Penn’s Fluid Dynamics Symposium: Breaking Waves, Forging Connections

In November 2023, the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) played a pivotal role in hosting a satellite workshop preceding the American Physical Society conference in Washington, DC.

The workshop’s primary objective centered on spotlighting current research and opportunities at the crossroads of environmental and biological fluid dynamics. The aim was to establish a platform for world leaders and young scholars to engage in collaborative discussions and explore potential avenues of research collaboration. “Even though we don’t work on the same research projects, we still use the same lab techniques and computer simulations to solve problems across the spectrum of fluid dynamics,” commented Professor Mathijssen.

The two-day workshop consisted of talks from invited speakers and poster presentations to spark discussion and future collaborations. This workshop is thanks to the burgeoning Environmental and Biological Fluid Dynamics group at Penn, now comprising over 27 faculty members from more than 10 departments across the university.

The workshop was organized by Paulo E. Arratia (second from right, MEAM), Douglas Jerolmack (right, Earth and Environmental Science and MEAM), Arnold Mathijssen (left, Physics and Astronomy), and Hugo Ulloa (second from left, Earth and Environmental Sciences).

We extend our gratitude for the support received from Penn Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Penn Engineering, The Water Center at Penn, and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.