Mechanical Engineering department hosts second research talk of the Lassonde Distinguished Speaker Series

In November, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering hosted a compelling research discussion about fluid mechanics and heat transfer, as part of the Lassonde Distinguished Speaker Series. The event space was filled to capacity to hear from guest speaker, Alfredo Soldati, Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Technische Universität Wien in Vienna, Austria, as he shared his expert knowledge and innovative research. Attendees also engaged in a post-event discussion, an interactive session that allowed for questions, ideas and opinions.

This event offered those who attended an enriching experience rooted in knowledge exchange, networking opportunities and interdisciplinary learning.

“The Lassonde Distinguished Speaker series is an excellent initiative that not only enriches our understanding of various fields through insights from renowned researchers, but also serves as a platform to promote our School on a national and international level,” says Pouya Rezai, associate professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering department.

“Professor Soldati, a distinguished and world-renowned researcher in fluid mechanics, has received numerous awards and recognitions from mechanical engineering societies. His editorial roles in key fluid mechanics journals further highlight his influential position. The opportunity for our mechanical engineering students and faculty members to learn from him was wonderful.”

Professor Alfredo Soldati presenting to the audience at the Lassonde Distinguished Speaker Series event.

Through his presentation, Professor Soldati provided valuable insight into the crucial role fluid mechanics and heat transfer play in daily life, as well as various fundamental principles which govern the field. The research discussion focused on interfaces of fluid drops and bubbles in turbulence and their function in different environmental and industrial processes. Professor Soldati also explained the challenges associated with interfaces and how the mathematics-based, phase-field approach can be applied to solve these problems as well as model fluids and their interfaces. For example, the most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is exchanged between the ocean and atmosphere, leading to varying effects on climate change. This gas exchange is largely dependent on the size distribution and flow properties of fluid drops and bubbles, therefore modeling and understanding these properties is an important part of developing solutions.

“What I found really inspiring about the talk from Dr. Soldati was his ability to tell a story while tying in his research,” says Taz Islam, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering and event attendee. “Being able to construct one’s experiments and research into an exciting and motivating story is an arduous task that all graduate students strive to accomplish. It was exciting to see him tie different stories together, like how the field of fluid mechanics was advanced through critical research contributions and interface science discoveries made by Agnes Pockels, a German chemist and pioneer in surface science, who could only perform experiments in the kitchen during a time when women were not allowed to attend university.”

About the Lassonde Distinguished Speaker Series

The Lassonde Distinguished Speaker Series aims to foster interdisciplinary learning and collaboration in engineering and science. Each department at the School hosts a thought-provoking research talk, led by a prestigious guest researcher who is working at the forefront of innovation in their field.