Michele Guala

Michele Guala is a Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering and at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) at the University of Minnesota. His research spans environmental fluid mechanics, turbulence phenomena, renewable energy systems, and advanced flow measurement techniques across multiple scales from laboratory to field environments.

His research interests include:

• Environmental fluid mechanics covering geophysical flows in rivers, lakes, and the atmospheric surface layer
• Wall turbulence and near-surface processes in boundary layers
• Particle-turbulence interactions and snow settling dynamics
• Fluvial morphodynamics and sediment transport processes
• Renewable energy systems, particularly wind and hydrokinetic energy conversion

Professor Guala's publication record shows a strong progression from fundamental turbulence research to practical applications in renewable energy and environmental management. His most recent work focuses on stochastic modeling of turbulence, particle dynamics in turbulent flows, and the interaction between renewable energy devices and natural environments.

His notable achievements include:

• Nature Energy cover page article on hydrokinetic turbine arrays (2018)
• Nature Communications publication on wind turbine wake structures using natural snowfall (2014)
• Multiple NSF grants supporting fundamental research in physical dynamic meteorology
• DOE funding for modular hydropower research

He actively mentors graduate students through the TBL+ (Turbulent Boundary Layer plus) research group, with current projects funded by NSF, NASA, and DOE. His teaching portfolio includes advanced courses on Atmospheric Boundary Layer (CEGE 8521), Open Channel Hydraulics, Fluid Mechanics, and Energy conversion from wind, hydro, and solar resources.

The St. Anthony Falls Laboratory serves as the primary research facility for Professor Guala's work, providing both laboratory and field experimental capabilities for studying complex fluid dynamics phenomena, including the Atmospheric Wind Tunnel and the EOLOS Research Station with its fully monitored 2.5MW turbine.