MixingLab People
OPENING: Postdoctoral Researcher
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position in experimental fluid dynamics at the University of Rochester. Broadly, the scientific goals are to explore rotating thermal convection and how its dynamics are affected by rough boundaries, for low-conductivity and high-conductivity fluids (water and gallium). One motivation for the work is geophysical: rough boundaries might explain how Earth maintained its magnetic field before its solid inner core was formed. Beyond that, because rotating, rough convection has been studied little, there is ample opportunity for fundamental discoveries applicable to planetary physics, liquid metals technology, and more. Scientific serendipity will be welcomed!
The postdoctoral researcher will be the day-to-day lead of a team designing, building, and running laboratory experiments to generate and measure rotating thermal convection with rough boundaries. From that work, the researcher will publish and make public presentations. A PhD student and undergraduate researcher will also be dedicated to the project. The project will be led by Douglas H. Kelley in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and involve close collaboration with Jonathan S. Cheng at the U.S. Naval Academy. The work will build on our team's experience with particle tracking, ultrasound, liquid metals, rotating fluid dynamics, and thermal convection. Experience with hands-on experiments is key, whereas experience with geophysics is desirable but not required.
Our team has recently published in high-impact journals including Science, Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Neuroscience, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. Four of five prior postdoctoral researchers advanced to faculty positions. Rochester, NY, is a mid-sized city with great restaurants, a vibrant theater and music scene, outstanding parks, and below-average cost of living. We offer generous salaries with good benefits.
This position will be available as of fall 2024, and the project extends to summer 2029. Per university procedures, initial hires are for one year, with renewal being likely. For full consideration, applicants should email a curriculum vitae and cover letter.
Current team
Douglas H. Kelley is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and earned a PhD in physics from the University of Maryland. He held postdoctoral appointments at Yale University (in mechanical engineering) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (in materials science and engineering). Previously he earned an MS from Auburn University and a BS from Virginia Tech. Doug is a member of the American Physical Society, ASME, and AAAS.
Doug's ORCiD profile | Doug's Google Scholar profile
218 Hopeman Hall
Rochester, NY 14627-0132
585-275-7769
Kimberly Boster is a Research Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to this she was a Postdoctoral Associate at University of Rochester and a Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow at Purdue University. She obtained her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University, studying phase-change heat transfer on superhydrophobic surfaces. She also earned an MS studying human vocal fold fluid-structure interactions and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University.
Kimberly's LinkedIn profile | Kimberly's ORCiD profile
Yisen Guo is a computational scientist at the University of Rochester. He obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Louisville, studying multiphase flow simulations of drop impingement dynamics. He also earned an MS from Oregon State University and a BS from Shandong University in China.
Yue Zhao is XXX
Kevin Wagner is a Research Analyst supporting the MixingLab team as well as the broader Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Mohammad Y. Abdelshafy (Yasser) is pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in mechanical and energy engineering from Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt. There, he built an experimental setup for a solar-assisted, PVT desiccant evaporative air conditioner for the semi-arid climate of Cairo. He is also a member of the Egyptian Society for Renewable Energy (ESRE).
Yiming Gan is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester. Previously, he earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Science and Technology of China.
Keelin Quirk is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.
Aditya Ranjan is pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester. He obtained his master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai where he conducted research on transdermal drug delivery. Previously, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Netaji Subhash Engineering College (NSEC), Kolkata.
Athan Sanders is is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.
Mohammad Vaezi is is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester.
Xiaomai Wang is is pursuing a BS in Physics at the University of Rochester.
Devin Wong is is pursuing a BS in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester and is also an e5 Scholar.
Jonathan Cheng (postdoc): faculty, Mechanical Engineering, US Naval Academy.
Jia Liu (postdoc)
Adi Raghunandan (postdoc): faculty, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Jeff Tithof (postdoc): faculty, 
Rakan Ashour (PhD): 
Ruy Ibanez (PhD): 
Ibrahim Mohammad (PhD): Postdoc, plasma physics, University of Rochester
Thomas Nevins (PhD): 
Bitong Wang (PhD): Postdoc, Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Gerrit Horstmann (visiting PhD): PhD candidate, TU Dresden
Andreas Wiederhold (visiting PhD): PhD candidate, 
Rachel Bierasinski (MS): Design Engineer, Xerox
Jesse Cramer (MS): Engineer, Harris Inc.
Diego De La Cruz (MS): Process Engineer, Intel
Alfonso Gonzalez (MS): US Navy
Fatima Min Rivas (MS)
Logan Bashford (BS): MS program, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
Mira Bodek (BS): Business Technology Analyst, Deloitte
Rony Colón (BS)
Hailey Epstein (BS): BS program, Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester
Andrew Fianu (BS)
Jarod Forer (BS): PhD program, Biomedical Engineering, University of Oregon
Frederico Hama (BS)
Sanjeev K C (BS)
Brian Knisely (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, Penn State
Catherine Knox (BS): MS program, Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester
Danielle Laiacona (BS)
Tianyi Liu (BS)
Rafael Luna (BS): BS program, Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester
Kimberly Llajaruna Peralta (BS)
Ben Martell (BS): PhD program, Aerospace Engineering, MIT
Junior Beauclaire Mbanya (BS): Global Rhodes Scholar, Oxford
University
Meghan Patrick (BS): Engineer, Entegris
Adalberto Perez (BS): Engineer, Vuzix
James Powers (BS)
John Quinlivan (BS)
Nikola Raicevic (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, UCSD.
Kelsey Sahinen-Pedroso (BS): Sales Engineer, Pfaudler, Inc.
Helena Schreder (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington
Tom Ryan Smith (BS): Researcher, Naval Research Laboratory
Michael Jiatong Sun (BS)
Rebeca Toro Garza (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
Daniel Troyetsky (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
Jinge Wang (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley
Hao Yin (BS): PhD program, Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester