Group Members
Principal Investigator
Ping He
Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Iowa State University
Postdocs
Lean Fang
PhD, Iowa State University
M.S., Lehigh University
B.S., University of Science and Technology of China
Research topic - Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
Graduate Students
Christian Psenica
Ph.D. Student
B.S., Iowa State University
Research topic - Aerothermal optimization for eVTOL aircraft
Ethan Schmidt
Master Student
B.S., Iowa State University
Research topic - Machine learning methods for solving PDEs
Co-advised with Dr. Jue Yan
Gage Harris
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S., Iowa State University
Research topic - Control co-Design Optimization of Space Systems
Heyecan Koyuncuoglu
Ph.D. Candidate
B.S., Middle East Technical University
Research topic - Wing-propeller Aerodynamic Optimization
Seth Zoppelt
Ph.D. Student
B.S., College of Charleston
Research topic - Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Propellers
2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awardee
Zilong Li
Ph.D. Candidate
M.S., Pennsylvania State University
M.S., Shanghai Jiao Tong University
B.S., Wuhan University of Science and Technology
Research topic - Machine Learning and Reduced-order Modeling
Lean Fang
PhD Student (08/2021 to 05/2025)
Thesis - Efficient Adjoint Methods for Steady and Unsteady Flow Optimization
First stop - Postdoc with Dr. Ping He at ISU
Jincheng Wang
PhD Student (08/2021 to 12/2024), co-advised with Dr. Hui Hu
Thesis - A Machine learning study of wind-driven runback/flow-off multiphase flows pertinent to aircraft icing phenomena
First stop - Postdoc with Dr. Hui Hu at ISU
Khanh Hoang
M.S. Student (01/2023 to 05/2024)
Thesis - High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of High Aspect Ratio Wings
First stop - ORISE fellowship at the U.S. Army ERDC
Sherly Hattasanjaya
M.S. Student (07/2023 to 05/2024)
Creative component - Data-driven aerodynamic optimization for high aspect ratio wing
First stop - Missouri Department of Transportation
Usama Toman
MS Student (11/2022 to 08/2023)
Thesis - High-fidelity aerodynamic and aerostructural optimization of UAV propellers
First stop -
Christian Psenica
Undergraduate Research Assistant (02/2023 to 05/2024)
Research topic -Conjugate heat transfer optimization
First stop - PhD student with Dr. Ping He at ISU
Matthew Mehrtens
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2021 to 05/2023)
Research topic -Wing Aerodynamic Optimization
First stop - PhD student with Dr. Brandon Runnels at ISU
Nicholas Goeckner
Undergraduate Research Assistant (01/2023 to 12/2023)
Research topic -Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization
First stop -
Emma Pautler
NSF LAUNCH-UAS program student (05/2023 to 08/2023)
Research topic - Coupled wing shape and planform optimization
First stop - MS student at Virginia Tech
Benjamin Olsen
Undergraduate Research Assistant (05/2023 to 08/2023)
Research topic -Wind Turbine Aerodynamic Optimization
First stop -
Andrew Thomas
Undergraduate Research Assistant (09/2020 to 05/2022)
Research topic - Building optimization GUI
First stop - Aerodynamics Engineer at Textron Aviation
Robert Santiago
Undergraduate Research Assistant (06/2021 to 05/2023)
Research topic - Wing aerodynamic optimization
First stop - Structures Stress Engineer at Boeing
Helen Hu
NSF LAUNCH-UAS program student (05/2022 to 08/2022)
Research topic - Effect of mesh density on UAV optimization
First stop - Ph.D. at Georgia Tech
Priscilla Pak
NSF LAUNCH-UAS program student (05/2022 to 08/2022)
Research topic - Impact of planform variable on wing optimization
First stop - Ph.D. at UT Austin
Sharice Locke
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2021 to 12/2021)
Research topic - Airfoil aerodynamic optimization
First stop - CFD Engineer at Emerson
Kiet Tuong Tran
Undergraduate Research Assistant (09/2020 to 08/2021)
Research topic - Unsteady aerodynamic optimization
First stop - Ph.D. with Prof. Liming Xiong at ISU
Catherine Canfield
NSF LAUNCH-UAS program student (05/2021 to 08/2021)
Research topic - Impact of gradient accuracy on optimization
First stop - Education Associate at the Boston Museum of Science
Joaquin Matticoli
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2020 to 05/2021)
Research topic - Wind turbine aerodynamic optimization
First stop - M.S. at Georgia Tech
Kyle Neidermeier
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2020 to 05/2021)
Research topic - Compressor aerodynamic optimization
First stop - Heat Transfer Engineer at QuEST Defense
Tarith Samson
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2020 to 05/2021)
Research topic - Wing aerodynamic optimization
First stop - M.S. at Purdue
Adam Bodenham
Undergraduate Research Assistant (08/2020 to 12/2020)
Research topic - Structural design optimization
First stop - Structural Analysis Engineer at Spirit Aerosystems