Welcome

I'm a Professor at Purdue University in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which is in the College of Engineering. I’ve been here since January, 1991 involved in numerous exciting projects. Rather than lists of accomplishments for people to count, here’s a link to download a pdf-file I use, as an informal curriculum vita if you will, that illustrates what I’ve enjoyed doing for all these years: informalCV. If you like video, here I am with two undergraduate students in my AAE418 class: video.

Purdue 1 is a big deal for us now, learn about this historic space mission here.

Graduate Students

Purdue 1 is so important to me that I am not taking on any new graduate students but am instead focusing keenly on achieving success in my experiment on Purdue 1.

My graduate student list is up to date for January 2026. It goes out of date rapidly; these students just seem to get so much accomplished so quickly.

Ph.D.:

• Alejandro Benítez De la Riva, Computational Modeling of Dynamic Capillary Flows in Sub-orbital Spaceflight.

M.S.:

• Don-Terry Veal, Gravity Gradient Effects on Propellant Control in Large Tanks. Expected May 2026.
• Sayantan Mukhuti, Small Sub-Orbital Experiments. Expected May 2027.
• Ellie Heany, CryoBubbles Zero-g Experiment Redesign and Testing. Expected May 2027.
• Abigail Mizzi, The Human-Tended Rotational Slosh Sub-Orbital Experiment. Expected May 2027.

Former Students, reverse chronological order:

• Colt Crowson, MS, Surgical Advancements for Deep Space Applications, May 2025
• Vishank Battar, MS, The Design of the Cryobubbles Experiment: Advancing the State of the Art of Cryogenic Propellant Management. December, 2023.
• Dylan Graulich, MS, Lunar Lander Plume Impingement Heating Experiment. August 2023
• Jordan Soberg, MS, Integrated Zero-gravity Surgery Suite and Suction System. December, 2022
• Guillermo Jaramillo, PhD, Effects of momentum thickness on liquid jet instabilities.
• Monish Lokhande, MS, Two-Dimensional Suborbital Slosh Experiment, May 2023.
• Praveen Srikanth, PhD, Determination of Cryogenic Accommodation Coefficient, 2019.
• Samantha Alberts, PhD, Cryogenic Gauging Technology Development, 2018.
• Robert Beggs, MS, Conformal Small-sat Propellant Tank Flight Experiment, 2022.
• Logan Walters, MS, Liquid Propellant Positioning and Control in Example Propellant Tank, 2021.
• Emily Beckman, MS, Small-sat Propellant Slosh, 2020
• Trevor Jahn, MS, Zero-gravity Droplet Stability, 2018.
• Ayah Zahour, MS, Prevention of aero-elastic excitation in high mast lighting towers, 2016.
• Praveen Srikanth, MS, Dynamics of Capillary Transitions, 2015.
• Samantha Alberts, MS, Large length-scale Thermalcapillary Convection Experiment Design, 2014.
• Adam Loesch, MS, Upper-Stratospheric Glider Flights for Low-g Experimentation, 2013.
• Jaime Ocampo, PhD, Vortex Shedding Lock-in on Tapered Bodies of Various Polygonal Cross-Sections, 2013.
• David Benson, MS, December, 2011, Fluid Physics Design for Third-Generation Vane-Gap Space Station Experiment.
• Lauren Sharp, MS, August, 2011, Three-Dimensional Critical Wetting Experiment in Microgravity.
• Jaime Ocampo, MS, December 2010, Decelerator for the New Purdue Drop Tower
• Jacqueline Jaron, MS, August, 2008, Static Two-Phase Solutions in Laterally-Compressed Circular Cylinders in Zero Gravity.
• Jonathan Braun, MS, May, 2008, Zero-Gravity Two-Phase Stability Solutions of Droplets in a Bent Circular Cylinder.
• Budi W. Chandra, PhD, October, 2006. Flow Physics in Turbine Engine Oil Sumps.
• Robert E. Manning, MS, August, 2006, Spaceflight-relevant Capillary Fluid Physics.
• Kuo-Tung Tseng, PhD, May, 2006. Micro-Fluidic Spray Control.
• Yongkang Chen, PhD, August, 2003. A Study of Capillary Flow in a Vane-wall Gap in Zero Gravity.
• Shannon L. Fitzpatrick, MS, May, 2003. A Study of Hydrogen Peroxide Low-Gravity Control for Propellant Management Devices.
• Terry Salyer, PhD, May, 2002. Laser Differential Interferometry for Supersonic Blunt-Body Receptivity Experiments.
• Thomas J. Hoverman, MS, May, 2002. A New Air Assist / Air Blast Atomizer.
• M. Stephen Krautheim, MS, May, 2002. High Reynolds Number Duct-Strut Flow in Turbofans.
• Daniel J. Radocaj, MS, December, 2001. Experiments in Turbine Engine Oil Sump Flows.
• David Ong, MS, August, 2000. Investigation of Cavitation in Circular and Slot Orifices with a Step.
• Jens Lindqvist, MS, May, 2000. High Reynolds Number Turbofan Bypass Duct Flows with Lift.
• Haiyun Li, PhD, December, 1999. Experiments in Cavitating Orifice Flows.
• Budi W. Chandra, MS, December, 1999. Temporal Characteristics of Small-Scale Cavitating Flows.
• Paul K. Sanchez, MS, May, 1999. Rigorous Investigation of Cavitation in a 2-D Slot Orifice.
• Mark Henry, MS, May, 1997. Experimental Investigation of a Cavitating Slot Orifice.
• Robert Bayt, MS, August, 1995. End Cap Effects on Vapor Bubble Stability in the Gravity Probe-B Main Helium Tank.
• Joe McGuire, MS, August, 1994. Fluid Dynamic Perturbations using Laser Induced Breakdown.
• Terry Salyer, MS, May, 1994. Quantitative Noise Reduction Measurements of a Multiple-Source Schlieren System.

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