People
Current Members
Principal Investigator
Joaquim R. R. A. Martins is a Professor at the University of Michigan, where he heads the Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Laboratory (MDO Lab) in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. His research involves the development and application of MDO methodologies to the design of aircraft configurations, with a focus on high-fidelity simulations that take advantage of high-performance parallel computing.
He has served as Associate Editor for the AIAA Journal, Optimization and Engineering, and Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization. He is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Aircraft.
Research Faculty
PhD Students
Co-Advised PhD Students
Alumni
Post-Doctoral Alumni
Cody Karcher
Current position: CSRI Post-Doctoral Fellow at Sandia National Laboratories
Graeme Kennedy
(also PhD alumnus)
Current position: Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology
Gaetan Kenway
(also PhD alumnus)
Current position: Research Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center
John Hwang
(also PhD alumnus)
Current position: Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
Mohamed Amine Bouhlel
Ping He
Current position: Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
Raphael Gross
Current position: R&D Engineer, A.L.I. Technologies
Ruben Perez
Current position: Associate Professor, Royal Military College of Canada
Sicheng He
Sabet Seraj
(also PhD alumnus)
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Turaj Ashuri
Current position: Assistant Professor, Arkansas Tech University
Xiaosong Du
Current position: Assistant Professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Yingqian Liao
(also PhD alumna)
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher at National Renewable Energy Laboratory
PhD Alumni
Bernardo Pacini
“Aerodynamic, Aeroacoustic, and Aerostructural Design Optimization for Propeller-Driven Aircraft" (co advised with Prof. Karthik Duraisamy), University of Michigan, May 2024
Current position: Aerodynamics Simulation Engineer, Joby Aviation
Shugo Kaneko
“Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Delivery Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles Considering Operations", University of Michigan, April 2024
Current position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, MDO lab
Marco Mangano
“High-Fidelity Aerostructural Design Optimization of Wind Turbine Rotors", University of Michigan, December 2023
Current position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, MDO lab
Sabet Seraj
“Aerodynamic Design Optimization of a Supersonic Transport Aircraft Considering Low-Speed Stability“, University of Michigan, December 2023
Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Ella Wu
“Practical Appropriate Fidelity Optimization for Large-scale Multidisciplinary Aircraft Design”, University of Michigan, December 2022
Current position: Aerodynamic Engineer, Archer Aviation
Josh Anibal
“Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Heat Exchangers”, University of Michigan, December 2022
Anil Yildirim
“Robust Methods for Aeropropulsive Design Optimization", University of Michigan, September 2021
Current position: Post-Doctoral Fellow, MDO lab
Benjamin Brelje
“Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Electric Aircraft Considering Systems Modeling and Packaging”, University of Michigan, August 2021
Current position: Multidisciplinary Optimization Engineer, Joby Aviation
Yingqian Liao
“High-fidelity Hydrostructural Optimization of Composite Hydrodynamic Lifting Surfaces”, University of Michigan, August 2021
Current position: Post-Doctoral Fellow, MDO lab
Sicheng He
“Aerodynamic Shape Optimization using a Time-Spectral Approach for Limit Cycle Oscillation Prediction”, University of Michigan, April 2021
Current position: Post-Doctoral Fellow, MDO lab
Shamsheer Chauhan
“Optimization Studies for Aircraft Considering Propeller-Wing Interaction”, University of Michigan, December 2020
Current position: Engineer, Overair
Eirikur Jonsson
“High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Flexible Wings with Flutter Constraints”, University of Michigan, July 2020
Current position: Post-Doctoral Fellow, MDO lab
Nicolas Bons
“High-Fidelity Wing Design Exploration with Gradient-Based Optimization”, University of Michigan, May 2020
Current position: Principal Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman
Gustavo Halila
“Aerodynamic Shape Optimization and Modeling for Flows Including Transition to Turbulence Effects”, University of Michigan, May 2020
Current position: Aerodynamics and CFD Engineer, Embraer
John Jasa
“Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of an Aircraft Considering Path-Dependent Performance”, University of Michigan, December 2019
Current position: Postdoc, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Justin Gray
“Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsor Using a Coupled Aeropropulsive Model”, University of Michigan, October 2018
Current position: Engineer, OpenMDAO Project Team Leader, NASA Glenn Research Center
Ney Secco
“Component-based Aerodynamic Shape Optimization using Overset Meshes”, University of Michigan, July 2018
Current position: Assistant Professor, Technological Institute of Aeronautics, Brazil
Timothy Brooks
“Design Optimization of Flexible Aircraft Wings Using Tow-Steered Composites”, University of Michigan, May 2018
Current position: Aerospace Research Engineer, Aerion Supersonic
David Burdette
“High-Fidelity Aerostructural Design Optimization of Transport Aircraft with Continuous Morphing Trailing Edge Technology”, University of Michigan, Sep 2017
Current position: Sr. Methods Engineer, Pratt & Whitney
Nitin Garg
“High-Fidelity Hydrostructural Design Optimization of Lifting Surfaces” (co advised with Prof. Julie Young), University of Michigan, May 2017
Current position: Engineer, INEOS TEAM UK
Rhea Liem
“Multimission Fuel-Burn Minimization in Aircraft Design: A Surrogate-Modeling Approach”, University of Toronto, May 2015
Current position: Assistant Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Andrew Lambe
“Matrix-Free Methods for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization”, University of Toronto, May 2015
Current position: Senior Software Engineer, Sightline Innovation Inc.
Zhoujie (Peter) Lyu
“High-Fidelity Aerodynamic Design Optimization of Aircraft Configurations”, University of Michigan, Dec 2014
Current position: Director of Solutions Engineering, Rescale
John Hwang
“A modular approach to the large-scale design optimization of aerospace systems”, University of Michigan, Dec 2014
Current position: Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego
Nansi Xue
“Design and Optimization of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric-Vehicle Applications”, University of Michigan, Dec 2013
Current position: Aerospace engineer, Zee Aero.
Wenbo Du
“Multi-Scale Modeling, Surrogate-Based Analysis, and Optimization of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Vehicle Applications” (co-advised with Prof. Wei Shyy), University of Michigan, July 2013
Current position: Senior Support Engineer, Rescale
Gaetan Kenway
“A Scalable Parallel Approach for Multi-Point High-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Configurations”, University of Toronto, Feb 2013
Current position: Research Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center
Graeme Kennedy
“Aerostructural Analysis and Design Optimization of Composite Aircraft”, University of Toronto, Aug 2012
Current position: Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology
Sohrab Haghighat
“Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of A Highly Flexible Aeroservoelastic Wing” (co-advised with Prof. Hugh Liu), University of Toronto, Apr 2012
Current position: Co-Founder & CEO, SpaceRyde
Kai James
“Aerostructural Shape and Topology Optimization of Aircraft Wings”, University of Toronto, Apr 2012
Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Illinois.
Charles Mader
“Stability-Constrained Aerodynamic Shape Optimization with Applications to Flying Wings”, University of Toronto, Feb 2012
Current position: Technical Manager, SpaceRyde
Alan Yu
“A Configurable B-Spline Parameterization Method for Structural Optimization of Wing Boxes”, University of Toronto, Dec 2008
Current position: President, MDO Investments
Masters Alumni
Tristan Dhert
“High-fidelity aerodynamic shape optimization of wind turbine blades” (TUDelft Masters thesis), University of Michigan
Current position: Investment Solutions Manager, Legal & General Investment Management, London, UK
Sander van den Broek
“Towards High-Fidelity Aeroelastic Analysis of Wind Turbines” (TUDelft Masters thesis), University of Michigan, May 2014
Current position: Research Associate, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany
Jason Kao
May 2014
Current position: Research Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory
Cody Paige
“Extension of the ADjoint approach to a laminar Navier-Stokes solver”, University of Toronto, Nov 2012
Current position: PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Benjamin Yan
“A framework for aerostructural analysis of wind turbine blades”, University of Toronto, Aug 2008
Current position: Director ff Information Technology at Geneseeq Biotech Inc
Fredyanto Koko
“Aerostructural and Trajectory Optimization of Morphing Wingtip Devices” (TUDelft Masters thesis), University of Michigan, Aug 2011
Current position: Founder & CEO, MIKROLETTE
Edmund Lee
“Structural Topology Optimization with Design Dependent Loads”, University of Toronto, Aug 2011
Current position: Engineer, Bombardier Aerospace
Peter Jansen
“Aerostructural Optimization of Nonplanar Lifting Surfaces”, University of Toronto, Aug 2009
Current position: Research Associate and Lecturer, Royal Military College of Canada
Quinn Thomson
“Automatic Implementation or Response-Surface-Based MDO Algorithms”, University of Toronto, Aug 2009
Current position: iOS Developer, Robots and Pencils
Ryan Henderson
“Aircraft Conceptual Design Optimization with Emissions Minimization”, University of Toronto, Aug 2009
Current position: Operational Analysis, NAV CANADA
Scott Moon
“Wing Aerostructural Optimization with Aeroelastic Constraints”, University of Toronto, May 2009
Current position: Systems Engineer, Payload and AIT Engineer at Moltek Consultants Ltd, Netherlands
Christopher Marriage
“Automatic Implementation of MDO Algorithms”, University of Toronto, Aug 2008
Current position: Digital Strategy Manager, Accenture, Chicago
Ian Chittick
“A New Subspace Optimization Method for Aero-structural Design”, University of Toronto, Aug 2007
Current position: Engineering Specialist, Bombardier Aerospace
Charles Mader
“ADjoint: An Approach for the Rapid Development of Discrete Adjoint Solvers”, University of Toronto, Aug 2007
Current position: Technical Manager, SpaceRyde
Nathan Tedford
“Comparison of MDO Architectures within a Universal Framework”, University of Toronto, Aug 2006
Current position: Nuclear Technologies Lead, Hatch Ltd.
Praveen Thokala
“Airfoil Shape Optimization Using Variable-Complexity Methods”, University of Toronto, Aug 2005
Current position: Health Economic Modeller, University of Sheffield, UK
Nicholas Poon
“Adaptive Constraint Aggregation for Design Optimization Using Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis”, University of Toronto, Aug 2005
Current position: Assistant Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch