Michael F. Howland

Michael F. Howland is the Jeffrey Cheah Career Development Assistant Professor and Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the intersection of fluid mechanics, weather and climate modeling, and renewable energy optimization.

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2020)
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2018)
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2016)

Howland's work examines atmospheric boundary layer dynamics, turbine wake interactions, and collective wind farm control to enhance renewable energy efficiency. His group develops predictive models and simulations to optimize power production through wake steering and climate-adapted design.

Recent publications highlight advancements in Coriolis force modeling, stratified turbulence analysis, and yaw-misalignment optimization. His team's research has demonstrated potential energy production increases of 1-3% in wind farms, equivalent to thousands of homes' energy needs.

• 2024: Young Investigator Program (YIP) award, Office of Naval Research

Howland's teaching includes graduate courses on atmospheric boundary layer flows and renewable energy physics. He advocates for multidisciplinary climate solutions and public engagement through outreach initiatives like his children's book on renewable energy.