A Half-Century of Research and Mentoring in Fluid Dynamics from Hemodynamics to Hypersonics

Wesley L. Harris

Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(This has been a keynote presentation at the NAFEMS World Congress 2023.)

This keynote presentation will speak on the primary engineering challenges, related research hypotheses, relevant questions, appropriate research tools, and assessment of results in selected areas of hypersonics, helicopter rotor acoustics, unsteady nonlinear transonics, and hematology. This corpus of work is driven by seminal achievements of outstanding graduate students, often working in mutual critical groups. This diversity of research investigations is matched by the diversity of participating graduate students, including racially underrepresented, women, and international students. The supporting (sustainable) research ecosystem also contributed to the quality of the process and results.

Professor Wesley L. Harris is currently Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Wesley served as Head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 2003-2008. Served as Associate Administrator for Aeronautics, NASA, 1993-1995. Performed as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tennessee (1990-1993). Served as Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut (1985-1990). And from 1972 to 1985, held several faculty and administrative positions at MIT, including Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Academic research associated with unsteady aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, rarefied gas dynamics, sustainment of capital assets, hypersonics and chaos in sickle cell disease. Credited with more than 130 technical papers. Served as chair and member of various boards and committees of the NRC, NSF, the U.S. Army Science Board, USRA, and several state governments. Served on committees of the AIAA, AHS, and the NTA. Earned a Bachelor of Science degree (with Honors) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1964; a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University in 1968. Elected Honorary Fellow of the AIAA and to membership in the NAE. Elected vice president NAE, 2022.