Arne J Pearlstein

Arne J. Pearlstein is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he has held academic positions since 1983. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from UCLA in 1983, following earlier degrees from UCLA (B.S. and M.S. in Engineering). His research focuses on fluid mechanics, hydrodynamic stability, and applied mathematics, with applications in materials processing, mass transfer, and biofilm dynamics. Key projects include modeling dynamic flight maneuvers using proper orthogonal decomposition and investigating nonuniform molecular weight distributions in photopolymerization.

Professor Pearlstein has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed articles, including work on ultrasonic separation of ethanol, pathogen detection in food systems, and vortex-induced vibration control. He holds a U.S. patent for produce-cleaning systems. Awards include the APS Fellowship (2014) and NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1985). He has taught courses such as TAM 531 (Inviscid Flow) and TAM 536 (Instability and Transition). His advising excellence has been recognized multiple times by UIUC, including the 2023 Engineering Council Advisor List for Outstanding Advising.

• Education:
• Ph.D. Engineering, UCLA, 1983
• M.S. Engineering, UCLA, 1977
• B.S. Engineering, UCLA, 1977
• Research Highlights:
• Fluid mechanics and instability mechanisms
• Food safety and pathogen detection technologies
• Nonlinear energy sinks for vibration control
• Photopolymerization modeling
• Awards:
• Fellow, American Physical Society
• NSF Presidential Young Investigator