Gustaaf Jacobs

Professor Gustaaf Jacobs is a Full Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at San Diego State University (SDSU), within the College of Engineering. He holds a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology (1998) and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2003). His research focuses on computational multiphase and multi-scale flow physics, particularly in particle-laden flows, flow separation in complex geometries, and plasma-based flow control for applications in combustion optimization and drag reduction. Jacobs has received the AFOSR Young Investigator Award (2009) and became an Associate Fellow of AIAA (2013).

His academic journey includes roles as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Brown University (2003–2006) and Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT (2003–2006). At SDSU, he advanced from Assistant Professor (2006) to Associate Professor (2010) before becoming Full Professor in 2013. Research interests span high-order numerical methods, shock wave interactions, and aerodynamic design, with a strong emphasis on experimental validation and computational modeling.

Jacobs’ recent work includes studies on synthetic surface generation for additive manufacturing, turbulence transition on airfoils, and stochastic modeling of particle dynamics. His contributions address challenges in fluid-structure interactions, flow control, and predictive simulation techniques for aerospace systems. He collaborates on projects involving high-fidelity CFD, experimental aerodynamics, and data-driven modeling to advance engineering applications.