Andrew James Neely

Professor Andrew James Neely is the Associate Dean (Research Engagement) at UNSW Canberra, where he also holds a full professorship in the School of Engineering and Technology. His research focuses on hypersonic aerothermodynamics, thermal-structural modeling, fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and biomechanics of nerve tissue. He leads international collaborations including the HIFiRE, HyCAUSE, and SCRAMSPACE flight experiment projects, and hosts the High-Speed FSI Unit Cases database.

His key roles include Non-executive Director at Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN), Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), and President of RAeS Australian Division (2017–2019). He founded the RAeS 'Cool Aeronautics' STEM outreach program and actively engages with organizations like the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and International Society for Air Breathing Engines (ISABE). His awards span technical excellence (AIAA Best Paper Awards) and STEM outreach (Harry Staubs Award).

• Research Grants:
  • 2023: Hypersonic FTSI Unit Case for a Thermally Buckled Structural Panel (USAF AFOSR)
  • 2023: NCI Supercomputer Time Allocation (Fluid-thermal-structural interactions)
  • 2022: Trailblazer Universities Program funding for Defense research
  • 2022: USAF AOARD project on shape distortion sensing
  • 2021: Lockheed Martin Australia grant on hypersonic aerothermal shape distortion
  • 2021: DST Group funding for FSI experiments

Neely supervises PhD/MRes students in areas like hypersonic FSI, biomechanics, and propulsion systems. He has a strong track record of graduated students now working in aerospace industry and academia. His work bridges computational and experimental hypersonics, with recent studies on NASA AePW3 panel flutter and optic chiasm compression mechanics.

Labs/Teams: Leads UNSW's hypersonics research group, collaborating with Canberra Hospital, ANU Medical School, and European partners through the HEXAFLY-INT project. Involved in advanced diagnostics like high-speed IR thermography and digital image correlation systems.