Xiulin Ruan

Xiulin Ruan is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University's College of Engineering, with joint appointments at the Birck Nanotechnology Center and Energy Center. He holds a B.S./M.S. in Engineering Thermophysics from Tsinghua University (2000, 2002) and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering/Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan (2006, 2007).

His research focuses on nanoscale energy transport, radiative cooling, and phonon physics, with emphasis on sustainable materials. Key innovations include ultrawhite radiative cooling paints (Guinness World Record, Time Magazine's 'Best Inventions of 2023'), four-phonon scattering theory (Brillouin Medal 2023), and machine learning applications in thermal science. His work bridges computational modeling (e.g., ab initio molecular dynamics) and experimental synthesis.

Recent publications emphasize radiative cooling materials, phonon hydrodynamics, and anisotropic thermal transport, with trends toward machine learning-accelerated design and scalable manufacturing. Awards include:

• ASME McDonald Mentoring Award (2024)
• Brillouin Medal (2023)
• NSF CAREER Award (2012)
• SXSW Sustainability Innovation Award (2023)

He directs the Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion Laboratory, advising 40+ graduate students. Alumni include 15 faculty members (e.g., Tianli Feng, University of Utah). Major grants include DARPA and NSF funding for phononics and sustainable cooling technologies.