Lakshmi N Sankar

Lakshmi N Sankar serves as Regents Professor and Sikorsky Professor in the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, where he directs the Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and teaches aerodynamics, helicopter theory, and wind energy courses. His research program spans unsteady viscous flow modeling for aircraft, helicopters, and wind turbines since joining the faculty in 1982 after industry experience at Lockheed Martin.

Education:

• Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1977
• MSAE, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1975
• B. Tech., Aeronautical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, 1973

Research Focus: Professor Sankar's work centers on Computational Fluid Dynamics for rotorcraft aerodynamics and wind energy systems, with significant contributions to icing phenomena and unsteady flow modeling. His recent publications reveal intensifying focus on adverse weather effects (rain/icing), eVTOL conversion challenges, and high-fidelity hybrid modeling techniques for rotorcraft performance prediction.

Publication Trends: Analysis of his 2022-2025 publications shows dominant themes in rotorcraft icing (35%), weather impact studies (25%), and advanced CFD methodologies (20%), with growing interest in drone applications and mathematical aspects of fluid dynamics. His work consistently bridges theoretical mathematics with practical aerospace engineering challenges.

Scientific Recognition:

• AIAA Fellow and AHS Technical Fellow
• NASA Group Achievement Award (2007) and Space Act Software Release Award (2003)
• Multiple Sigma Gamma Tau Teaching Awards (2005-2015)
• Dean George C. Griffin Faculty of the Year (2014-2015)
• Sikorsky Professorship (2018-Present)

Mentorship and Collaboration: As recipient of Georgia Tech's Graduate Research Assistant Development Award, he has cultivated extensive student mentorship. His research integrates with the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence and Center for 21st Century Universities, securing major industry and NASA funding for rotorcraft innovation. Current projects include physics-based modeling of ice accretion and eVTOL retrofit feasibility studies.

Research Infrastructure: The Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory serves as his primary research hub, complemented by collaborations through the Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence where his team develops next-generation modeling tools for military and civilian rotorcraft applications under federal funding programs.