Group Leader
Xinfeng Gao
Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Xinfeng Gao's research is focused on the development of high-performance computing (HPC) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) algorithms for a wide range of applications in aerospace and mechanical engineering, involving shock waves, turbulence, combustion, plasma, and multifluids.
Current Graduate Students
Jason Morefield
Jason Morefield completed his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Virginia in May 2025. He joined the CFD & Propulsion Laboratory as a PhD student in August 2025. Jason will focus on the development of new-generation hypersonic CFD algorithms.
Justin Yankow
Justin Yankow completed his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia with a minor in Applied Mathematics. He joined the CFD & Propulsion Laboratory as an undergraduate student in Summer 2024 and has continued his research in pursuit of a Master of Science since May 2025. His research focus is on advancing data assimilation methods and their applications to hypersonic CFD modeling and simulations.
Grady Regan
Grady Regan has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Clarkson University in May 2024. He Joined the CFD & Propulsion lab in June 2024 and his Ph.D. research topic is focused on the development of moving boundaries for applications to hypersonic flows.
Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis completed his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Tennessee Technological University in December of 2020. Andrew Joined the CFD & Propulsion Laboratory as a Master’s student in January of 2021 and then transferred to the Ph.D. study in September of 2021. His research is focused on the development of CFD algorithms for GPUs and application of these algorithms for hypersonic flows.
Current Undergraduate Students
Zachary Siller
Zachary Siller is an undergraduate at the University of Virginia studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. He joined the CFD & Propulsion Laboratory in 2025, where his research focuses on the use of Bayesian sampling techniques to improve modeling, inference, and uncertainty quantification in computational fluid dynamics.
Rachel Heth
Rachel Heth is an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia pursuing a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Applied Mathematics. She began her studies at the University in 2023 and joined the CFD & Propulsion Lab in Summer 2025. Her research focuses on Bayesian data assimilation and Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms for complex fluid systems.
Former Students
Chris Hurst
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2024)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2018-05/2024, A Novel Smoother-Based Data-Assimilation Method for Complex CFD
Job Upon Graduation: Data Scientist at SCiTEC | Science & Technology Innovation
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2018-05/2024, A Novel Smoother-Based Data-Assimilation Method for Complex CFD
Job Upon Graduation: Data Scientist at SCiTEC | Science & Technology Innovation
Erik Brodin
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2024)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2019-05/2024, Numerical Algorithms for Two-Fluid Weakly-Compressible Flows
Job Upon Graduation: Software Engineer at PTC Inc. (formerly Parametric Technology Corporation)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2019-05/2024, Numerical Algorithms for Two-Fluid Weakly-Compressible Flows
Job Upon Graduation: Software Engineer at PTC Inc. (formerly Parametric Technology Corporation)
Nate Overton-Katz
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2022)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2016-08/2022, Geometry Considerations for High-Order Finite-Volume Methods on Structured Grids with Adaptive Mesh Refinement
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral scientist at the Applied Numerical Algorithms Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2016-08/2022, Geometry Considerations for High-Order Finite-Volume Methods on Structured Grids with Adaptive Mesh Refinement
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral scientist at the Applied Numerical Algorithms Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Sean Walters
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2022)
Time Period and Thesis: 05/2016-05/2022, Large-Eddy Simulation of Compressible Flows Using the Stretched-Vortex Model and a Fourth-Order Finite Volume Scheme on Adaptive Grids
Job Upon Graduation: Assistant professor at Southern Adventist University
Time Period and Thesis: 05/2016-05/2022, Large-Eddy Simulation of Compressible Flows Using the Stretched-Vortex Model and a Fourth-Order Finite Volume Scheme on Adaptive Grids
Job Upon Graduation: Assistant professor at Southern Adventist University
Scott Polak
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2022)
Time Period and Thesis: 01/2016-05/2022, A Fourth-Order Finite Volume Algorithm with Adaptive Mesh Refinement in Space and Time for Multi-Fluid Plasma Modeling
Job Upon Graduation: Member of Technical Staff at Advanced Energy, Fort Collins, Colorado
Time Period and Thesis: 01/2016-05/2022, A Fourth-Order Finite Volume Algorithm with Adaptive Mesh Refinement in Space and Time for Multi-Fluid Plasma Modeling
Job Upon Graduation: Member of Technical Staff at Advanced Energy, Fort Collins, Colorado
Yijun Wang
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2022)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2016-01/2022, Bayesian Data Assimilation for CFD Modeling of Turbulent Combustion
Job Upon Graduation: Data Scientist at Huma.AI, Inc
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2016-01/2022, Bayesian Data Assimilation for CFD Modeling of Turbulent Combustion
Job Upon Graduation: Data Scientist at Huma.AI, Inc
Joshua Christopher
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2021)
Time Period and Thesis: 06/2014-12/2021, Time Integration for Complex Fluid Dynamics
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral Scientist at the Center for Advanced Propulsion and Power Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
Time Period and Thesis: 06/2014-12/2021, Time Integration for Complex Fluid Dynamics
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral Scientist at the Center for Advanced Propulsion and Power Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois
Noah Meisner
Degree (Year): M.S. (2019)
Time Period and Thesis: 09/2016-05/2019, Entropy Stability for a Forth-Order Accurate Finite Volume Method
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Karagozian & Case
Time Period and Thesis: 09/2016-05/2019, Entropy Stability for a Forth-Order Accurate Finite Volume Method
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Karagozian & Case
Landon Owen
Degree (Year): Ph.D. (2019)
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2013-06/2019, A Fourth-Order Solution-Adaptive Finite-Volume Algorithm for Compressible Reacting Flows on Mapped Domains
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral Scientist at the Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore Campus, California
Time Period and Thesis: 08/2013-06/2019, A Fourth-Order Solution-Adaptive Finite-Volume Algorithm for Compressible Reacting Flows on Mapped Domains
Job Upon Graduation: Postdoctoral Scientist at the Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore Campus, California
Justin Weinmeister
Degree (Year): M.S. (2018)
Time Period and Thesis: 04/2016-05/2018, Development of Reduced Polynomial Chaos-Kriging Metamodel for Uncertainty Quantification of Computational Aerodynamics
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Time Period and Thesis: 04/2016-05/2018, Development of Reduced Polynomial Chaos-Kriging Metamodel for Uncertainty Quantification of Computational Aerodynamics
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Tyler Schott
Degree (Year): M.S. (2016)
Time Period and Thesis: 11/2013-06/2016, CFD Modeling of Aircraft Pressure Relief Doors
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Blue Origin
Time Period and Thesis: 11/2013-06/2016, CFD Modeling of Aircraft Pressure Relief Doors
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Blue Origin
Nathan Spotts
Degree (Year): M.S. (2015)
Time Period and Thesis: 02/2012-12/2015, Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Simulations of Inlet Flow Distortion in the Fan System of a Gas-Turbine Aero-Engine
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Woodward Inc
Time Period and Thesis: 02/2012-12/2015, Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Simulations of Inlet Flow Distortion in the Fan System of a Gas-Turbine Aero-Engine
Job Upon Graduation: CFD Engineer at Woodward Inc
Former Research Scientists
Dr. Catherine Olschanowsky
Dr. Catherine Olschanowsky is now an associate professor of Computer Science at Boise State University. She was a research professor in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering Departments at CSU, working in the CFD & Propulsion Laboratory from July 2013 to July 2016. Her work involved using the Rose compiler to customize CFD applications to complex computer architectures. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from University of California at San Diego in the Performance Modeling and Characterization Laboratory. Dr. Olschanowsky also worked as a research scientist and software engineer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center.