysis, Simulation & Process
FEAStructural & Vibration AnalysisFrequency Response AnalysisSensor CalibrationMATLAB / SimulinkTechnical ReportingRoot-Cause Failure AnalysisDFM
Programming & Professional Skills
C/C++ (Teensyduino/Arduino)PythonJavaMySQLSignal FilteringI2C / SPIGitCommunicationMultidisciplinary CollaborationSelf-Directed Learning