Dr. Hope Michelsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in Thermo Fluid Sciences and Air Quality. Her research focuses on carbonaceous particle formation mechanisms, combustion diagnostics, and their environmental impacts. She leads efforts in developing laser/X-ray-based diagnostic tools for studying soot evolution in flames and atmospheric systems. Research Interests include soot inception/growth, black carbon climate effects, and particle synthesis control. She has pioneered studies on resonance-stabilized radicals' role in soot formation and developed novel sampling techniques like jet-entrainment methods. Her work bridges fundamental combustion science with practical applications in air quality and climate mitigation. Awards: Fellow, American Physical Society Fellow, The Optical Society Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee Lab facilities include advanced diagnostics at ECME 1B68/ECNW 180. Research collaborations involve multi-scale modeling of emissions and atmospheric transport. Current projects address wildfire soot dynamics and Arctic methane monitoring through inverse modeling techniques.
Rudie P.J. Kunnen is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Applied Physics and Science Education , Eindhoven University of Technology, leading the Turbulent and Multiphase Flows group. His research focuses on heat, mass, and particulate transport in turbulent flows, with applications in geophysics and industry. Active in UN Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental protection Collaborator in projects like Active Contamination Control for Equipment and SubstrateS Research Interests : Turbulent flow dynamics, rotating convection, vortex structures, thermophoresis, plasma-liquid interactions, and geostrophic turbulence. His work combines experimental and numerical approaches (e.g., direct numerical simulation, particle image velocimetry). Scientific Awards : NWO Vici Prize (2024) Advising and Collaborations : Supervised multiple BSc and MSc theses at TU/e. Collaborates with researchers like F. Toschi and H.J.H. Clercx on turbulence projects.
Dr. Junlin Yuan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University, within the College of Engineering. Her research focuses on large-scale numerical simulations of complex turbulent shear flows, particularly addressing non-equilibrium turbulence, wall roughness, and fluid-structure interaction. Applications span engineering, environmental, and bio-locomotive systems. She has secured funding from NSF, ONR, and industry partners. Education: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Queen's University, Canada (2015) M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Queen's University, Canada (2011) B.Eng. Aerospace Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China (2009) Research Interests: Dr. Yuan's work emphasizes understanding turbulence in complex geometries through direct numerical simulations (DNS) and developing physics-based models. Key areas include roughness sublayer dynamics, adverse pressure gradient effects, hyporheic exchange modeling, and turbulence-induced noise prediction. Her lab, the Turbulence Simulation & Modeling (TSM) Lab, bridges fundamental turbulence physics with practical engineering challenges. Grants & Advising: She secured a $400k NSF grant (CC* Compute) for high-memory computing infrastructure and a $490k NSF award on biomimetic fluid-structure interaction. Advised PhD students include Guangchen Shen, Saurabh Pargal, and Sai Mangavelli. Students have received fellowships such as the Richard H. Brown Endowed Fellowship and CFD Society of Canada scholarships. Labs & Teams: Directs the TSM Lab, which employs DNS and CFD tools to explore turbulence in environmental and engineered systems. Collaborates on projects involving sediment-water interface dynamics and rough wall aerodynamics.
Professor George Papadakis is a Professor of Aerodynamics at the Department of Aeronautics, Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London. His research focuses on fundamental analysis and manipulation of transitional or turbulent flows, with applications in aerodynamics, flow control, and mixing enhancement. He leads the Papadakis Lab, which develops computational methods and optimization algorithms for fluid dynamics problems. Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering (National Technical University of Athens, 1996), BEng in Mechanical Engineering (National Technical University of Athens, 1990). Professional history includes roles as Lecturer at King's College London (1999–2011) and Reader at Imperial College (2011–present). Research interests include turbulence enhancement/suppression, sensitivity analysis of chaotic systems, and DNS/LES simulations. His group is funded by EPSRC, European Union, Leverhulme Trust, and the President's Scholarship Fund. Key affiliations include the Energy Futures Lab and Flow Control networks. Advising and grants: Supervised numerous PhD students (e.g., Dandan Xiao, Felipe Alves Portela) and secured funding from multiple agencies. Current students include Hanxun Yao, Karim Shawki, and others. Research outputs span flow control, vortex dynamics, and industrial mixing applications. Labs/teams: Papadakis Lab focuses on aerodynamics, turbulence, and computational methods. Collaborations include Temasek Labs (Singapore) and Prof. J.C. Vassilicos (Imperial College).
Jonathan Poggie is a Professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University's College of Engineering, where he has been a faculty member since 2015. He previously spent over two decades at the Air Force Research Laboratory. His research group conducts high-fidelity simulations in hypersonic aerodynamics, turbulence, and plasma-based flow control, supported by major grants from DoD, DoE, AFOSR, and ONR. Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 1995 M.S.E., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 1991 B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 1988 Prof. Poggie's research focuses on high-speed fluid dynamics , particularly hypersonic flows , compressible turbulence , laminar-turbulent transition , and shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions . His group also investigates plasma-based flow control using electrical discharges. His work combines computational, experimental, and theoretical approaches to address challenges in aerospace vehicle design, especially for defense and space applications. The articles reflect a strong focus on computational fluid dynamics of high-speed flows, with particular emphasis on shock unsteadiness , boundary layer transition , and plasma actuation . The research spans from fundamental fluid mechanics to applied aerospace engineering, with increasing recent interest in military conflict modeling using fluid dynamics analogies. C. T. Sun Excellence in Research Award, 2023 University Faculty Scholar, 2023-2028 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award, 2021 Elmer F. Bruhn Teaching Award, 2019 W. A. Gustafson Teaching Award, 2018 ASME Fellow, 2007 AIAA Associate Fellow, 2004 Prof. Poggie has advised 6 PhD students and 18 MS students at Purdue as of 2025. His research has been supported by multiple large-scale grants, including three DoD Frontier Projects and a DoE INCITE Award , providing supercomputing resources for high-fidelity simulations. He collaborates with researchers at The Ohio State University, Notre Dame, and various national laboratories. His group has developed novel approaches to operational mapping for military conflict analysis, creating continuous flow models of battlefield dynamics. The team has also secured two patents in hypersonic technology, one for inlet design and another for a hypersonic test facility. His research group investigates geometric imperfections in hypersonic vehicles (steps, gaps, roughness), laminar-turbulent transition prediction, and separation unsteadiness in shock-wave interactions. They use advanced computational methods like DDES and DNS, supported by massive computing allocations. The group has produced significant work on sidewall confinement effects , wall roughness , and gap flows in hypersonic configurations.
Shervin Karimkashi Arani serves as an Academy Research Fellow within the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Aalto University, specializing in advanced combustion systems and sustainable energy technologies. His work bridges theoretical modeling and practical engineering applications for decarbonization. His core research interests include: Numerical simulation of ammonia/hydrogen combustion Turbulent flame dynamics and pollutant formation Conjugate heat transfer in energy systems Direct air capture process optimization Alternative fuel combustion for internal combustion engines Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals a strong focus on computational methods (DNS, LES, LBM) to investigate flame-wall interactions, ignition phenomena, and NOx reduction in carbon-free fuel systems. Key trends show increasing emphasis on hydrogen-ammonia blends for zero-carbon combustion and multi-physics modeling of energy conversion processes. He actively contributes to Aalto University's Energy Conversion and Systems research group, advancing fundamental understanding of thermofluid dynamics for next-generation clean energy technologies through high-fidelity numerical frameworks.
Professor Vincent Wheatley is a Professor at the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, University of Queensland , and Co-Director of the Centre for Hypersonics . His research focuses on supersonic plasma flows , hypersonics , and computational fluid dynamics , with applications in inertial confinement fusion and scramjet engines for space propulsion. Education: PhD in Aeronautics (2005), California Institute of Technology MEngSc (Mechanical), University of Queensland BE (Mechanical and Space), University of Queensland His recent work (2025–2021) explores scramjet combustion dynamics (e.g., hydrogen/ethylene fuel injection), plasma instabilities in multi-fluid models, and hypersonic noise and shock wave interactions . These studies employ direct numerical simulation (DNS) , large eddy simulation (LES) , and reacting flow modeling . Scientific Awards: Australia's Research Field Leader in Aerospace and Aviation Engineering (2018) 2017 Australian Award for University Teaching – Award for Teaching Excellence Professor Wheatley supervises projects on plasma fuel engines and hypersonic propulsion , supported by grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and Commonwealth Defence Science and Technology Group . His team collaborates on multi-fluid plasma simulation and scramjet optimization .
Maziar S. Hemati is an Associate Professor and Russell J. Penrose Faculty Fellow in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on advancing flow control technologies through the integration of theory, computation, and experiments. Key areas include turbulent transition delay, multi-fidelity sensor fusion, aerodynamic separation control, and hypersonic flight systems. Recent projects involve developing robust multi-physics frameworks for hypersonic systems, synthetic air data estimation for high-performance vehicles, and drag reduction strategies using DNS and systems theory. He has secured funding from agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, and industry partners like Honeywell. Education: Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (year not specified) Research interests span fluid dynamics, control systems, turbulence modeling, and computational fluid dynamics. His work contributes to sustainable development goals through advancements in aerodynamic efficiency and hypersonic technologies. Grants and Projects (selected): Turbulent drag reduction across Mach regimes (USDOD Navy, 2022–2025) Synthetic air data estimation for hypersonic vehicles (Texas A&M/USDOD, 2023–2026) Vehicle-as-a-Sensor for aerospace PNT systems (Honeywell, 2025–2026) Awarded the Russell J. Penrose Faculty Fellowship, he leads interdisciplinary teams in advancing aerospace engineering solutions with applications in defense and commercial aviation.
Armin Wehrfritz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Turku. His research focuses on high-fidelity numerical simulations of multiphase and chemically reacting flows, particularly involving low-carbon fuels like hydrogen. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Kaiserslautern and a Ph.D. from Aalto University. During his doctoral studies, he was a visiting researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology, and later worked as a Research Associate at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. His expertise spans computational fluid dynamics (CFD), turbulence modeling, combustion physics, and high-performance computing (HPC), with a growing interest in machine learning applications for numerical methods. Education: Doctoral Degree: Aalto University, Finland Master's Degree: University of Kaiserslautern, Germany Research interests include: Direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large-eddy simulation (LES) of combustion processes Hydrogen integration in compression-ignition engines Development of advanced micro-mixing models for transported PDF methods Data-driven approaches for optimizing combustion systems His recent work emphasizes reducing carbon emissions through hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel systems and improving simulation accuracy for engine-relevant conditions. Collaborations have involved institutions in the Netherlands, Australia, and the U.S., focusing on topics like plasma-ignited hydrogen jets and NOx reduction mechanisms.
Professor Tianfeng Lu is a faculty member in the School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut, where he joined as an Assistant Professor in 2008 and was appointed as the United Technologies Associate Professor of Engineering Innovation in 2016. His research focuses on computational fluid dynamics, combustion chemistry, and turbulent flow simulations. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Tsinghua University and his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. Dr. Lu's work emphasizes reducing complex chemical mechanisms for efficient simulations of multidimensional turbulent flows and engineering systems. His contributions include advancements in ignition dynamics, detonation modeling, and plasma-assisted combustion. Key projects involve exascale simulations through initiatives like PELE and collaborations on real-fuel combustion models for engines. His articles highlight breakthroughs in combustion diagnostics, engine efficiency, and pollutant reduction, with recent efforts addressing hydrogen-methane mixtures and low-temperature combustion strategies. Awards include his endowed chair position, reflecting recognition of his impactful contributions to combustion science.
Professor John Ryan Taylor is a faculty member in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, part of the Faculty of Mathematics. His research focuses on fluid dynamics of the ocean, particularly ocean turbulence, mixing processes, and their impacts on microorganisms and climate modeling. He is affiliated with the Atmosphere-Ocean Dynamics and High-Reynolds-Number Fluid Flow research groups. His work addresses small-scale ocean dynamics ( Recent publications span topics such as submesoscale activity detection via machine learning, ice shelf-ocean boundary currents, and stratified turbulence. His research emphasizes resolving unresolved mechanisms in ocean models to enhance climate predictions. Taylor collaborates widely, with notable contributions to understanding double-diffusive convection, internal waves, and kelp forest fluid dynamics.
Cecile Devaud is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Engineering. She leads the Turbulent Combustion Modeling Lab and is affiliated with Waterloo Engineering’s Fire Research Group and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy. Her research focuses on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for turbulent reacting flows, with applications in fire safety, automotive engineering, and sustainable energy systems. She holds a PhD in Turbulent Combustion from the University of Cambridge and has pioneered advancements in CFD modeling techniques like Conditional Source-term Estimation (CSE). Education: 1999: Doctorate in Turbulent Combustion, University of Cambridge, UK 1995: Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering (Propulsion Systems), INSA Rouen, France 1995: Master's in Thermal Power-Gas Turbine Technology, University of Cranfield, UK Research Interests: Development of CFD models for turbulent combustion, fire safety engineering, soot formation, auto-ignition, and emissions reduction. Her work spans aerospace, automotive, and nuclear industries, with recent focus on two-phase flows and compartment fires. Lab & Partnerships: The Turbulent Combustion Modeling Lab collaborates with industry and global partners to advance combustion technologies. Current projects include oxyfuel combustion, MILD combustion, and fire risk analysis in residential and industrial settings. The lab actively seeks graduate students and sponsors. Recognition: Holds a US patent for 'Air hybrid engine with a plurality of air tanks' (with collaborators).
Dimitrios Rozakis is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is actively engaged in research and teaching at the College of Engineering, where he leads the Aerodynamics & Propulsion Laboratory . Education PhD in Aerospace Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (2012) MSc in Fluid Mechanics, University of Manchester (2008) Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2006) Research Interests His research spans computational and experimental aerodynamics , with particular emphasis on: Transonic and supersonic flows Flow control using plasma actuators Hypersonic boundary-layer transition Reduced-order modelling and machine-learning techniques Turbomachinery aerodynamics Recent work has focused on high-fidelity simulations of buffet phenomena, experimental investigations of plasma-based separation control, and the development of data-driven surrogate models for unsteady aerodynamic loads. Selected Scientific Awards ASME Best Paper Award (2020) European Research Council Starting Grant (2018) AIAA Young Investigator Award (2016) Students, Grants & Funding He currently supervises three PhD students—Maria Koutsogianni, Panagiotis Giannakakis, and Eleni Christoforou—working on projects funded by the ERC, Horizon Europe, and the Greek Secretariat for Research & Technology. Active grants include an ERC Starting Grant on “Physics-informed machine learning for unsteady aerodynamics” (€1.5 M) and a Horizon Europe project on “Green regional aircraft technologies” (€4.2 M). Laboratory & Collaborations He directs the Aerodynamics & Propulsion Laboratory , which houses low-speed and transonic wind tunnels, a Ludwieg-tube facility for short-duration hypersonic experiments, and a high-performance computing cluster (>2 000 CPU cores). Ongoing collaborations include the von Karman Institute, DLR, and ONERA.
Mostafa Aghaei Jouybari serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas School of Engineering, where he directs the Computational Turbulence Laboratory (CTLab). His academic appointment and laboratory leadership position him at the forefront of advanced turbulence research within the institution. His educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University (2020) B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (2016) Dr. Aghaei Jouybari's research program centers on turbulence simulation and modeling, with specialized expertise in wall-bounded supersonic flows, rough-wall and porous media interactions, and computational fluid dynamics enhanced by machine learning. His work bridges fundamental turbulence physics with practical flow control applications, particularly through high-fidelity numerical simulations. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) reveals a dominant research trajectory focused on developing novel models for porous media flows and rough-wall turbulence. Key themes include the extension of Darcy-Forchheimer laws to capture anisotropic effects, experimental validation of turbulent separation control using lattice substrates, and machine learning applications for drag prediction. His publications demonstrate consistent innovation in modeling techniques for complex flow regimes, with particular emphasis on passive flow control mechanisms. As Director of the Computational Turbulence Laboratory, he leads a research team utilizing high-performance computing resources to conduct DNS/LES/RANS simulations of challenging flow scenarios. The CTLab serves as the operational hub for his investigations into supersonic rough-wall flows and porous media interactions, providing critical infrastructure for advancing turbulence modeling capabilities.
Lian Shen is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota and serves as the Director of the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, a premier research center for fluid mechanics and environmental engineering. He is actively involved in interdisciplinary research with strong ties to atmospheric science, oceanography, and renewable energy systems. Position: Professor, Mechanical Engineering Leadership: Director, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory Institution: University of Minnesota, College of Science and Engineering His research focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of fluid dynamics, particularly turbulence, air-sea interaction, and environmental flows. Using advanced computational techniques such as Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), he investigates complex phenomena including marine atmospheric boundary layers, upper-ocean turbulence, floating offshore wind systems, and biofilm-sediment interactions. His work integrates high-performance computing, machine learning, and field data validation to address challenges in climate modeling and sustainable energy. The trends in his recent publications (2018–2025) show a consistent emphasis on computational modeling of turbulent flows influenced by waves, stratification, and biological factors. His articles span journals in fluid mechanics, geophysics, and applied mathematics, reflecting a highly interdisciplinary approach. Key themes include GPU-accelerated simulations, wind-wave generation theory, particle-laden convection, and the role of synthetic biofilms in sediment evolution. Dr. Shen has secured substantial funding from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense (Navy), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His active grants support projects such as: LES of moisture and aerosol in marine atmosphere with air-sea interaction Fundamental dynamics of upper-ocean turbulence Modeling bubble dynamics at field sites FLOWMAS: Floating Offshore Wind Modeling and Simulation Impacts of biofilms on seabed topography He advises postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, fostering the next generation of scientists in fluid mechanics and environmental engineering. His lab produces open datasets supporting transparency and reproducibility in research.
