Each year, the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering graduates between 30 and 40 doctoral students - each with unique contributions to make in research, academia, industry, and the evolution of the discipline itself. On this page, we provide links to their abstracts and their published dissertations. We're also introducing Next Gen Ideas, a video series in which our doctoral candidates will have ~ 3 minutes to explain research that took them years to produce. (No one ever said aerospace engineering was easy.) Click on the video above to get started.

First Name Title Abstract Advisor Abstract or Dissertation
Kyung Hak Choo A Methodology for the Prediction of Non-volatile Particulate Matter from Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine There is growing concern about the adverse effects of particulate matter emissions on human health and the environment. It is revealed that particulate emissions are responsible for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary diseases resulting in reduced life expectancy as well as climate change Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris read the dissertation
Martijn IJtsma Computational Simulation of Adaptation of Work Strategies in Teams Socio-technical systems operating in complex work domains, such as space operations, need to be resilient to maintain performance under a wide variety of work conditions. When designing socio-technical systems, one way of fostering resilience is to build support for humans in the system to adapt fluently to changing demands. Prof. Amy Pritchett and Prof. Karen Feigh read the dissertation
Xu Jin Cyber-Physical System Security, Optimal Control, and Consensus Protocols for Nonlinear Stochastic Systems Recent technological advances in communications and computation have spurred a broad interest in control law architectures involving the monitoring, coordination, integration, and operation of sensing, computing, and communication components that tightly interact with the physical processes that they control. Prof. Wassim Haddad read the dissertation
Haoyun Fu An Architecture-based Growth Approach for Industrial Gas Turbine Product Development NA Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris NA
Sehwan Oh Resilience-Enhanced Control Reconfiguration for Autonomous Systems Unmanned systems keep replacing manned systems as a paradigm shift. According to the Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) market forecast reports, the UAS market value is expected to grow two to three times higher in ten years. Considering the economic impacts of UAS application in job markets and component manufacturing industries, the UAS market value may very well exceed, which is predicted in the reports Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris read the dissertation
Brett R. Hiller An Unsteady Aerodynamics Reduced-Order Modeling Method for Maneuvering, Flexible Flight Vehicles Accurate aerodynamic predictions remain a cornerstone of the aircraft design process due to their significance in determining the performance and stability and control (S&C) characteristics of aircraft. Traditional flight dynamics modeling has historically relied on the use of quasi-steady stability derivatives, often calculated using simplified linear aerodynamic methods. Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris read the dissertation
Connie Liu Investigating Physics of Nanosecond-Pulsed Argon Plasma Discharges for VLF Plasma Antenna Very low frequency (VLF) waves (3-30 kHz) are useful in communication and navigation, can deeply penetrate the ground and ocean surface, and help with satellite protection by removing energetic charged particles in the Van Allen radiation belts that damage satellite electronics. Prof. Mitchell L.R. Walker and Prof. Morris Cohen read the dissertation
Sampath Adusumilli Effects of Preheat Temperature and Vitiation on Reaction Kinetics of Higher Hydrocarbon Fuels Conducting full-scale experiments as part of the design process of jet engine combustors is a costly and time-consuming process. Therefore engine developers have been increasingly using numerical modeling approaches to assess new designs or design changes. Prof. Jerry Seitzman read the dissertation
Hisham K Ali Magnetohydrodynamic Energy Generation and Flow Control for Planetary Entry Vehicles Proposed missions such as a Mars sample return mission and a human mission to Mars require landed payload masses in excess of any previous Mars mission. Whether human or robotic, these missions present numerous engineering challenges due to their increased mass and complexity. Prof. Robert D. Braun and Prof. Mitchell L.R. Walker read the dissertation | watch the video
Yixing Li High-Fidelity Numerical Simulation and Emulation of Bi-Fluid Swirl Injector Flow and Combustion Dynamics Injectors are critical components of combustion devices in liquid-fueled propulsion systems. By controlling the atomization and mixing of propellants, injectors can affect combustion efficiency, dynamic characteristics, and engine life cycle. Prof. Vigor Yang read the dissertation
German Capuano Smart Finite Elements: An Application of Machine Learning To Reduced-Order Modeling Of Multi-Scale Problems To design structures using state-of-the-art materials like composites and metamaterials, we need predictive tools that are capable of taking into account the phenomena occurring at different length scales. However, the upscaling of nonlinear mesoscale behavior to perform system-level predictions is intractable when using conventional modeling techniques Prof. Julian J. Rimoli read the dissertation
Mohit Gupta Enhancements in Analysis of Beam-Like Structures using Asymptotic Methods The state-of-the-art Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM) and a mixed formulation of Geometrically Exact Beam Theory (GEBT) are employed in this work, as a complement to conventional FEA. This framework is very fast, provides rigorous physics-based material models for composites while ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Prof. Dewey Hodges read the dissertation | what the video
Nicholas Rock Lean Blowout Sensitivities of Complex Liquid Fuels Lean blowout is a process whereby a previously stable flame is either extinguished or convected out of its combustor. In aviation applications, blowout is a direct threat to passenger safety and it therefore sets operational limits on a combustor. Prof. Tim Lieuwen read the dissertation
Pratibha Raghunandan A Numerical Study on Non-Equilibrium Multi-Temperature Thermo-Chemistry The accurate computation of hypersonic flowfields is an ongoing endeavor and is important for the accurate prediction of heat transfer and space vehicle design.  Prof. Stephen Ruffin read the dissertation
Ting Wei Chin Multi-Physics High Resolution Topology Optimization for Aerospace Structures Advancements in multimaterial additive manufacturing have the potential to enable the creation of topology optimized structures with both shape and material tailoring. These are extremely useful in creating designs for multi-physics applications where engineering experience may be lacking. Prof. Graeme J. Kennedy read the dissertation
Younghoon Choi A Framework for Concurrent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Design and Routing for Urban Delivery Systems With the emergence of new technologies for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), such as lightweight sensors and high-efficiency batteries, the operation of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAVs) has expanded from military use to commercial use. A promising commercial application of sUAS is package delivery because of its potential to reduce acquisition and operating costs of the last-mile delivery system while enabling new services such as same-day delivery Prof. Dimitri N. Mavris read the dissertation
Yongeun Yoon Prediction of Limit-Cycle Oscillations in Piecewise Linear Systems The mathematical model of most of mechanical and electrical systems involves the piecewise linear system, which consists of linear part and piecewise nonlinearities (PN) or sector-bounded nonlinearities such as saturation, backlash, dead-zone, etc. Many piecewise linear systems inherently possess periodic orbits called as a limit-cycle oscillation (LCO) as one of its solutions, which can seriously undermine the system performance depending on its amplitude and frequency. Prof. Eric N. Johnson read the dissertation
Abhishek Mishra Modeling of Multistage Axial-Centrifugal Compressor Configuration using Streamtube Approach Quasi-1D flow models based upon mean-line analysis are quite popular for design and performance evaluation of multistage axial and centrifugal compressors. However, they are not so readily used for analyzing the dynamic behavior of the compressor. Prof. J.V.R. Prasad read the dissertation
Andrea Garbo A Sequential Adaptive Sampling Technique Based on Local Linear Model for Computer Experiment Applications The objective of this dissertation research is to develop a model independent sequential adaptive sampling technique for surrogate model (SM) applications based on a local linear model. This technique, called Nearest Neighbors Adaptive Sampling (NNAS), is conceived to be conceptually simple, computationally robust, and easy to apply, all characteristics that are crucial for effective surrogate modeling application during early phases of the engineering design process. Prof. Brian J. German read the dissertation
Dhwanil Shukla Experimental Study of Low Reynolds Number Multirotor Aerodynamic Interactions In recent years, Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained importance in various application suited to their small size and relatively cheap construction. Among rotor UAVs, multirotor UAVs are easier to control, and hence popular. Unfortunately, the small size rotor UAVs have poor aerodynamic performance due to viscosity dominated losses and the lack of understanding of rotor-rotor and rotor-airframe interactions. Prof. Narayanan M. Komerath read the dissertation
Chong Zhou Assessment of Tip Planform Effects on the  Hover Characteristics of Helicopter Rotors A distinguishing feature of helicopters compared to other flight vehicles is their reliance on the main rotor for all forces and moments needed to operate the vehicle. With the use of cyclic and collective pitch variations, pilots can readily vary and control the thrust, propulsive and side forces. Pilots can also control the vehicle attitude by tilting the rotor disk. Prof. Lakshmi N Sankar read the dissertation
Changxi You Autonomous Aggressive Driving: Theory & Experiments Autonomous vehicles represent a major trend in future intelligent transportation systems. In order to develop autonomous vehicles, this dissertation intends to understand expert driving maneuvers in different scenarios such as highway overtaking and off-road rally racing, which are referred to as ``aggressive'' driving in the context of this dissertation. By mimicking expert driving styles, one expects to be able to improve the vehicle's active safety and traffic efficiency in the development of autonomous vehicles. Prof. Panagiotis Tsiotras read the dissertation
Sayop Kim Advancing Turbulent Spray and Combustion Models for Compression Ignition Engine Simulations Three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in in-cylinder turbulent combustion is considered an integral part of engine design progress, but rather a cost-prohibitive to apply over a broad range of engine relevant conditions. In spite of successful use of existing spray atomization modeling, prior researchers have pointed out some degree of failure in low-temperature combustion (LTC) targeted injection strategies. Prof. Caroline L. Genzale read the dissertation
Sheng Wei Effect of Jet Fuel Composition on Forced Ignition in Gas Turbine Combustors The rapid growth in the aviation industry means increasing consumption of jet fuels, which is leading to greater interest in alternate and sustainable fuel sources. The overall properties of these alternative fuels can be designed to meet existing standards. Nevertheless, the compositional differences between alternative and conventional fuels can lead to important variations in chemical and physical properties that impact engine performance. Prof. Jerry Seitzman read the dissertation
Xiaomeng ‘Shine’ Zhai Studies of Turbulence Structure Using Well-Resolved Simulations With and Without Effects of a Magnetic Field Turbulence is characterized by disorderly fluctuations that span a wide range of scales in length and time, especially at high Reynolds numbers. The fluctuations in the small scales can take extremely large amplitudes (also known as extreme events), and exhibit rapid oscillations in sign. Prof. P.K. Yeung read the dissertation
Raphael Cohen Formal Verification and Validation of Convex Optimization Algorithms for Model Predictive Control The efficiency of modern optimization methods, coupled with increasing computational resources, has led to the possibility of real-time optimization algorithms acting in safety critical roles. However, this cannot happen without addressing proper attention to the soundness of these algorithms. Prof. Eric Feron​ read the dissertation
Terry Stevenson Development of Multi-Functional Structures for Small Satellites Improvements in miniature electronics have allowed CubeSats and other small satellites to perform increasingly complex missions. In contrast to typical space missions, many small satellites are more limited by available volume than by mass, since they must fit into small deployment pods. Prof. Glenn Lightsey read the dissertation
Adam Sidor Design and Manufacturing of Conformal Ablative Heatshields Conformal ablators, first introduced in the early 2000s under the NASA Hypersonics Project, are a type of rigid ablative thermal protection system that uses flexible, rather than rigid, fibrous substrates. These materials are impregnated with resin in a mold to yield a part that is close to the final geometry and requires little post-process machining (a near net shape part). Prof. Robert Braun and Prof. Graeme Kennedy read the dissertation
Kevin Jacobson Adjoint-based Aeroelastic Optimization with High-fidelity Time-accurate Analysis As engineers are pursuing aggressive performance goals and exploring nontraditional aircraft configurations, the applicability of traditional aeroelastic design tools based on linear models and empirical data is diminishing. However, computer hardware and algorithms are advancing, and the use of high-fidelity tools, which utilize computational fluid dynamics and structural finite element modeling, is becoming a more realistic possibility for aircraft design. Prof. Marilyn Smith and Prof. Graeme Kennedy) read the dissertation
Nick P. Breen Source Location in Subsonic and Supersonic Jets of Various Geometries Via Acoustic Beamforming Over the years, the need to understand and reduce aircraft noise emissions has led numerous researchers to apply various source location techniques to jet noise. Prior to 1985, several methods for determining jet-noise source locations were explored: acoustic mirrors, microphone arrays, two-microphone methods, causality correlation and coherence techniques, nearfield contour surveys, and automated source breakdown. Prof. Krishan K. Ahuja read the dissertation (pdf) | watch the video
Kaivalya Bakshi Large Scale Stochastic Control: Algorithms, Optimality and Stability Optimal control of large-scale multi-agent networked systems which describe social networks, macro-economies, traffic and robot swarms is a topic of interest in engineering, biophysics and economics. A central issue is constructing scalable control-theoretic frameworks when the number of agents is infinite. Prof. Evangelos Theodorou read the dissertation
Kyuman Lee Adaptive Filtering for Vision-Aided Inertial Navigation With the advent of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a major area of interest in the research field of UAVs has been vision-aided inertial navigation systems (V-INS). Many missions of UAVs— reconnaissance, damage assessment, exploration, and other guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) tasks—often demand V-INS in more operational environments such as indoors, hostilities, and disasters Prof. Eric N. Johnson read the dissertation
Hossein Salahshoor Topics in Stress-Induced Instabilities and Phase Transitions in Lattice-Based Solids Mechanical response of a lattice-based solid, where the entire system is built up by a repetitive translation of a unit cell along its principal axes, manifests itself in changes either in the macro or the microstructure of the system.  Prof. Julian J. Rimoli  read the dissertation
Murali Gopal Muraleedharan Combustion of Nanoenergetic Materials: A Heat Conduction Perspective Metal-based composite energetic materials have substantially high volumetric energy density when compared with monomolecular compounds such as trinitrotoluene (TNT). Micron-sized metal particles have been routinely used for energetic applications since the 1950’s. Prof. Vigor Yang read the dissertation | watch the video
Debolina Dasgupta Turbulence-Chemistry Interactions for Lean Premixed Flames Turbulent combustion, particularly premixed combustion has great practical importance due to their extensive industrial usage in gas turbines, internal combustion engines etc. However, the physics governing the inherent multi- scale interactions of turbulence, flow-field and chemistry is not yet well established. Prof. Tim Lieuwen read the dissertation | watch the video
Yu-Hung Chang High-Fidelity Emulation of Spatiotemporally Evolving Flow Dynamics This dissertation utilizes a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to demonstrate a paradigm for a novel design strategy for new generation engineering. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD), reduced-basis modeling, statistics, uncertainty quantification, and machine learning are employed to develop this strategy. Prof. Vigor Yang read the dissertation
Burak Bagdatli Architecture-Based Selection of Modeling Type for System of Systems Analysis Integration of heterogeneous systems into a system of systems, takes significant effort in planning, engineering, and testing. Even large entities such as governments, that are experts at managing large undertakings, are struggling with the massive complexity entailing collaboration between systems. Prof. Dimitri Mavris read the dissertation