Alison M. Ferris

Alison M. Ferris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University conducting experimental research at the intersection of chemical kinetics, optical diagnostics, and sustainable fuel development using shock wave methodologies.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (2021)
• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2014)
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University (2012)

Dr. Ferris's research focuses on high-temperature reaction chemistry for sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), combining shock tube experiments with laser-based diagnostics to measure key reaction rates and develop predictive models. Current projects investigate the link between aviation particulates and contrail formation, low-carbon fuel kinetics, and data-driven approaches for accelerating SAF development through machine learning and optical sensing techniques.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2024) reveals dominant themes in sustainable aviation fuels, ammonia combustion for zero-carbon propulsion, and advanced diagnostic development. Her work consistently employs shock tube platforms for high-temperature flame speed measurements while increasingly integrating machine learning for fuel property prediction, demonstrating evolution from fundamental kinetics toward applied sustainable fuel solutions.

Scientific awards: No awards were documented in the provided information.

Dr. Ferris leads the Ferris Lab where she advises graduate researchers in combustion science, though specific student names and grant details were not provided in the source material.

The Ferris Lab (D324 Engineering Quadrangle) maintains three core research thrusts: Sustainable Fuels development using machine learning, Chemical Kinetics investigations of reaction pathways, and Flame Dynamics studies of alternative fuels at extreme conditions through shock wave methodologies.