Professor James S. Cotton is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University , specializing in Thermo-Fluid Sciences with a focus on energy sustainability and thermal management. Current research explores thermal energy harvesting , non-thermal plasma flue gas cleaning , and smart electrohydrodynamic heat exchangers . Active in community energy planning as a member of the Burlington Climate Action Plan (2019-2021) and Green Venture board (2016-2021). Research spans both fundamental and applied domains, including two-phase flow , electrohydrodynamic heat transfer modulation , and flow accelerated corrosion analysis. His work integrates modeling and experimental validation for real-world thermal systems. Scientific Contributions: Developed two novel patents for advanced thermal management and soot removal systems during his industrial career at Dana Corp. (until 2007). Current projects involve community energy corridors and next-generation sustainable energy solutions , including the 2025 Hamilton Energy Harvesting Study . Active mentor in graduate education, teaching courses like MECH ENG 4O04: Sustainable Energy Systems and MECH ENG 708: Two Phase Flow and Heat Transfer .












