Bhuvana Srinivasan

Bhuvana Srinivasan is a Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington, directing the PLASMAWISE Laboratory. Previously, she held the rank of Associate Professor and served as Director of the Plasma Dynamics Computational Laboratory at Virginia Tech, supported by the Crofton Faculty Fellowship. Her research focuses on fusion energy, plasma-based propulsion, and computational plasma physics, with an emphasis on plasma-material interactions and instabilities across diverse plasma regimes. She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and secured grants from the NSF, DOE, and AFOSR.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington (specializing in computational plasma physics)
• M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington
• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

Research Interests:

Her work spans fusion energy concepts, plasma propulsion systems, high-energy-density plasma instabilities, and ionospheric dynamics. Key areas include plasma-surface interactions in fusion devices, magnetic field effects on plasma mixing, and algorithm development for fluid-kinetic models. She emphasizes high-fidelity multi-fluid simulations using discontinuous Galerkin methods.

Awards & Recognition:

• NSF CAREER Award (2019-2024)
• Crofton Faculty Fellow (Virginia Tech, 2021-2023)
• Dean’s Outstanding Assistant Professor (Virginia Tech, 2017)
• Amelia Earhart Fellowship (Zonta International, 2007-2009)

Advocacy & Leadership:

She chairs DEI initiatives in academic departments and serves on national committees including the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee and the APS Division of Plasma Physics Executive Board. Her work bridges computational plasma physics with societal impact, including fusion energy democratization and space exploration propulsion systems.