Nenad Miljkovic

Nenad Miljkovic is the Founder Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), with concurrent appointments in Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Materials Research Laboratory. He directs the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center (ACRC) and is affiliated with the International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (Kyushu University). His research spans thermo-fluid sciences, interfacial phenomena, and renewable energy, focusing on enhancing efficiency in power generation, electronics cooling, and thermal management via micro/nanostructured surfaces.

Miljkovic holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (2009) and an M.S. (2011) and Ph.D. (2013) from MIT. Prior to UIUC, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UIUC.

His research integrates fundamental studies of phase change and electrokinetics with applied device development, including solar thermal conversion and atmospheric energy harvesting. Recent work explores frost dynamics, battery thermal management, and scalable anti-corrosion coatings.

Miljkovic's publications emphasize heat transfer enhancement, droplet dynamics, and sustainable energy systems. His articles frequently address thermal management challenges in electronics and renewable energy applications, leveraging nanostructured surfaces and phase change materials.

Honors include:

• ASME Fellow (2022)
• Founder Professorship, Grainger College of Engineering (2023)
• ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award (2021)
• ONR Young Investigator Award (2017)
• NSF CAREER Award (2016)

He leads the Energy Transport Research Laboratory, advising graduate students and collaborating with industry on thermal systems. Grants support work on electronics cooling, battery safety, and renewable energy integration.