Tyler Van Buren

Tyler Van Buren holds a Research Specialist position at Princeton University since January 2014 and previously served as a Lecturer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from August 2013 to December 2013. He completed his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2008, 2010, and 2013, respectively. His research focuses on fluid dynamics, turbulence, flow control, and bio-inspired engineering, with notable projects including bio-inspired propulsion systems for underwater vehicles, drag reduction using liquid-infused surfaces, and turbulence-induced blood damage analysis. He has contributed to funded projects with Boeing, AFOSR, and Northrop Grumman. His work also spans wind energy harvesting via Helmholtz resonators and fundamental turbulence studies in pipe flows and stratified boundary layers.

Key research areas include unsteady flows, closed-loop control strategies, and vortex dynamics. Tyler collaborates with institutions like the Center for Flow Physics and Control (CeFPaC) at Rensselaer, where he has been involved since 2005. His experimental work involves advanced sensing technologies such as nano-scale devices for turbulence measurements and conductivity-based blood damage detection. Notable grants and funding sources include support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and industry partnerships.

• Advising/Grants: Supervised projects funded by Boeing (Ph.D. work), AFOSR (M.S. research), and Northrop Grumman (postdoc collaboration). Co-developed the Piezoelectric Driven Oscillating Surface (PDOS) technology.
• Labs/Teams: Core member of CeFPaC, focusing on aerodynamic control and fluid dynamics experimentation.