Current Senior Members
Dr. Lakshya Bhatnagar
Research Scientist
Lakshya likes sci fi ,travelling and eating. On a break you can find him hiking, running or cooking
Dr. Lukas Inhestern
Research Scientist
Lukas likes to have coffee and cake preferably sitting outside in the sun. He also enjoys doing sports like badminton
Michael Butzen
Research Engineer
Michael enjoys cooking and eating new foods, hiking, ice fishing, paintball, and game nights with family and friends
Dr. Izzet Sahin
Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow
Izzet enjoys hiking, road trips, camping, nature, and spending time with his cats.
Ashlyn Butzen
Engineering Technician
Ashlyn enjoys hiking, working on her car, and gardening
Current PhD Students
Logan Tuite
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Logan enjoys scuba diving, rock climbing, and camping in the summer and snowboarding in the winter
Antonio Castillo Sauca
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Antonio is an enthusiast of ski touring, hiking, and climbing, enjoys the scenery from the summits
Aubrey McKelvy
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Aubrey likes to ride motorcycles when it’s not snowing, ski when it is snowing, and play piano
Antoni Rebassa
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Toni likes swimming, spearfishing, windsurfing on the sea, good food, racquet sports and running
Hunter Nowak
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Hunter enjoys rock climbing, playing bass guitar, going on road trips, watching sports, and playing board games
Sergio Grasa Martinez
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Sergio enjoys basketball, tennis and watching motorsports, loves visiting aviation museums
Andrea Ruan
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Andrea enjoys reading biographies and loves playing soccer, being in the mountains and drinking beer
Ford Lynch
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Ford enjoys hiking, mountain biking, gardening, and spending time with friends and family
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Kevin Boes
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Kevin enjoys working out, traveling with friends, and going on long walks/hikes
William Andress
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Bill enjoys baking, camping, soccer, and playing games with friends
James Twaddle
Research Assistant - PhD Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
James enjoys hiking, classic 60's and blues, playing guitar, talking about philosophy, and watching movies
Current MS Students
Diego Sanchez
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Diego enjoys hiking, cooking, climbing and traveling with friends
John Andrew Grunenwald
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Jack enjoys trying new foods, drinking tea, playing electric guitar, and playing board games
Kush Sreen
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Kush enjoys enjoy cooking, swimming and watching movies
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Adam Moeller
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Adam enjoys cooking new foods, travelling, skiing and hiking
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Ignacio Lasala
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Ignacio enjoys cycling, watching action movies, and playing the guitar, loves travelling and sightseeing
Esteban Guarnizo
Research Assistant - MS Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Esteban enjoys walking and visiting historic places, listening to classical and folkloric music
Current Undergraduate Research Assistants
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Avidh Bavkar
BS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Avidh likes to travel, watch motorsports, and enjoy time outdoors with friends
Alvaro Malaga Olay
BS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Alvaro enjoys golfing, boating, playing racket sports, and traveling with friends
Alina Stuleanu
BS Student - School of Mechanical Engineering
Alina enjoys weightlifting, skiing, baking, and repairing and maintaining racing karts for Purdue Grand Prix
Khoi Yon Leong
BS Student - School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Khoi enjoys basketball, running, working out and spending time with friends
Purdue Alumni - PhD Graduates
Lakshya Bhatnagar
PhD 04/2022, Research Scientist 2022-present
"A probabilistic approach to uncertainty in turbine efficiency measurement"
Dayna Obenauf
PhD 02/2022
"Experimental and Theoretical Characterization of liquid jet and droplet breakup in high-speed flows"
Francisco Lozano
PhD 09/2021
"Control of shock-vortex interaction through leading edge blowing"
Papa Aye (Nyansafo) Aye-Addo
PhD 08/2021
"Development of a Laser-lifetime Pressure Sensitive Paint Method for Turbine Analysis"
Jordan Fisher
PhD 10/2020
"Optical Techniques in High-speed reacting and non-reacting flows"
Iman Rahbari
PhD 11/2019, Research Scientist 2020-2021
"Acoustic streaming in compressible turbulent boundary layers;
Zhe Liu
PhD 11/2019
"Characterization of axial turbines for pressure gain combustion"
Paht Juangphanich
PhD 9/2019
"Bio-inspired optimization of a turbine stage"
James Braun
PhD 7/2019, Research Assistant Professor 2020-2023
"Power harvesting from shock waves: The axial bladeless turbine"
Valeria Andreoli
PhD 6/2019, Postdoc 2019-2020
"Cooled turbine tip design: Aerothermal optimization for engine transients"
Jorge Saavedra
PhD 11/2018, Postdoc 2019-2020
"Determining the dynamic scales of the boundary layer and flow separation inception: Analysis towards efficient flow control"
David Gonzalez Cuadrado
PhD 09/2018, Senior Research Administrator 2019-2020
" 3D Inverse Heat Transfer Methodologies for Microelectronic and Gas Turbine Applications"
Cis De Maesschalck
PhD 11/2016, Postdoc 2017
"Design, Analysis, Optimization and Control of Rotor Tip Flows"
Jorge Sousa
PhD Spring 2016, Postdoc 2016
"Supersonic turbine design"
von Karman Institute Alumni - PhD Graduates
Michael Joly
PhD Spring 2014
"Optimization of turbomachinery for high-speed propulsion"
Henny Bottini
PhD Spring 2014
"Analysis of transition to turbulence of a high-speed-flow"
Laura Villafañe
PhD Fall 2013
"Experimental aerothermal performance of a turbofan bypass flow heat exchangers"
Victor Fernandez
PhD Fall 2013
"Simulation design and analysis of combined cycles for high-speed propulsion"
Sergio Lavagnoli
PhD Fall 2012
"On the aerothermal flow field in a transonic HPT stage with a multi-profile LPT"
Bayindir Saracoglu
PhD Summer 2012
"Turbine base pressure active control through trailing edge blowing"
Marco Pau
PhD Spring 2009
"Aerothermal impact of purge flow and rotor platform cooling on a HP turbine stage"
Tolga Yasa
PhD Spring 2008
"Efficiency of a HPT tested in a compression tube facility"
Purdue Alumni - MS Graduates
Luis Zarate Sanchez
MS 7/2023
"Experimental Study of Boundary Layer Separation and in a Low-Reynolds, High-Diffusion Passage through Infrared Thermography"
Ford Lynch
MS 7/2023
"Performance of supersonic turbomachinery for rotating detonation engines"
"Co-advised with Prof. James Braun"
Stephen Bean
MS 5/2023
"Optimization and analysis of squealer tip geometries in supercritical CO2"
Andrea Ruan
MS 2/2023
"Experimental characterization of high lift transonic turbine rotor performance in an annular cascade"
Connor McQueen
MS 2/2023
"Development of Particle Image Velocimetry for a high speed two-stage turbine"
Nathaniel Kiefer
MS 2/2023
"Development and characterization of Mach 2-6 Nozzle using High-frequency optical and surface techniques"
Sergio Grasa
MS 12/2022
"Design and optimization of diffusive turbine nozzle guide vanes downstream of a transonic rotating detonation combustor"
James Twaddle
MS 12/2022
"Experimental assessment of transonic Rossiter cavity in developing acoustic streaming and its effects on heat transfer"
Nicholas Long
MS 11/2022
"Development of a novel experimental methodology for testing turbine rotor designs in a non-rotating annular cascade"
Roberto Nares Alcalá
MS 07/2022
"Development of high-fidelity temperature probe to assess heat transfer enhancement with acoustic enhancement"
Hunter Nowak
MS 04/2022
"Controlling quasi-2D separation with flow injection"
John Paulson
MS 04/2022
"Analysis on Separated Regions in Internal Flows through Particle Image Velocimetry"
Antoni Rebassa
MS 11/2021
"Aerothermal characterization and multi-objective optimization of finned heat exchangers"
Aubrey McKelvy
MS 11/2021
"High precision force application and temperature resistant probe nacelles for supersonic exhaust characterization"
Michael Butzen
MS 07/2021
"Design of Test Section for Modulating Heat Flux Using Acoustic Streaming in Narrow Channel Experiments"
Syed Shoiab
MS 06/2021
"Development of shear stress measurement technique and plotting surface streak lines using oil technique"
Santiago Salinas
MS 05/2021
"Sensor calibration system and methodology for tip clearance measurements in turbomachines"
Antonio Castillo Sauca
MS 05/2021
"Development of experimental capabilities for the aerothermal characterization of surface air-cooled heat exchangers"
Daniel Inman
MS 02/2020
"Particle Image Velocimetry in a High Pressure Turbine stage at aerodynamically engine representative conditions"
Shawn Willette
MS 04/2019
"On the design of a fast opening valve for rapid release of a pressure differential within Ludwieg Tubes"
Udit Vyas
MS 04/2019
"Aerodynamic investigation and optimization of compact engine intakes for high subsonic speed applications"
Swapnil Ingale
MS 12/2018, Senior Turbine Test Assistant 2020-2022
"Characterization of the Purdue Experimental Turbine Aerothermal Lab Rigs using Hot Wires"
Lakshya Bhatnagar
MS 08/2018
"Atomic Layer Thermopile Film for Heat Flux Measurement in high speed and high temperature flows"
Shengqi Lu
MS 06/2018
"Development of high-frequency virtual thermocouples"
Raunaq Kumaran
MS Spring 2022
Ryan Bohr
MS Fall 2020
Siddhant Joshi
MS Spring 2020
Jose David Ramirez
MS Spring 2020
Nathan Humbert
MS Fall 2019
Val Joiner
MS Spring 2019
Hongyi Shao
MS Spring 2018
Naga Tejadeep Kalipi
MS Fall 2016
Yutao Zheng
MS Spring 2016
Purdue Alumni - BS Graduates
Mehul Dhillon
(Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
Ignacio Lasala
(Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
Alex Suppiah
(Summer 2022)
Kevin Boes
(Spring 2022, Summer 2022, Fall 2022)
Miranda Daane
(Summer 2021, Fall 2021, Fall 2022)
Maxwell Bolt
(Fall 2021, Fall 2022)
Avidh Bavkar
(Spring 2022, Summer 2022, Fall 2022)
Jack Grunewald
(Fall 2021, Spring 2022)
Diego Sanchez
(Fall 2021, Spring2022)
William Andress
(Fall 2021)
Saunak Debnath
(Summer, Fall 2021)
William Owens
(Fall 2020, Spring, Summer, Fall 2021)
Luiz Eduardo Leite Filho
(Spring, Summer 2021)
Tim Miller
(Spring, Summer 2021)
Edward Eugene Bryan
(Fall 2020, Spring 2021)
Pablo Gasco
(Spring 2021)
Miquel Perez Nebot
(Spring 2021)
Alec Vucsko
(Spring 2021)
Nathaniel Kiefer
(Fall 2020, Spring 2021)
Jack Atkinson
(Fall 2020)
James Twaddle
(Fall 2020)
Paul Adler
(Fall 2020)
Antoni Rebassa
(Spring, Summer 2020)
Austin Barrow
(Spring, Fall 2020)
Ivanka Carbajal
(Spring, Fall 2020)
Scott Giammatteo
(Fall 2020)
Asato Reese
(Spring, Summer 2020)
Martin Degener
(Fall, Spring 2019)
Nicholas Schmidt
(Fall 2019)
Matthew Nichols
(2018-2020)
Leonardo Facchini
(Spring 2019)
Yuhan Roh
(Spring, Summer, Fall 2018)
Kiran Prabakar
(Spring 2018)
Nicholas Long
(Spring, Summer, Fall 2018, 2019, 2020)
Diego Martinez
(Fall 2017, Spring 2018)
Clement Villegas
(Spring, Fall 2018)
Patrick Krane
(Spring 2017)
Tanvi Sawant
(Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
Eric Schweitzer
(Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
Matthew Hersey
(Summer, Fall 2016)
Robert Meyer
(Summer, Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
Andres Porro Carvalhar
(Spring, Fall 2016)
Vinicius Mapelli
(Summer 2015)
Hugo da Silva Lui
(Summer 2015)
Andre Oliveira
(Summer 2015)
Sudeep Sai
(Summer 2015)
Jack Boes
(Spring 2015)
Purdue Alumni - Visiting Scholars
Beka Begiashvili
Univ. Politecnica de Madrid
(5/17/2023 – 9/30/2023)
Carlos Jesus Ruiz Sanchez
Univ. Politecnica de Madrid
(3/20/2023 – 6/10/2023)
Gabriel do Lago Marques
Univ. of Campinas
(1/9/2023 – 5/15/2023)
Andres Mateo Gabin
Univ. Politecnica de Madrid
(9/15/2022 – 2/15/2023)
Hongyi Wei
TU Berlin
(9/1/2022 – 1/27/2023)
Himpu Marbona
UPV
(9/9/2022 – 11/25/2022)
Steffen Hammer
KTH
(6/15/2022 – 9/30/2022)
Adrian Delgado
U de Leon
(6/10/2022 – 10/31/2022)
Federico Lluesma
Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (9/01/2021 – 1/30/2022)
Yingzhu Wang
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (3/25/2019 – 6/29/2019)
Alejandro Martinez Cava
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (9/3/2018 – 11/9/2018)
Lukas Inhestern
Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (6/1/2018 – 9/30/2018)
Ivan Padilla
von Karman Institute
(1/13/2018 – 04/05/2018)
Francisco Jesus Lozano
KTH
(06/10/2016 – 08/26/2016)
Ruth Herrero
Pol. University of Cartagena
(05/01/2016 – 08/01/2016)
Juan Pedro Solano
Pol. University of Cartagena
(05/01/2016 – 08/01/2016)
Jorge Saavedra
von Karman Institute
(1/01/2015 – 08/01/2015)