Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), a premier technical institution in India. His academic journey includes a PhD from The Pennsylvania State University, establishing him as a recognized expert in his field.

• PhD, Aerospace Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 2011
• M.Tech, Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, 2003
• B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, 2001

Professor Kumar's research spans several critical areas in aerospace engineering, with particular focus on Hypersonics, Rarefied Gas Dynamics, Microfluidics, and Heat Transfer & Thermal Design. His work bridges theoretical concepts with practical applications in high-speed flows and thermal management systems. His research demonstrates strong computational expertise combined with experimental validation approaches.

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on computational fluid dynamics, particularly in the areas of gas dynamics, condensation phenomena, and multi-scale flow modeling. His work often involves complex numerical methods applied to challenging aerospace problems.

• AIAA David Weaver Outstanding Thermophysics Paper Award (2009)
• College of Engineering Fellowship, Penn State University (2008-09)

As an educator, Professor Kumar has taught a range of courses from foundational aerospace engineering to specialized topics in molecular gas dynamics and computational methods. His teaching portfolio reflects both breadth and depth across the aerospace engineering curriculum.