Energy Transport Research Lab

Nenad Miljkovic

Founder Professor
Mechanical Science and Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering (Courtesy)
Materials Research Laboratory (Courtesy)
Director, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Center
Deputy Thrust Leader, Center for Power Opt of Electro-Thermal Systems

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2013
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2011
BASc in Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2009

Phone: (617) 981-9247
Email: nmiljkov@illinois.edu
Address: 105 South Mathews Avenue, MEL 2125, Urbana, IL 61801

CV, UIUC MechSE, Google Scholar, Linkedin, ResearchGate

Xuzhi Du

Xuzhi Du received his PhD in Automotive Engineering at Tongji University in June 2019. He then continued as a postdoctoral associate in the Shanghai Automotive Wind Tunnel center (SAWTC) at Tongji University. His doctoral thesis focused on the study of fundamental icing physics, deicing/defrosting and impinging jet flow structure evolution and heat transfer. He has also participated in several National Key Programs: Thermal Management of Lithium-ion Batteries, and Snow Accretion Simulation and Prevention of a Maglev Train. He is working on the development of models and carrying out experiments on agrivoltaic systems (co-location of photovoltaics and agriculture).

Email: xuzhidu@illinois.edu

Muhammad Jahidul Hoque

Jahid received his B.Sc in 2013 and M.Sc in 2016, both in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh. He then completed his PhD in the ETRL in March 2022 by conducting research on micro/nano scale phase change heat transfer, and thermal-system performance enhancement. He also worked on thermo-physical property measurement of ultra-thin layer materials and heat transfer enhancement & durability of superhydrophobic surfaces. He stayed in the ETRL and is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar working on electro-thermal pulse deicing. Besides research, he likes to play tennis, badminton and enjoys to read & travel. Above all, he believes “Life is not perfect, but it’s meant to be perfect ; it just needs to shape that way.

Email: mjhoque2@illinois.edu

Donghyeon Yoo

Donghyeon Yoo received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea. He then continued as a Postdoctral Fellow at POSTECH. His research interest are the surface structure engineering of polymers and metals and their applications in liquid-solid contact electrification phenomena and energy harvesting. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the ETRL. Besides research, he enjoys walking, watching movies and various sports.

Email: yoo91@illinois.edu

Evgeny Shatskiy

Evgeny Shatskiy received his PhD in Thermal Physics and Theoretical Thermal Engineering from the Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics in 2018. Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lorraine (LEMTA), where he developed optical diagnostics for sprays. From 2022 to 2024, he held a postdoctoral position at Trinity College Dublin, focusing on the development of cutting-edge cooling systems for telecom applications. His primary research interests include heat transfer in single and multiphase flows, capillary effects, and optical techniques in thermophysical characterization. Outside of his scientific pursuits, Evgeny enjoys snowboarding, windsurfing, and playing the guitar.

Email: shatskiy@illinois.edu

Vishwanath Ganesan

Vish Ganesan received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University under the leadership of Prof. Issam Mudawar working in the Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory. At Purdue, he also held joint appointments with NASA-GRC as a Visiting Researcher and with the School of Mechanical Engineering as a Ward A. Lambert Graduate Teaching Fellow. Prior to joining Purdue, he worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay under the leadership of Prof. Kannan Iyer working in the Thermal Hydraulics Test Facility. Since 2012, he has worked on the experimental design of thermal-hydraulics test facilities, in-house multiphase CFD code development, two-phase interfacial turbulence modeling, cryogenic two-phase flow boiling physics, and statistical analysis for correlation development, all within the realm of two-phase flow boiling. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Energy Transport Research Laboratory working on high-fidelity experiments and computations of transient two-phase flow for understanding cryogenic propellant tank transfer and on holistic rack-to-processor power and thermal co-design for future servers.

Email: vganesa@purdue.edu

Kai Luo

Kai Luo received his B. S. 2015 and M. S. in 2018, from Zhejiang University, China. He then completed his Ph. D. in 2024 in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina, under the supervision of Dr. Chen Li. During his doctoral studies, he worked on the enhancement of flow boiling in micro/mini channels, and the application of dropwise condensation in two-phase heat spreading. He joined the ETRL in June 2024 and is currently working on immersion cooling, thermal design for cryogen-free superconducting motors, and a Navy Decarbonization project. In his free time, he enjoys painting, swimming, and homemade food.

Email: kailuo@illinois.edu

Siyan Yang

Siyan Yang received one PhD in Mechanical Engineering from City University of Hong Kong in 2023 and another in Chemical Engineering from the Dalian University of Technology in 2022. She then continued as a postdoctoral fellow in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the supervision of Prof. Zuankai Wang. Her doctoral research focused on anti-frosting and defrosting on functional surfaces. She also worked on bionic fabrication and energy harvesting from water. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the ETRL. Besides research, she enjoys participating in various sports, such as hiking, mountain climbing, badminton, and basketball.

Email: siyan@illinois.edu

Jung Bin Yang

Jung Bin received his BS in 2017 and PhD in 2023 in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University, South Korea. After that, he worked as a postdoctoral associate in the same departments at Hanyang University. His research has focused on two main areas: the design, fabrication, and characterization of functional surfaces and materials to enhance heat and mass transfer, and the experimental and numerical analysis of heat transfer devices. He is currently working as a postdoctoral scholar in the ETRL. Besides research, he enjoys walking, hiking, and traveling.

Email: jungbin@illinois.edu

Takanori Tanaka

Takanori received his PhD in Engineering at Kyushu Institute of Technology in March 2021. His doctoral thesis focused on the study of fundamental heat transfer processes of pool boiling, and boiling bubble nucleation phenomena. He is a full time research and development engineer in the power electronics cooling field at Fuji Electric. He is currently working on visualization inside high heat flux vapor chambers. In his free time, he enjoys watching baseball games, walking, and playing video games.

Email: takanori@illinois.edu

Hideaki Teshima

Hideaki is a visiting scholar in the ETRL. Hideaki received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Engineering from Kyushu University, Japan. He is an associate professor at Kyushu University, where he researches physics at interfaces and the three-phase contact line. At the ETRL, his research focuses on the onset of nucleate boiling at the nanoscale. He enjoys talking with friends, watching movies, and cooking.

Email: hteshima@illinois.edu

Kevin Uvodich

Kevin graduated from UIUC with his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2019 and is currently pursuing his M.S. in the same field. He is currently researching emerging additive manufacturing technology and exploring the implications on heat exchanger design for a variety of applications. In his spare time he loves playing golf, tennis, and basketball.

Email: kevinu2@illinois.edu

Bakhshish Preet Singh

Bakhshish received his Dual degree (BTech and MTech) in Mechanical Engineering and specializing in Thermal and Fluid Engineering from IIT, Bombay in 2020. He is working on phase change heat transfer and electronics cooling with an emphasis on infrared thermography. He is also working on multi-physcis modeling of battery thermal runaway. He enjoys reading, movies, anime, sketching and hiking.

Email: bpsingh2@illinois.edu

Jalal Inanlu

Jalal received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2020 from The University of Tehran with a focus on interfacial science. In the ETRL, he is studying fundamental mechanisms governing flow boiling heat transfer of refrigerants as well as infrared microscopy techniques. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, cooking, and hanging out with friends.

Email: minanlu2@illinois.edu

Arielle Gamboa

Arielle graduated with her B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University in 2020. Her background is in hybrid micro- and nanomanufacturing, including electrospray deposition and thermocapillary-based patterning of thin films. In the ETRL, she is exploring pool boiling and heat spreading as cooling techniques for electronics. Outside of research, Arielle enjoys watching movies, baking, playing music, and salsa dancing.

Email: agamboa3@illinois.edu

Dalia Ghaddar

Dalia received her B.S and M.S in mechanical engineering from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) in 2018 and 2020, respectively, with high honors. Before joining the ETRL in January of 2021, she worked on several research projects in the field of personalized ventilation, phase change materials, and fluid dynamics. In the ETRL, Dalia is working on testing different types of coated heat exchangers to study their anti‐icing and frosting performance.

Email: ghaddar2@illinois.edu

Sujan Dewanjee

Sujan received his B.Sc in 2017 and M.Sc in 2020, both in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh. His research interests focus on micro/nano structure fabrication and thermal-system performance enhancement. Presently he is working on nanostructure development using holography technique to achieve specific wickability and thermo-physical property. Besides research, he likes to sketch, watch movies, meet new people, read and travel to new places. Sujan is co-advised by Professor Paul Braun of MatSE.

Email: sujand2@illinois.edu

Vivek Garimella

Vivek received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with Highest Honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2021. His topics of interest include waste heat recovery, energy storage, refrigeration, and two-phase heat transfer. In the ETRL, his work focuses on thermal management and energy storage using Phase Change Materials. Outside of the lab, Vivek served for two years as the President of MechSE's graduate student association (GraMS) and as the Instructor of Record for MechSE's ME 200 - Thermodynamics course. In his free time, Vivek enjoys watching and playing tennis and discovering new ways to brew coffee.

Email: viveksg2@illinois.edu

Jiayi Zhang

Jiayi Zhang received his B.S. in Energy and Environment Systems Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2018 and his M.E. in Power Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2021. In the ETRL, he is working on flow boiling and pool boiling heat transfer enhancement as well as the scalable tube-fin joining techniques.

Email: jiayiz19@illinois.edu

Tarandeep Singh Thukral

Tarandeep received his bachelor's degree (BTech) in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi, India in 2021. He is interested in working on microscale thermo-fluidic phenomena involving fouling and corrosion, wetting, and droplet transport. Apart from academics, he likes to read about human history, try out new recipes and play cricket.

Email: thukral3@illinois.edu

Mohammed Jubair Dipto

Dipto received his B.S in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 2018. He is currently working on Manufacturing and Recycling of High Energy Density Li-ion Battery Cells. He enjoys music – from Jazz to Hip-hop, loves to socialize and is “a man who drinks tea”.

Email: mdipto2@illinois.edu

Md Rakibul Hasan Roni

Rakib received his B.Sc and M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2017 and 2019 respectively. His research interests focus on phase change heat transfer, CFD and renewable energy. In the ETRL, he is working on water flow boiling heat transfer on structured surfaces.

Email: mroni2@illinois.edu

Wentao Yang

Wentao received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering from UIUC in 2021. When he was an undergraduate, he worked with Dr. Xiao Yan in the ETRL on the prediction of liquid bridge formation between surfaces with wettability contrast. Now, he is a Ph.D. student in the ETRL and works on surface durability during condensation. During his leisure time, he likes to go to the gym, or play video games with his friends.

Email: wentaoy3@illinois.edu

Joshua Feldman

Josh Feldman is a PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering in 2019 and M.S. in electrical engineering in 2021 from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. He is co-advised with Professor Kiruba Haran of ECE. His research focus is on flow boiling of hydrogen for cooling of superconducting motors.

Email: jmfeldm2@illinois.edu

Holton Miller

Holton received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University in 2020. Currently, he works at John Deere as an embedded software developer supporting engine interface and HVAC controls. He is pursuing his MSME online, doing research to develop a thermal management system for a variable pole-count induction motor. In his free time, he likes to ride dirt bikes and stand-up jet skis, and also get involved with skiing and hockey in the winter.

Email: holtonm2@illinois.edu

Alireza Bakhshi

Alireza received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering in 2021 at the Sharif University of Technology in Iran. In the ETRL, he is working on his PhD which focuses on refrigerant flow boiling and heat transfer enhancement techniques. He is also studying machine learning as it applies to flow boiling research. In his free time, he plays volleyball and reads novels and history books.

Email: bakhshi3@illinois.edu

Pouya Kabirzadeh

Pouya received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2021. In the ETRL, he is working on his PhD which focuses on thermo-fluid science and renewable energy systems. Currently, he is working on condensation heat transfer on micro/nano-structured surfaces and immersion cooling techniques for electronics and batteries. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to different types of music, working out in the gym, and hiking.

Email: pouyak2@illinois.edu

Haoyun (Aaron) Qiu

Aaron received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Electrical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022 with summa cum laude and University Honors. In the ETRL, his PhD research focuses on energy-efficient data center cooling strategies as well as functional surface development. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys watching TV shows, reading history, and playing mini golf.

Email: haoyunq2@illinois.edu

Kaushik Chettiar

Kaushik received his B.Tech. and M.Tech. Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras). His MS Thesis involved the simulation of Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems, and he has a strong background in the fundamentals of thermal engineering. Kaushik graduated as a first rank holder in his class at IIT Madras. In the ETRL, Kaushik is working on the design and manufacturing of metal additive manufactured liquid-to-air heat echangers as well as high power density permanent magnet motor cooling architectures.

Email: kc63@illinois.edu

Shayan Aflatounian

Shayan received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2021 at the Sharif University of Technology in Iran. In the ETRL, he is working on the immersion cooling of electronics, as well as heat spreading architectures. In his spare time, he loves watching movies, cooking, listening to music, and he is a sports geek

Email: shayan3@illinois.edu

Reihaneh Jahedan

Reihaneh received her B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2019 from Sharif University of Technology in Iran. She is currently working on the optimal 3D multiphysics spatial packaging (SPI2) design of thermal management systems (TMS) for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). She is co-advised by Dr. James Allison of ISE. Apart from research, she loves hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

Email: jahedan2@illinois.edu

Alex Solecki

After receiving her B.S. in mechanical engineering at Marquette University, Alex earned her M.S. at the University of Illinois studying sustainable aviation fuels. There, she gained an appreciation for the importance of energy efficient, sustainable practices across the industrial landscape, particularly in bio-feedstock conversion. In the ETRL, she is working on high efficiency electro-thermal pulse de-icing for electrified aircraft and PV’s. Outside of work, you can find Alex making new friends at the bookstore or losing herself in Wikipedia rabbit holes.

Email: solecki4@illinois.edu

Ghassan Arissi

Ghassan received his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Applied Energy from the American University of Beirut in 2022. Prior to joining ETRL, he was involved in a desiccant dehumidification review paper, in addition to several projects in the Energy field. He is currently working projects related to pinhole-initiated blister formation in thin films. Aside from research, Ghassan enjoys sports, reading and film.

Email: garissi@illinois.edu

Woo Young Park

Woo Young received his B.S. in Mechanical Science and Engineering from UIUC in 2019. Prior to joining the ETRL, he worked on several projects in the semiconductor package industry with Samsung Electronics for 3 years. In the ETRL, Woo Young is working on electronics cooling research, with a focus on interconnects and data centers. He is co-advised by Professor Bill King of Mechanical Science and Engineering.

Email: wypark2@illinois.edu

Yiyang Chen

Yiyang Chen received dual Bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Zhejiang University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022. Currently, in the ETRL, he is actively engaged in research focused on refrigerant pool boiling heat transfer enhancement and the development of an innovative fin manufacturing method. Apart from his academic pursuits, Yiyang enjoys playing soccer in his leisure time, which happens to be his favorite sport.

Email: yiyangc5@illinois.edu

Mostafa Olyaei

Mostafa received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Shiraz University in 2018, and his M.S. in mechanical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2021. In the ETRL, he is working on applying simulation tools to the design and optimization of electrothermal systems for electric vehicles. In his spare time, he likes to hike, go to the gym, and watch TV shows.

Email: molyaei2@illinois.edu

Sarath Subramaniyan

Sarath completed his B.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering at Anna University - College of Engineering, Guindy, Tamil Nadu, India. He has a deep fascination for thermal systems and materials engineering. In the ETRL, he is explorin distinct coatings for heat exchangers, aiming to enhance their efficiency and longevity. He is also conducting system level modeling of thermal architectures.

Email: ssubra52@illinois.edu

Syed Angkan Haider

Angkan received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2019. He joined MechSE as a PhD student in 2021, and prior to joining the ETRL, he worked on system-level HVAC&R research at the ACRC. In the ETRL, his research focus will be on oil circulation rate (OCR) measurement methods for variable speed systems, oil separation strategies, compressor oil return and quantification of oil-refrigerant properties.

Email: shaider4@illinois.edu

Muntasir Alam

Muntasir received his B.Sc. in 2016 and M.Sc. in 2019, both in Mechanical Engineering, from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh. His research interests include micro/nano scale phase change heat transfer, heat transfer enhancement through different techniques, and refrigeration technologies. Currently, he is working on the utilization of ejector technologies in HVAC&R applications. In his spare time, he loves watching and playing soccer (an avid “Manchester United” supporter from childhood), traveling to new places, and hanging out with friends.

Email: mmalam3@illinois.edu

Purav Patel

Purav received his B.E. in Mechanical Eng. and M.E. in Thermal Science and Eng. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) in 2019. He is working on a storage heat pump system design for improving the operating range of heat pump systems. He is also studying the performance of different types of heat exchanger designs for heat pump systems.

Email: puravp2@illinois.edu

Xin Wang

Xin received her B.S. in Renewable Energy from Zhejiang University in 2020. Then she received her M.S. degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering from UIUC in 2022. In the ETRL, Xin is a Ph.D. student studying transient oil migration at compressor suction and discharge, with the goal of improving oil return and reducing oil retention.

Email: xinw8@illinois.edu

Jiazheng Liu

Jiazheng received his M.S. in Engineering Thermophysics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2023, where he focused on microscale flow and heat transfer. He has a strong interest in studying physical phenomena using both experimental and theoretical methods. He joined the ETRL in the Fall of 2023. In the ETRL, Jiazheng is working on heat exchanger design, liquid/air side heat transfer and etching, as well as frosting physics. In his spare time, Jiazheng is crazy about table tennis and also enjoys reading.

Email: jl266@illinois.edu

Valentin Belosludtsev

Valentin received his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mechanics and Mathematical modeling from Novosibirsk State University in 2020 and 2022, respectively. During his studies he was working in the Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics conducting experimental investigations of flow boiling and shear-driven liquid film heat transfer and hydrodynamics in mini- and microchannels. He also has research experience in industry that he obtained during his internship in the Novosibirsk Technology Center of Schlumberger. In the ETRL, Valentin is conducting research on the flow boiling of refrigerant blends using conventional and advanced IR thermography methods. During his spare time, he likes to watch NBA basketball, cook, and hanging out with friends and play videogames.

Email: vb23@illinois.edu

Harsh Tyagi

Harsh received his B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Insttute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in 2020. He worked as an ePowertrain Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover India where he worked on thermal design and analysis of PMSM and IM tracton motors. He is interested in thermal engineering and its utlizaton for the advancement of sustainable energy technologies. In his spare time, he likes to play football, sim racing, and read thriller fiction novels.

Email: harsht2@illinois.edu

Robert Stavins

Robert received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020. His current research focuses on additive manufacturing, microfluidics, and thermal management. He is co-advised by Dr. William P. King, also in MechSE. Outside of research, he enjoys playing tennis, watching football and soccer, and mentoring a local high school robotics team.

Email: stavins@illinois.edu

Saptarshi Joshi

Saptarshi received his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering with Honours from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) in 2023. In his Bachelor’s thesis, he conducted experimental and numerical studies on the use of rib turbulators to enhance heat transfer in pin-fin channels for gas turbine blade cooling. In the ETRL, he is working on developing cooling strategies for batteries as well as non-cryogenic superconducting motors. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, playing the guitar, and playing tennis.

Email: syjoshi2@illinois.edu

Radhe Jha

Radhe received his Bachelors in mechanical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 2021. Since then, he worked in a multinational company as a producton engineer and modelling and simulaton scientst. In the ETRL, he is working on dynamic system modeling of HVAC&R systems.

Email: radhebj2@illinois.edu

Luke Markuson

Luke received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Science and Engineering at UIUC in June of 2023. As a senior, he worked on electronics immersion cooling with a graduate student in the ETRL. As a PhD student, he will continue his work on electronics cooling as well as looking into sustaniability and renewable energy technologies. In his free time, Luke likes reading, rollerblading, and working on his 1968 mustang.

Email: lukerm3@illinois.edu

Simran Singh

Simran received her B.Tech in Aerospace Eng. from Indian Institue of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) in 2022. Her interests focus on Fluid Dynamics, CFD and heat transfer. In the ETRL, Simran is a Masters student working on Boundary Layer Theory for flows over structured surfaces. Outside the lab, she enjoys playing tennis and volleyball, painting, and pet cats.

Email: simrans9@illinois.edu

Saif Al Afsan Shamim

Shamim received his B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2019. He later completed his M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 from the same university. His research interests focus on Thermal Management and Electronic Cooling. Shamim is a passionate soccer player and enjoys watching movies in his leisure hours.

Email: sshamim2@illinois.edu

Nusrat Chowdhury

Nusrat received her B.Sc. in 2021 from the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) in Mechanical Engineering. She completed her M.Sc. in the Material Tribology Laboratory in UIUC in 2023 under the supervison of Professor Alison C. Dunn on surface and structural properties of physically and chemically crosslinked hydrogels. She has worked on soft material tribology and mechanics of the click beetle mechanism. She has had internship experience in Trane Technologies which grew her interest in thermal transport properties. Her PhD is focused on the thermal conductivity of vitrimer polymers. She is co-advised by Professor David Cahill of MatSE. In her spare time, she loves hiking, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and cooking.

Email: nusratc2@illinois.edu

Omar Zaki

Omar received his BSc with High Honors from Cairo University in 2019 while being the valedictorian of his class. He also received his MSc from Cairo University in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on heat transfer and air conditioning. Omar worked on research projects with entities such as ORNL, KAUST, and UNIDO related to HVAC&R applications. His research mainly focuses on heat transfer and air conditioning applications both on a component level and on a system level. His research at UIUC is concerned with applying additive manufacturing technology in heat transfer applications to achieve higher performance when compared with conventional heat exchanger technologies. He is co-advised by Professor Bill King.

Email: omarz2@illinois.edu

Behnood Bazmi

Behnood received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2023 at the Sharif University of Technology in Iran. In the ETRL, he is pursuing his Ph.D. and working on single phase heat transfer in electronics cooling applications. In his free time, he enjoys doing and following sports, reading, and watching movies.

Email: bbazmi2@illinois.edu

Ilan Pinkus

Ilan received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2023. His current research focuses on topology optimization for thermal management applications. He is co-advised by Professor William P. King of MechSE. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and photography.

Email: ipinkus2@illinois.edu

Rahat Khan

Rahat received his B.S. In Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2018. After serving as a lecturer for 2.5 years in his home country, he came overseas to join the graduate school at UIUC and earned his M.S. in MechE in 2023 with Professor Allison Dunn. He then joined the ETRL where his current research interests include energy systems, thermal management, and frosting-defrosting of heat transfers. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, driving to random new places, and sometimes cooking.

Email: rmkhan2@illinois.edu

Asif Ahmed

Asif received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2020. In the ETRL, his current research focuses on the development of elastocaloric-based lightweight refrigeration systems and novel shape memory alloys for spaceflight applications. In his spare time, he enjoys watching TV shows, playing cricket, and hiking.

Email: asifa3@illinois.edu

Md Rakib Hossain

Rakib received both his B.Sc and M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is interested in phase change heat transfer, CFD, refrigeration and air-conditioning. Currently he is working on the development of a novel cascade heat exchanger for ultra-high temperature heat pumps.

Email: mh102@illinois.edu

Tayfur Rahman Maruf

Tayfur Rahman Maruf is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2023. He joined ETRL in January 2024. He is currently working on a continuous bending-mode elastocaloric composite refrigeration system. In addition, he is involved in a project focused on data center connector cooling. Tayfur has prior research experience in heat transfer, fire dynamics, and control systems. He enjoys gaming, watching movies and anime, cycling, and traveling in his free time.

Email: tmaruf2@illinois.edu

Ana Coloma Guzman

Ana Coloma Guzman received her B.S. in mechanical engineering from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Ecuador) in 2020 and is currently a master's student at UIUC. She is interested in sustainable and thermal engineering technologies. During her spare time, she likes to read, watch television series and play video games.

Email: anac2@illinois.edu

Parsa Faghihi

Parsa joined the Energy Transport Research Laboratory (ETRL) in the Fall of 2023. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2021. During his senior year, Parsa delved into the field of energy systems, where he conducted numerical simulations and worked on the multi-objective optimization of reverse electrodialysis cells. Currently, Parsa's research centers on the fundamental aspects of flow condensation heat transfer in mini-microchannels and fabrication of micro-nanostructures for enhancing phase-change heat transfer. As a free time hobby, he enjoys playing soccer, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with friends.

Email: parsaf2@illinois.edu

Jessica Nicholson

Jessica received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2022. She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at UIUC and works as a Research Mechanical Engineer at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Her research involves computational modeling to forecast the reliability and resilience of proposed microgrids with a high proportion of renewable energy. Currently, she is exploring how phase change materials can be incorporated into concentrated solar power systems to improve their power output and benefit microgrids that contain these systems. In her free time, she enjoys running, woodburning, and creating music.

Email: jjn3@illinois.edu

Sanbera Piuly

Sanbera received her BS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2018. Currently, her MS research focuses on post-CHF heat transfer of water in downward flow. She is co-advised by Professor Caleb Brooks of NPRE.

Email: spiuly2@illinois.edu

Donggun Lee

Donggun received B.S. in Biosystems Engineering with minor in Computer Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022. He worked on several thermal system projects throughout his undergraduate career. His research interests are electronics cooling and thermal management. He is currently working on system analysis for data center liquid cooling systems. In his leisure time, he is passionate about watching and playing soccer. He also enjoys listening to music, traveling to historic landmarks, and cooking new recipes.

Email: donggun2@illinois.edu

Yutao Chen

Yutao Chen received her bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology with a minor in World literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2022 with university honors. She then received her master’s degree in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from UIUC in 2024. She is working on bio-inspired surface engineering of polymers and metals for antibacterial functionality. She is co-advised with Dr. Marianne Alleyne of Entomology.

Email: yutaoc4@illinois.edu

Haoshen Yang

Haoshen obtained his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Valparaiso in 2024. He is interested in research in the field of electronic cooling. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books on history and Taoism, soccer, and video games.

Email: haoshen8@illinois.edu

Yining Ding

Yining received her B.E. in Energy and Power Engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University, China, in 2023. She is interested in studying phase change heat transfer and investigating energy-saving techniques for mechanical equipment. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, and watching movies.

Email: yining28@illinois.edu

Daniel Farhat

Daniel received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the American University of Beirut. He currently works on a novel technology to cool high power chips through flow boiling. Daniel has a keen interest in translating theoretical results into practical solutions for industry. Besides academics, \ he enjoys traveling, trying different cuisines and connecting with nature.

Email: dfarhat2@illinois.edu

Omar Abdelhamid

Omar received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Cairo University in 2024. During his undergraduate studies, he interned and did his thesis at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was involved in the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) project and the Thermal Management of the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) Detector in the CMS experiment. He also participated in the Formula Student Team where he was responsible for designing several parts and systems in an Electric Vehicle (EV) to compete in Silverstone, U.K. Following his graduation, he joined UIUC as a PhD student, where his current research focuses on utilizing state-of-the-art CFD and manufacturing in designing novel low-charge heat exchangers to achieve efficient cooling and refrigeration in systems with low environmental impact.

Email: oma5@illinois.edu

Mohamed Shalaby

Mohamed received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Benha University, Egypt, in 2021 with High Honors. He joined UIUC as part of the Fulbright program to pursue a master’s degree. His research interests are directed towards enhancing the performance of mechanical systems through modeling and performing studies to identify and address the problems that limit efficiency.

Email: shalaby3@illinois.edu

Tianxiao Liu

Tianxiao received his M.S. in Power Engineering from Zhejiang University in 2022. Following that, he gained one year of experience as a software development engineer. In the ETRL, he is focusing on the fundamental study of refrigerant flow boiling heat transfer using visualization techniques. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and playing board games.

Email: tl73@illinois.edu

Prasanth Subramaniyan

Prasanth received his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering and Interdisciplinary M.Tech in Computational Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 2024. His research interests include phase change heat transfer, sustainable energy efficient solutions, design, and optimization of energy systems. At the ETRL, he works on 3D topology optimization approaches for advanced heat exchanger development. Outside research work and academics, Prasanth enjoys playing badminton and football, and loves to go for a hike.

Email: ps105@illinois.edu

James Wills

James received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 2018. After completing his bachelor’s degree, James was employed with Daikin Applied for 5 years where he worked in several positions supporting product design at various stages of the product lifecycle. James primarily focused on commercial heat pumps and natural gas heating systems. In the ETRL, James’s primary focus will be investigating the benefits associated with incorporating thermal energy storage into a residential heat pump system, particularly in cold climates. In his spare time James enjoys mountain biking, skiing, climbing and camping.

Email: wills6@illinois.edu

Lauren Mah

Lauren received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois-Urbana, Champaign in 2022. During her senior year, Lauren moved to Minnesota to work for Daikin Applied as an intern where she completed various projects including her senior design. After finishing her degree, she continued on with Daikin Applied where she worked on designing and validating vapor compression refrigeration systems. In Lauren's free time she enjoys running, climbing, and backpacking! In the ETRL she will work on studying the effects of latent load on heat exchangers with varying geometries, fin structures, and wettability.

Email: lmah2@illinois.edu

Wonjun Jung

Wonjun received his B.S. degree with summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 2024. In the ETRL, he is working on machine learning and machine vision techniques to study two-phase heat transfer. He is co-advised with Professor William P. King of MechSE. In his free time, Wonjun enjoys swimming and watching soccer.

Email: wonjunj2@illinois.edu

Bertug Celebi

Bertug Celebi received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering as a salutatorian in 2022 and his MS in 2024 from the Middle East Technical University (METU). His master’s research focused on hybridizing concentrated solar thermal, geothermal, and biomass. His PhD research is on electronics cooling using phase change materials and heat exchangers. Bertug is co-advised by Professor William P King of MechSE. In his free time, Bertug is a forever DM on DnD games and likes watching movies and traveling.

Email: bcelebi2@illinois.edu

Kelly Chicas

Kelly Chicas received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2024 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and is currently pursuing her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at UIUC. Kelly's research will focus on the heat transfer of phase change materials with fin geometries. She is also co-advised by Dr. William P. King of MechSE. In her free time Kelly enjoys listening to music and visiting museums.

Email: kchicas2@illinois.edu