Jennifer Franck
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Affiliate Appointment in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics & Civil and Environmental Engineering
jafranck@wisc.edu
Education:
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia
M.S. Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
Post-Doctoral Scholars
Ben Smith
Post-Doctoral Scholar in Mechanical Engineering
Co-advised with Prof. Till Wagner, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Ph.D. Mathematics (2023), University of Leicester
M.Sc. Physics (2017) Cardiff University
B.Sc. Mathematics (2016) University of Plymouth
Research Focus: wave-ice interactions ; lake bio-physical processes
Graduate Students
Trevor Dunt
Ph.D. Student in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics
DoD SMART Scholar
B.S. Physics (2019) University of Northern Iowa
Research Focus: Bio-inspired flows; fluid-structure interactions; machine learning tools in hydrodynamics
Sara Hartke
Co-advised with Prof. Nimish Pujara
Ph.D. Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (2020) University of Texas, Dallas
Research Focus: Surface waves and turbulence in marine energy harvesting
Bingfei Yan
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering
M.S. Fluid Mechanics (2023), University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
B.S. Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (2020), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
Research Focus: aerodynamics ; gust-foil interactions
Undergraduate Researchers
Austin Brey
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Engineering Mechanics (2027)
Research Focus: wake interaction and modeling
Alex Kress
Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. Engineering Mechanics (2026)
Research Focus: Aerodynamics of wind turbines and airfoils
Lab Alumni
degree awarded; thesis title; first position after CFPM lab
Alumni: Graduate Students
Carlos Nogues Armengol: Visiting Scholar UW-Madison; M.S. Aeronautical Engineering, Uni. Politècnica de València (2025)
CFD Analysis of the Hydrodynamic Properties of an Eel-like Body for Propulsion and Energy Generation
Kolton Janz: M.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2025)
Computational Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Passive Energy Harvester
Caelan Consing: M.S. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison (2025)
Computational Investigation of Cambered Blades and Virtual Camber in Cross-Flow Turbines
Rithwik Kandukuri: M.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2025)
Marine Energy Cross-Flow Turbines in High Confinement
Soundarya Ramasubramanian: M.S. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison (2023)
Critical Points in the Wake of a Bio-Inspired Undulated Cylinder
Product Engineer at Siemens, Portland OR
Bernardo Luiz Rocha Ribeiro: Ph.D. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2023)
Vortex Dynamics and Machine Learning on Oscillating-Foil Turbines
Postdoctoral Fellow in Unsteady Aerodynamics, University of Campinas, Brazil
Mukul Dave: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison (2022)
Simulations of Unsteady Flow Phenomena in Cross-Flow Turbines
Lawrence-Berkeley National Lab, National Energy Research Scientific Computing (NERSC) Postdoctoral Fellow, Berkeley, CA
Riley Bridges: M.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2022)
Cross-Flow Turbines with Equivalent Planar Motion
Engineer, Jacobs Space Exploration Group at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
Kate Lyons: Ph.D. Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, UW-Madison (2021)
Effects of Topography Variation on Fluid Flow over Seal Whisker Inspired Geometries
Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer, X-Energy, Washington, DC
Alejandro Gonzalez Calvet: Visiting Scholar UW-Madison; M.S. Aeronautical Engineering, Uni. Politècnica de València (2019)
Glovo, Product Data Analyst, Barcelona, Spain
Divya Jaganathan: Sc.M. Engineering, Brown University (2018)
Simulation of Fluid-Structure Interaction of Flow Through Compliant Vessels
PhD student, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru, India
Xiaoyue Zhao: Sc.M. Engineering, Brown University (2017)
OpenFOAM Simulation of Diaphragmless Shock Tube
Applications Engineer, COMSOL, Shanghai City, China
Ka Ling Wu: Sc.M. Engineering, Brown University (2015)
Simulation of an Oscillating Hydrofoil near Boundaries
PhD Student École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne ‐ EPFL
Alex Czulak: Sc.M. Engineering, Brown University (2015)
Simulations of Plasma Actuation on a Wind Turbine Airfoil at High Reynolds Numbers
Mechanical Engineer, Robert Bosch LLC, Waltham, MA
Koketso Makhafola: Sc.M. Engineering, Brown University (2014)
Computational Modeling of Plasma Actuator Flow Control on Non-Symmetric Airfoils
Senior Engineer, Willdan Energy Solutions, Dallas, TX
Justin Morse: Sc.M. Biomedical Eng, Brown University (2014)
An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Head Dynamics due to Stick Impacts in Girls’ Lacrosse
Electrical Engineer, Ximedica, Providence, RI
Alumni: Undergraduate Researchers
Varun Nathan: B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Purdue (2027)
Scott Russell : B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2025)
Aircraft Systems Engineer, United Airlines, Chicago, IL
Xinyi (Shirley) Zhang: B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2024)
PhD Student at Purdue
Julia Thormann : B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2024)
Lockheed Martin, New Jersey
Austin Howk: B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2023)
Engineer, Nuclear Power Division, Sargent and Lundy, Chicago, IL
Vineet Pasumarti: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison (2023)
Structural Analysis Engineer, Boeing, Huntington Beach, CA
Hanqi Dong: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison (2023)
PhD Student UT-Austin
Riya Agrawal: Visiting Researcher; B.Tech. Mechanical Engineering (2023) United College of Engineering and Research
Graduate Student, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Mikihisa Yuasa: B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2021)
PhD Student UIUC
Kirby Heck: B.S. Engineering Mechanics, UW-Madison (2021)
PhD Student MIT
David Burkhart: B.S. Applied Math and Engineering Physics, UW-Madison (2020)
Engineer, Oshkosh Corporation, Madison, WI
Aneesh Heintz: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2018)
PhD Student, Cornell University
Arianne Spaulding: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2018)
Mechanical Engineer, Amazon Robotics, Boston, MA
Noemaikealohaiku`ulei (Noe) Lum: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2018)
Grad Student, UC-Berkeley
Matthew Shorter: Sc.B. Mechanical Engineering Brown University (2017)
PhD Student, MIT
Isabel Scherl: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2017)
PhD Student, University of Washington
Filip Simeski: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2017)
PhD Student, Stanford University
Aryssa Medina: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2015)
Lead Assembly Operations Engineer, Pratt & Whitney, Hartford CT
Evan Roelke: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2015)
PhD Student, Georgia Institute of Technology
Sarah Frank: Sc.B. Mech Eng, Brown University (2014)
PhD Student, University of California-Berkeley
Joo Yeon Jung: Sc.B. Biomedical Eng, Brown University (2014)