Dion Antao

Dion Antao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University and holds the J. Mike Walker '66 Faculty Fellow III position. His research focuses on thermal-fluid transport mechanisms for energy and water sustainability, with expertise in phase-change heat transfer, plasma engineering, and interfacial phenomena.

Education:

• Ph.D., Drexel University (2013)
• M.S., Drexel University (2009)
• B.Tech., National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur (2007)

Research interests include:
- Nano-to-macroscale heat transfer and fluid dynamics
- Two-phase flow in energy systems (e.g., electronics cooling, geothermal drilling)
- Plasma-assisted surface modification for enhanced condensation
- Interfacial interactions in liquid-vapor phase-change processes

Publications span cutting-edge topics like capillary wetting dynamics, plasma-rock interaction for drilling, and durable hydrophobic coatings. Recent work emphasizes thermal management systems for aerospace and high-power electronics.

Awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2021), 2023 James J. Cain Teaching Award, and 2022 Micro Flow Conference Early Career Award.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Thermal Engineering Group at TAMU, focusing on interdisciplinary research in energy systems, plasma engineering, and advanced thermal technologies.