Andre Benard

Dr. André Bénard is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU), affiliated with the College of Engineering. His research focuses on multiphase flows, heat transfer, sustainability, and finite element analysis, with a global emphasis on clean energy, recycling technologies, and circular economy solutions. He leads funded projects such as the ARPA-E-funded HIPPED and TOPEX initiatives, aiming to enhance heat exchanger performance and sustainable manufacturing processes.

Dr. Bénard holds a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware (1996), an M.Sc. from École Polytechnique de Montréal (1991), and a B.S. from Université de Sherbrooke (1988). He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory. His teaching includes courses like ME 410 (Heat Transfer), ME 417 (Alternative Energy Systems), and ME 872 (Finite Element Method).

His research group focuses on advancing sustainable technologies, including oil/water separation, solar desalination, and additive manufacturing for high-temperature heat exchangers. Key projects include the Integrated Greenhouses for Food and Water Production (NIFA/NSF) and solid-state thermochemical energy storage (DOE SETO). Recent publications (2023) explore biomass growth modeling, solar thermal desalination systems, and packed bed condenser optimization.

Dr. Bénard advises SPARTA, a student group retrofitting MSU’s campus for energy efficiency. He has been recognized with an ARPA-E grant ($961,954, 2021) and supervises nine PhD students and a postdoc researcher. His work bridges fundamental engineering principles with real-world sustainability challenges, emphasizing circular economy and renewable energy integration.