Jennifer FranckView profile
Professor
Professor Jennifer Franck is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with additional affiliations in the Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics program. Her research focuses on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), unsteady fluid mechanics, and engineering applications in renewable energy systems such as wind, tidal energy, and propulsion. She holds a PhD from the California Institute of Technology (2009) and undergraduate degrees from the University of Virginia (BS, 2003) and Caltech (MS, 2004). Recipient of prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2023) and multiple ONR Summer Faculty Research Fellowships. Explores bio-inspired designs (e.g., seal whisker geometry) to enhance fluid-structure interaction and reduce vortex-induced vibrations. Advances cross-flow turbine and oscillating foil technologies for energy harvesting through CFD simulations and experimental validation. Research interests emphasize: Unsteady flow dynamics and turbulence modeling Optimization of renewable energy systems (tidal/wind turbines) Bio-inspired flow control strategies Recent publications highlight CFD-driven innovations in turbine blade design, vortex wake classification via machine learning, and high-efficiency propulsion systems. Grants include multi-disciplinary collaborations on bio-inspired geometries and fluid-structure interaction analysis. Labs/Teams: Active in fluid dynamics experimental facilities and computational modeling groups within the UW-Madison College of Engineering.










