Graduate and Postdoctoral Positions
We are currently seeking motivated and qualified candidates to grow our group in two research areas, which are described below.
Transport in High-Energy Density Flows
We are seeking highly motivated PhD students or a postdoctoral researcher to join the Hydrodynamics Lab (PI: Jessica Shang) and Turbulence and Complex Flow Group (PI: Hussein Aluie) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), University of Rochester.
The project is a collaboration among Drs. Jessica Shang (ME, LLE), Hussein Aluie (ME, LLE), Danae Polsin (LLE, ME), Arianna Gleason (SLAC), Josh Turner (SLAC), Gianluca Gregori (Oxford), Ryan Rygg (LLE, ME, Physics), Rip Collins (LLE, ME, Physics), Eric Blackman (Physics, LLE) and Riccardo Betti (LLE, ME, Physics). The student will work closely with the collaborators and with the scientists at LLE, and will have the opportunity to interact with DOE scientists and conduct experiments at world-class laser facilities (e.g., OMEGA, SLAC). The position involves using advanced light sources to produce and characterize flows at extreme temperatures and pressures (millions of atmospheres) that are found in fusion processes, astrodynamics, and planetary convection. Viscosity governs these flows, but our knowledge of viscosity in the warm dense matter regime — not quite condensed matter nor traditional plasma — is incomplete, hence our ability to accurately account for viscous effects in hydrodynamic models is limited. The aim of the project is to characterize viscosity and diffusivity across a range of scales in dynamically-compressed materials through facility experiments using x-ray diagnostics, and drive the theory and development behind new experimental platforms. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn about the theory and fundamentals of complex flows and turbulence, work with codes used in the ICF community to design and fabricate targets, and execute the experiments at LLE and DOE labs.
We welcome applications from candidates with a background in engineering, physics, applied math, geosciences, materials science, or related disciplines with a strong interest in fluid dynamics. We value diversity and equity and seek to foster supportive, respectful work environments. We encourage applications from members of historically marginalized groups.
For graduate student applicants, previous experience with experimental fluid dynamics or HED physics is highly desirable. The application deadline is January 1, 2024; formal applications should be submitted through the ME department’s website. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact Jessica Shang (j.k.shang[at]rochester.edu) and Hussein Aluie (hussein[at]rochester.edu) with inquiries and to express their interest in the position. Please attach a CV.
For postdoctoral applicants, previous experience with HED physics is required and experience with experimental facilities is highly desirable. The position will remain open until filled. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact Jessica Shang (j.k.shang[at]rochester.edu) and Hussein Aluie (hussein[at]rochester.edu) with inquiries and to express their interest in the position. Please attach a CV and a cover letter describing your qualifications for the position.
About the University of Rochester: U of R is a mid-sized private research university (R1) with approximately 6000 undergraduates and 3500 graduate students. The Mechanical Engineering department is collegial and collaborative; in addition to research, the department takes pride in excellence and teaching and mentoring, and close interactions between faculty, students, and staff. The university is home to the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the second largest fusion research facility in the US, and the ME department, whose faculty led the efforts to create the LLE, continues to collaborate closely. As a graduate student at LLE, Donna Strickland conducted the research that led to her Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018.
About Rochester: Rochester is a mid-sized metropolis with historical touchstones, having played a key part in women’s suffrage and abolition (both Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried in the cemetery adjacent to U of R), and more recently in the area of optics and photonics due to the lasting imprint of Kodak. Living in Rochester is affordable and the arts and culture scene is impressive; U of R is home to the Eastman School of Music which puts on average at least one daily performance. Rochester is adjacent to Lake Ontario and is also close to the Finger Lakes region, notable for its wine and natural beauty.
Physiological Flows
We are seeking highly motivated PhD students to join the Hydrodynamics Lab at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), University of Rochester.
The position involves the development and application of a multiscale model to arterial and perivascular flows in the brain. Metabolic waste is cleared from healthy brains via the glymphatic system, which was discovered here at the University of Rochester in Maiken Nedergaard’s lab. Cerebrospinal fluid flows through perivascular spaces, picking up waste proteins and clearing them from the brain. Degraded waste clearance is linked to neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s). What drives perivascular flow is strongly debated, but a leading hypothesis supported by in vivo measurements correlates the flow with arterial dynamics. Clinically, vascular and neurological decline are also found in tandem. The aim of the project is to build arterial and perivascular network models to explicitly study the link between vascular mechanics and perivascular flow. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in this emergent high-impact area, learn about the theory and fundamentals of reduced-order modeling of physiological flows, and interact with neuroscientists and engineers at the forefront of glymphatics research.
We welcome applications from candidates with a background in engineering, physics, applied math, computer science, or related disciplines with a strong interest in fluid dynamics. We value diversity and equity and seek to foster supportive, respectful work environments. We encourage applications from members of historically marginalized groups.
For graduate student applicants, previous experience with numerical methods and programming is highly desirable. The application deadline is January 1, 2024; formal applications should be submitted through the ME department’s website. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact Jessica Shang (j.k.shang[at]rochester.edu) with inquiries and to express their interest in the position. Please attach a CV.
About the University of Rochester: U of R is a mid-sized private research university (R1) with approximately 6000 undergraduates and 3500 graduate students. The Mechanical Engineering department is collegial and collaborative; in addition to research, the department takes pride in excellence and teaching and mentoring, and close interactions between faculty, students, and staff. The U of R Medical Center (URMC) is adjacent to the main academic campus (River Campus) which enables close collaborations between engineering and medical school faculty.
About Rochester: Rochester is a mid-sized metropolis with historical touchstones, having played a key part in women’s suffrage and abolition (both Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried in the cemetery adjacent to U of R), and more recently in the area of optics and photonics due to the lasting imprint of Kodak. Living in Rochester is affordable and the arts and culture scene is impressive; U of R is home to the Eastman School of Music which puts on average at least one daily performance. Rochester is adjacent to Lake Ontario and is also close to the Finger Lakes region, notable for its wine and natural beauty.
Undergraduate Positions
To be considered for an undergraduate position, please send your CV/resume and your latest transcript. Funded undergraduate research assistantships are limited; you may also consider doing an undergraduate independent study for research credit during the academic year.