Christopher S. Combs

Christopher S. Combs, Ph.D., is a faculty member at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design. He holds the Dee Howard Memorial Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering and serves as the Graduate Advisor of Record for the M.S. in Aerospace Engineering program. Dr. Combs is an AIAA Associate Fellow, recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, and an Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator.

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Evansville
• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Combs leads UTSA’s hypersonics research, operating a Mach 7 wind tunnel facility. His work focuses on high-speed aerodynamics, space access, reentry vehicles, scramjets, rotating detonation engines, and extreme environments for aerospace systems. He collaborates with NASA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, DARPA, and the aerospace industry.

Dr. Combs has received significant recognition, including:

• AIAA Associate Fellow (2025)
• NSF CAREER Award (2023)
• AFOSR Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award (2020)

He directs a research group conducting cutting-edge studies on hypersonic shock waves, supersonic flow, and aerospace innovation, supported by grants from federal agencies and industry partnerships. His lab also engages in public outreach, drone testing, and aerospace education initiatives.