C. Thomas Avedisian

Dr. C. Thomas Avedisian is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Engineering. He joined Cornell in 1980 after earning his Ph.D. from Princeton University. His research focuses on experimental investigations of heat transfer, combustion, and multiphase flows, with notable projects on droplet combustion, film boiling processes, and energy systems. He has held visiting roles at institutions like Brown University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Avedisian’s contributions to science include pioneering work on droplet combustion dynamics, thermal decomposition of organic liquids, and microgravity experiments. He was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy (2008–2010), where he contributed to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Dr. Avedisian’s education includes a B.S. from Tufts University, M.S. from MIT, and Ph.D. from Princeton University. His awards include the ASME James Harry Potter Gold Medal (1999), Heat Transfer Memorial Award (2006), and Rohsenow Lecturer (2012). He has served on editorial boards of journals like the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer and the AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power.

Avedisian is actively involved in student mentorship, advising Cornell’s Unmanned Air Systems Team (CUAIR), which has achieved international recognition in competitions. His research integrates experimental and computational methods to address challenges in energy systems, combustion science, and fluid dynamics. Recent work includes studies on biofuel combustion, fuel surrogates, and droplet dynamics under varied environmental conditions.