People

Abenezer Abere is PhD Student at Washington University in St. Louis pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Addis Ababa University in Mechanical Engineering. Some of his research experience encompasses modelling of thermo-fluid systems and performance evaluation of Solar Energy application for off grid areas.

His research interest leans towards finding solution for thermal management of electronics and microdevices. Currently, his study involves simulation and experiment to investigate the influence of heat transfer on flow dynamics in porous medium and understand the transport phenomena at pore scale level. During his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, riding a bike, and travelling.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abenezer-abere-59575685/

Kiersten is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, working on developing a passive heat switch for space-craft and satellite applications. She obtained her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering here at Washington University and worked in the Thermal Fluids Research Group both as a WUSEF summer intern and an independent study research student.

Ephrem Kejela is a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington. During his undergraduate studies, he worked in research related to hypersonic aircraft and launch vehicle designs, as well as the characterization of thermomechanical properties of various types of PCBs. Currently, his research focuses on examining the characteristics of charged water droplets in Krytox oil.

Minrak (pronunciation: Millak) is a PhD student at the MEMS department in Washington University in St. Loius. He obtained his B.S. from Hanyang University and obtained his M.S. at POSTECH. He has a total of six years of research experience before coming to WashU, including aerosol science, two-phase flow and microfluidics. His research at WashU is focused on thermal modeling of the Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) process where he ultimately tries to correlate the in-situ thermal data with the quality of the AM-printed products. He is trying to learn Machine Learning (ML) for correlation data and obtaining temperature distribution. He is a foodie, likes to sing in his spare time and loves to engage in friendly conversations.

Ruikang Zhang is a MS student in Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He obtained his BS in Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has been working as a Heat&Fluid Simulating and Modeling Engineer Intern in China, participating in several projects including simulating China’s latest small modular nuclear reactor’s coolant system. He is now working in the Thermal Fluid Research Group doing his independent study on the heat behavior of condensation of hot vapor. During his free time, he likes to play table tennis, and he was the former captain of RPI’s table tennis team.

Ranch is a senior Mechanical Engineering student, working on experimental modeling of how metal powders mix during metal additive manufacturing. He is also co-president at WashU’s Design/Build/Fly Club, which constructs remote-control aircraft for an annual collegiate competition. Outside of school, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and reading.

Mark Lipkin is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He previously worked in the Genin Laboratory, learning FEA, and applying it to python teeth to be used in orthopedic surgery. He has spent the past two summers as an engineering intern at GE Vernova, working as a design intern on the Steam Turbine Structures Team, as well as an additive manufacturing intern at GE’s Advanced Manufacturing Works. Mark is a member of the varsity swim team at WashU and enjoys playing golf and trying new restaurants in his free time.

Lillian is an undergraduate student with special interests in renewable energy, sustainable technology, and heat management. She plans to major in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Materials Science and Energy Engineering. Her first independent study research project entails an exploration of the heat transfer behavior of nanofluid droplets via infrared imaging.

Junhui received his PhD from WashU as member of the Thermal Fluids Research Group in 2022. The title of his thesis was: “Droplet-based Two-phase Thermal Management”. He also worked on developing a passive heat switch based on liquid metal actuation. He is now a thermal engineer at NIO.

He also holds a B.E. in Aircraft Design and Engineering from the Beihang University (China) (2014), and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis (2016).

Jianxing received his PhD from WashU as member of the Thermal Fluids Research Group in 2022. The title of his thesis was: “Droplet Dynamics and Heat Transfer during Condensation on Lubricant-Infused Surfaces”. He is now a postdoc in the lab of Anish Tuteja at the University of Michigan.

He also holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Inner Mongolia University of Technology (China) (2014), and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology (China) (2017).