Faculty — by Research Area
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Aerodynamics | Aerospace Systems | Astrodynamics and Space Applications | Autonomy and Control | Propulsion | Structures & Materials
Aerodynamics
Alina Alexeenko
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics & Chemical Engineering, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
University Faculty Scholar, 2015-2020
University Faculty Scholar, 2015-2020
Professor; Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2003; rarefied gas dynamics, direct simulation Monte Carlo, MEMS and micropropulsion, vacuum-based manufacturing.
Andres Arrieta Diaz
(By Courtesy)
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., University of Bristol, United Kingdom, '10; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ETH Zurich, '12
ME 3061H, HLAB 1004
aarrieta@purdue.edu
Sally Bane
(she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Associate Professor; Ph.D. Caltech, 2010; Plasmas for combustion and flow control, experimental combustion, optical flow diagnostics
Gregory Blaisdell
Professor, Associate Head of Gambaro Graduate Program of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor; Ph.D., Stanford, 1991, computational fluid mechanics, transition and turbulence.
Luciano Castillo
(By Courtesy)
Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems in Mechanical Engineering
Steven Collicott
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., Stanford, 1991, experimental fluid mechanics, low-gravity fluid dynamics, optical diagnostics, applied optics.
Joseph Jewell
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Caltech, 2014. Hypersonic aerothermodynamics, boundary layer instability, transition, and turbulence. Non-intrusive diagnostic methods for fluid mechanics.
Sergey Macheret
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, 1985; plasmas and electric discharges, plasma aerodynamics, plasma RF antennas and switches, nonequilibrium and rarefied gas dynamics, molecular and atomic processes in high-enthalpy gases and plasmas.
Guillermo Paniagua
(By Courtesy)
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics (by Courtesy)
Research areas: Turbomachinery, turbines; Measurement techniques, experimental turbomachinery; Air-breathing propulsion.
Jonathan Poggie
Professor
Professor; Ph.D, Princeton University, 1995; Hypersonic Flight, Compressible Flow, Flow Control, Turbulence, Laminar-Turbulent Transition, Weakly-Ionized Plasmas, Magnetohydrodynamics
Steven Schneider
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., Caltech, 1989. Focuses on hypersonic and supersonic laminar-turbulent transition. Experimental research includes the development of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel and associate instrumentation.
Alexey Shashurin
Associate Professor
Associate professor; Laser-induced plasma; Electric propulsion; Nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges; Plasma biomedical engineering; Generation, diagnostics and applications of cold plasmas.
Tom Shih
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor; Ph.D., The University of Michigan, 1981; Computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer, thermal management, gas turbine aerothermal, control of shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions, aircraft icing.
Aerospace Systems
Barrett Caldwell
Professor of Industrial Engineering & Aeronautics and Astronautics
Ph.D., University of California-Davis, 1990; Human factors engineering; Distributed human supervisory control; Team coordination and performance using information technology.
William Crossley
(he/him/his)
Uhrig & Vournas Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State, 1995. Optimization and design methods for aerospace systems, systems of systems, design under uncertainty, environmental impact of aviation.
Daniel DeLaurentis
Professor
Chief Scientist of the Department of Defense Systems Engineering Research Center UARC
Vice President for Research Institutes and Centers, Purdue Discovery Park District
Director of Purdue’s Institute for Global Security and Defense Innovation (i-GSDI)
Chief Scientist of the Department of Defense Systems Engineering Research Center UARC
Vice President for Research Institutes and Centers, Purdue Discovery Park District
Director of Purdue’s Institute for Global Security and Defense Innovation (i-GSDI)
Professor; Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998; Design Methods, Aerospace Systems and Flight Vehicles; System-of-Systems.
Christopher Goldenstein
(By Courtesy)
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2014
Inseok Hwang
Professor
University Faculty Scholar, 2017-2022
University Faculty Scholar, 2017-2022
Professor; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2004; hybrid system theory, information inference of complex dynamical systems, safety verification, and their application to the control of multiple-vehicle systems, especially air traffic surveillance and control.
Leifur Leifsson
Associate Professor
Associate professor; Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Aerospace Engineering, 2006; Computational design of aerospace systems; multidisciplinary design optimization; surrogate-based modeling and optimization; uncertainty quantification; machine learning; multifidelity methods
Karen Marais
(she/her)
Professor; Associate Head for Undergraduate Education
Professor; Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005, safety and risk analysis, financial modeling of engineering systems, environmental impacts of technology.
Dengfeng Sun
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2008; distributed control, optimization and autonomy; cyber-physical systems; unmanned aerial vehicle systems; advanced air mobility; air traffic control and air transportation; intelligent transportation systems
Astrodynamics and Space Applications
David Arnas
(he/him/his)
Assistant Professor
Assistant professor; Ph.D., Universidad de Zaragoza.
Astrodynamics, Satellite Constellation Design, Mission Analysis, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science.
Carolin Frueh
(she/her/hers)
Associate Professor
Associate Professor; Ph.D. University of Bern, Switzerland, 2011; Space Situational Awareness (satellites, debris and near earth objects), Space Object Characterization, Satellite Guidance, Navigation and Control, Astrodynamics, Sensor Tasking, Low Observability Systems, Information Quantification and Retrieval.
James Garrison
(he/him/his)
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (by courtesy)
University Faculty Scholar, 2022-2027
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (by courtesy)
University Faculty Scholar, 2022-2027
Professor; Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, 1997, Earth remote sensing, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), bistatic radar, signals of opportunity.
Briony Horgan
(By Courtesy)
Professor of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science
PhD, Cornell University, 2010
Kathleen Howell
Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Hsu Lo Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Ph.D., Stanford, 1983, orbit mechanics, spacecraft dynamics, control; trajectory optimization.
Keith LeGrand
(he/him/his)
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Cornell University, Aerospace Engineering, 2022; Sandia National Laboratories, 2013-2019; multi-sensor multi-object tracking; spacecraft navigation; space domain awareness; intelligent sensor control and tasking
James Longuski
Professor
Professor, Ph.D., Michigan, 1979, spacecraft dynamics, orbit mechanics, control, orbit decay and reentry.
David Minton
(By Courtesy)
Associate Professor of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science
Associate Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2009
Kenshiro Oguri
(he/him/his)
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor;
Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder, 2021;
NASA JPL-Caltech Mission Design and Navigation section, 2021;
astrodynamics,
mission design,
trajectory optimization,
spacecraft GNC
David Spencer
Adjunct faculty
Adjunct associate professor; Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2015; mission design, spacecraft relative motion, aeroassist technologies, mission operations, small satellite applications.
Autonomy and Control
Daniel DeLaurentis
Professor
Chief Scientist of the Department of Defense Systems Engineering Research Center UARC
Vice President for Research Institutes and Centers, Purdue Discovery Park District
Director of Purdue’s Institute for Global Security and Defense Innovation (i-GSDI)
Chief Scientist of the Department of Defense Systems Engineering Research Center UARC
Vice President for Research Institutes and Centers, Purdue Discovery Park District
Director of Purdue’s Institute for Global Security and Defense Innovation (i-GSDI)
Professor; Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998; Design Methods, Aerospace Systems and Flight Vehicles; System-of-Systems.
Inseok Hwang
Professor
University Faculty Scholar, 2017-2022
University Faculty Scholar, 2017-2022
Professor; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2004; hybrid system theory, information inference of complex dynamical systems, safety verification, and their application to the control of multiple-vehicle systems, especially air traffic surveillance and control.
Husheng Li
Professor Of Aero And Astro Engineering
Professor; Ph.D., Princeton, 2005; Research Interest: Autonomous and Connected Systems; Cyber Physical Systems, Wireless Communications, Radar Systems, Statistical Signal Processing, Information Theory, Random Matrix Theory.
Shaoshuai Mou
Associate Professor, Co-Director, Institute for Control, Optimization and Networks (ICON)
Associate Professor; Ph.D. Yale University, 2014; Distributed Control of Multi-Agent Networks, Distributed Optimization, UAVs Design and Collaboration.
Dengfeng Sun
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 2008; distributed control, optimization and autonomy; cyber-physical systems; unmanned aerial vehicle systems; advanced air mobility; air traffic control and air transportation; intelligent transportation systems
Propulsion
William Anderson
Professor
Professor; Ph.D. The Pennsylvania State University 1996. Chemical propulsion and design methodologies
Christopher Goldenstein
(By Courtesy)
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., Stanford University, 2014
Jay Gore
(By Courtesy)
Reilly University Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Vincent P. Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 1986, combustion, turbulent reacting flows and pollutant reduction, radiation heat transfer, biomedical heat transfer and fluid flows.
Chaffee Hall, Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories (Mechanical Engineering)
(765) 494-0061
gore@purdue.edu
Stephen Heister
Raisbeck Engineering Distinguished Professor for Engineering and Technology Integration
Raisbeck Engineering Distinguished Professor for Engineering and Technology Integration; Ph.D., UCLA, 1988, rocket propulsion, liquid propellant injection systems.
Nicole Key
(By Courtesy)
Professor Of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., Purdue University, 2007; Aerothermal aspects of turbomachinery, Axial and radial compressor performance, Experimental methods in fluid mechanics
Robert Lucht
Ralph and Bettye Bailey Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Ralph and Bettye Bailey Professor of Combustion in Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., Purdue 1981, Laser diagnostics, Diode-laser-based sensors, Gas turbine and internal engine combustion, Materials processing and synthesis, Combustion science, Fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
(765) 494-5623
lucht@purdue.edu
Terrence Meyer
(By Courtesy)
Professor Of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering; PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001
Guillermo Paniagua
(By Courtesy)
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics (by Courtesy)
Research areas: Turbomachinery, turbines; Measurement techniques, experimental turbomachinery; Air-breathing propulsion.
Timothée Pourpoint
(he/him)
Professor
University Faculty Scholar, 2020-2025
University Faculty Scholar, 2020-2025
Professor, Ph.D., Purdue University, 2005; aerospace propulsion systems, rocket engine combustors, liquid propellant injection systems, hypergolic propellants, high pressure and hydrogen storage systems.
Li Qiao
Professor, Associate Head for Engagement and Recognition
Professor; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2007; Energetic nanomaterials, fuel synthesis and alternative fuels, pre-chamber turbulent jet ignition, supercritical fuel behaviors in high-pressure propulsion systems, micro-propulsion for space applications, experimental fluid dynamics, advanced laser and x-Ray diagnostics.
Carson Slabaugh
Associate Professor
Associate professor; Ph.D., Purdue University, 2014; Research focus on multi-physics fluid mechanics at extreme conditions, including turbulent, high pressure, multi-phase, and reacting flows. Experimental techniques to characterize the chemistry and physics of complex flows are also emphasized. Applications include rockets, gas turbines, high-speed propulsion systems, and detonation-based engines.
Steven Son
(By Courtesy)
Alfred J. Mcallister Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1993; Multiphase combustion, particularly related to propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics; Nanoscale composite energetic materials; Advanced energetic materials; Microscale combustion.
Haifeng Wang
Associate Professor
Associate Professor; Ph.D. Cornell University, 2010; Turbulence and combustion modeling; Computational fluid dynamics; High-performance computing; Machine learning and data-driven modeling.
Structures & Materials
Weinong Chen
Reilly Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics & Materials Engineering
Joint appointment with Materials Engineering
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
Joint appointment with Materials Engineering
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
Professor; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1995, Mechanical Response of Solids and Structures under Extreme Conditions, Microstructural Effects on Mechanical Behavior, Fatigue Behavior of Engineering Materials, Experimental Solid and Structural Mechanics.
William Crossley
(he/him/his)
Uhrig & Vournas Head of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State, 1995. Optimization and design methods for aerospace systems, systems of systems, design under uncertainty, environmental impact of aviation.
James Doyle
Professor
Professor; Ph.D., Illinois, 1977, structural dynamics, experimental mechanics, inverse problems, wave propagation.
Jan-Anders Mansson
(By Courtesy)
Distinguished Professor Of Mse/Chem En
Distinguished Professor of Materials Engineering and Chemical Engineering; Co-Director of IN-MaC; PhD, Chalmers University of Technology
R Byron Pipes
John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering
Joint appointment with Chemical Engineering & Materials Engineering
Joint appointment with Chemical Engineering & Materials Engineering
John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering; Ph.D., University of Texas, 1972; application of nanotechnology to engineering disciplines including aerospace, composite materials, and polymer science and engineering.
(765) 494-5767
bpipes@purdue.edu
Michael Sangid
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics/Prof of Materials Engineering
Executive Director of Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center
University Faculty Scholar, 2022-2027
Executive Director of Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center
University Faculty Scholar, 2022-2027
Ph.D. University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, 2010;
Physical basis of failure mechanisms (fatigue, fracture, etc.); Coupled simulations and in situ experiments for model validation; Accelerated qualification of structural materials (including additive manufacturing); Location specific life analysis and property tailoring of components; Digital manufacturing and lifecycle management (digital twin)
Fabio Semperlotti
(By Courtesy)
Professor Of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University, 2009
(765) 494-5974
fsemperl@purdue.edu
Tyler Tallman
Associate Professor
PhD, University of Michigan, 2015; multifunctional materials, embedded sensing, inverse problems, smart structures, and nondestructive evaluation
Vikas Tomar
Professor
University Faculty Scholar, 2016-2021
University Faculty Scholar, 2016-2021
Professor; PhD Georgia Tech-December 2005;
Mechanical Raman Spectroscopy; Energy and Energetic Materials; In-Situ Shock Loading Analyses; Hypersonics and Space Environment Testing; Data Science and Machine Learning Aided Extreme Environment Sensor Design; Battery Management Systems
Wenbin Yu
Professor
PhD, Georgia Tech, 2002. Technical area: structural mechanics, micromechanics, multiscale constitutive modeling