The Director

Dr. David Blunck

Dr. David L. Blunck

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Program of College of Engineering
Professor in the Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering (MIME) Department

Covell Hall 121 
541-737-7095
David.Blunck@oregonstate.edu

My vision for using my profession to improve the world includes: (1) performing internationally recognized research in the fields of propulsion and wildfire to help address societal needs; (2) helping students to develop skills and credentials needed to become leaders in addressing global challenges; and (3) leading efforts to improve student retention, graduation, and career readiness. 

My team’s research enables or improves the prediction or utilization of energy within natural systems (e.g., wildfires) and propulsion devices (e.g., gas turbine engines).  Our research is impactful because we innovative in my experimental methodologies, and we identify research questions that truly impact end-users. For example, we identified a missing critical input for models of wildfire spread (i.e., source terms of firebrand generation) and our group burned over 150 >3m tall trees (harvested using best practices) and collected firebrands using a pioneering technique that we developed.  Frankly, we don’t know of any other academic institution that conducts research of this scale!  More importantly, because of this work the fire community now actually has source terms that can be used in detailed physics models – a major limitation before my research.  Our firebrand research has garnered significant (i.e., 35 instances) international, national, and regional recognition in articles or videos (e.g., National Geographic, National Public Radio).  

As an example of my propulsion research, we recognized a need to understand how combustion products influence combustion behavior so that afterburners can be more cost effectively designed.  Leveraging funding from a Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research, our team systematically identifies sensitives (or lack thereof) of ignition, flames, and detonations to the presence of combustion products.  
Both my wildfire and propulsion research draw on my experiences as a researcher for Air Force Research Laboratory where I led a team performing fundamental combustion research.  In this role, I honed my skills of recognizing impactful research needs and then developing experiments to interrogate fundamental scientific principles.

Dr. Blunck’s scholarly accomplishments are internationally recognized. He has published 40 peer-reviewed papers, over 60 conference publications, 2 book sections, and has given 40 invited presentations. His research has received international and national media attention (e.g., National Public Ratio in 2021, National Geographic in 2020, Discovery Channel in 2018, etc.). U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said, “…David Blunck has proven himself a key contributor to understanding the fundamentals of wildfire growth … This work could be critically important to understanding and preventing the growth of the catastrophic wildfires plaguing the West.” 

 

Faculty Research Associate

Dr. Deepak Sharma

Dr. Deepak Sharma Faculty Associate CIRE lab

Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

Email: sharmade@oregonstate.edu

 

Dr. Sharma is a dedicated and passionate researcher who believes in solving societal issues with scientific discoveries. As a Faculty Research Associate at Oregon State University, Deepak not only conducts groundbreaking research but also nurtures the next generation of scholars, guiding graduate and undergraduate students toward impactful discoveries.

Deepak’s current endeavors span a wide array of critical areas, from energy recovery solutions to wildfire behavior analysis, all geared toward fostering safety and sustainability. Before his current role, Deepak worked as a postdoctoral researcher and developed a liquid fuel injector for a supersonic linearized rotating detonation engine. Deepak’s doctorate research aimed at developing a novel airblast atomization mechanism with complete suppression of fouling and a low-grade heat-based actuator for a reliable and electricity-free desalination unit. Deepak's research journey began with a master's degree from IIT Patna in 2016, where he laid the foundation for his research career. He worked on phase-change thermal management using flow-boiling microchannel heat sinks. He also worked as a Junior Research Fellow on renewable energy technology called gasifiers to operate absorption-desorption refrigeration systems.

Deepak's illustrious journey in academia is peppered with remarkable achievements. In his short career span, he has published 2 patents and multiple articles in reputed peer-reviewed journals and conferences, received best master’s thesis award, and many more secured by his students under his mentorship. With total funding of $159,000, his initiatives pave the way for 2 graduate and 11 undergraduate students to delve into the electrification of waste heat, advancement in propulsion systems, and the intricacies of ignition in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

Research Focus: Industrial waste heat recovery in low-temperature ranges, ignition potential (temperature and heat flux) of firebrands generated in WUI fire, propulsion systems, biomass stoves and gasifiers for heat and energy, thermal water desalination and treatment for fresh water and minerals, phase-change cooling systems, vapor venting strategies and surface engineering for wettability alteration.

 

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Dr. Ajay Singh

Dr. Ajay Singh Blunck Research Group

Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

Email: singhaja@oregonstate.edu

Dr. Singh is a consistent and hardworking researcher with a background and working experience in multidisciplinary areas of engineering. Currently, he is working as a postdoc in CIRE lab under the mentorship of Dr. Blunck. He is working on two research projects; 1) close-loop control of an automated woodstove to reduce PM emission (funded by DOE) and 2) identifying ignition and burning behavior of live fuel during wildfires (funded by SERDP). He earned is doctorate degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (India), an institute of national importance. His Doctoral research focused on understanding cyclic combustion dynamics of advanced low temperature (HCCI & RCCI) and conventional (SI & CI) internal combustion engines using nonlinear and chaotic methods. Out of his PhD work he published 6 research papers in peer-reviewed journals with high impact factor. He has published and presented his research work in both International and National conferences. He did his Masters’ degree in Hydropower Engineering from MANIT, Bhopal, one of the prestigious institutes of national importance in India. He did his bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics.

His work and expertise include but not limited to Combustion in IC Engines and wood stoves, wildfires, statistical and nonlinear time series analysis, developing DAQ systems using LABVIEW and Arduino, Microcontroller (Arduino), Machine Learning, chaotic analysis, electromechanical systems. He has an experience of teaching various undergrad courses for more than 3 years. He has an excellent academic record securing 1st position in both his Master’s and bachelor’s program. Dr. Singh is also a good poet and performer and has won many awards for his poetry and standup.

Research Focus: Cyclic Combustion Dynamics of Low-Temperature (HCCI & RCCI) and conventional (SI &CI) combustion Engines, Non-linear and Chaotic time series analysis, Quantification of determinism in dynamics, Model/Control of burning in Wood Stove, Wildfire Spread

Faculty Research Assistant

Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering

Email: vermaad@oregonstate.edu

Adarsh is a dedicated engineer, committed to optimizing environments and products to enhance everyday life. His expertise spans multiple domains, including Automotive, Power Generation and Energy, Waste heat recovery, and Wildfire mitigation in Wildland-Urban Interfaces.
Adarsh is a recipient of the prestigious National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) award, a testament to his exceptional academic abilities and potential. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from S.G.S.I.T.S, Indore, where he gained practical experience through internships with prominent organizations like National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, L&T – MHI Power Boilers Private Limited, and Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles. During his undergraduate studies, Adarsh demonstrated his engineering skills by designing and fabricating an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for BAJA 2018, with a focus on the vehicle's chassis, suspension, seat, and safety features.
Adarsh pursued his Master’s in Industrial Engineering at Oregon State University, supported by a fully funded scholarship from the Madhya Pradesh government. His innovative engineering approach is further evidenced by his receipt of the VentureWell E-Team Grant for developing piezoelectric technology that generates electricity from low-grade heat sources. His work on studying firebrands has also received media attention.
Currently, Adarsh is involved in two research projects:

  1. Industrial waste heat recovery from low-grade sources to generate carbon-free electricity.
  2. The investigation of firebrands generated in Wildland-Urban Interface fires.

Graduate Students: 

 

 

Nate Gardner (Ph.D)

Email: gardnena@oregonstate.edu

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Graduate Research Assistant

Major: Mechanical engineering, thermal fluid sciences

Field of Research: I study wildfire combustion with a focus on the burning behavior of live fuels. I do experimental design at a laboratory scale, carry out experiments, and perform data analysis.

Year joined/Intended graduation: 2019-2024

Notable: Bachelor of science in mechanical engineering, ARCS Foundation Scholar, selected for Gas Turbine Industrial Fellowship.

 

Prabin Blunck Research Group

 

 

Prabin Shrestha (Ph.D)

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Identifying key physics in forced air combustion in heating stoves

Major: Mechanical Engineering (Thermal–Fluid Sciences)

Field of Research: Wood Combustion Diagnostics

Year joined/Intended graduation: 2022 / 2025-26

Notable: Responsible for managing Environmental Health and Safety portal for the Blunck Lab

 

David Evitt BRG

David Evitt (Ph.D)

CIRE LAB

Research Focus: Identifying Scaling and Design Rules for Air Jets in Biomass Combustion.

Applying fan-driven jets of air to household-scale biomass combustion devices such as wood cooking and heating stoves can reduce particulate emissions on the order of 90% with optimized hardware and operation. This research aims to develop deisng rules based on scaling variables to help device designers implement this pollution reduction approach and accelerate adoption.


Kyle Webber BRG

Kyle Weber (Ph.D)

Research Group: PROPULSION LAB

Role in Research Group: Propulsion Lab Researcher

Major: Thermal/Fluid Sciences

Field of Research: Detonation, Rotating Detonation Combustors

Year joined/Intended graduation: Joined in 2021/ Graduate 2025

 

Michelle Gee Grad Student

Michelle Gee (M.S.)

Research Group: CIRE Lab 

Role: Graduate Research Assistant 

Year joined/Intended graduation: 2023/2024 

Major: mechanical engineering, thermal-fluid sciences 

Field of Research: My research focus is within combustion, on fuel consumption modeling. I am currently working on a model with detailed chemical kinetics for reacting flows in porous media. It solves transport equations from a chemical composition input of reference species cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, non-structural carbophydrates, and lipids in 1d to predict mass evolution for living vegetative fuels.  

Notable: I did my undergrad at OSU-Cascades in Bend where I did undergraduate research in the Water and Energy Technologies Lab. I graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2022 and began work as a research engineer. In 2023, I moved to Corvallis and started grad school in the CIRE lab. In my free time, I like rock climbing outside with friends and my dog Wayne. 

Marshall Anderson

 

Marshall Andersen (M.S.)

Research Group: CIRE Lab

Role in Research Group: Graduate Research Assistant

Major: Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Fluid Science

Field of Research: Wildfire fuel pyrolysis and ignition

Year joined/Intended graduation: Spring 2022

Notable: Developed TG-FTIR-GC method to study time dependent production of pyroyzates from solid fuel. Results are expected to improve accuracy of wildfire fuel models representing living fuel.

Mayowa Omisanya

Research Group: CIRE Lab 

Role in Research Group: Graduate Research Assistant 

Major: Mechanical engineering, thermal fluid sciences

Field of Research: Network reactor models, Emissions reduction in wood stove.

Year joined/Intended graduation: 2023/2026-2027

Notable: Recipient of Chinese Government Scholarship. Have experience working on pool and flow boiling experiments. Currently predicting emissions reduction using network reactor models. 

Former Graduate Students:

Harley Glad (M.S.)

gladh@oregonstate.edu

Mick Carter (Ph.D./M.S.)
cartemic@oregonstate.edu

Kaz Teope (Ph.D.)

teopek@oregonstate.edu

Derek Bean (Ph.D.)

beande@oregonstate.edu

Eric Zeuthen (M.S.)

Eric.Zeuthen@netl.doe.gov

Eric Walters (M.S.)

walterse@oregonstate.edu

Benjamin Smucker (Ph.D/M.s.)

benjamin.smucker@oregonstate.edu

Research focus: Identifying the influence of combustion products on detonation speeds and chemistry.

Notable: Head of Oregon State Propulsion Lab. Outstanding Female engineering student at Southern Utah University, former basketball coach at Southern Utah University.

Research focus: Ember generation and transport in wildland-urban interface fires.

Notable: Former aviation structural mechanic on  MH-53E helicopters, with internships at Intel and Erickson Air-Crane.

Research Focus: Impact of combustion products on ignition jet fuels.

Notable: Major in the United States Air Foce, taught at the Air Force Academy, certified diver.

Research Focus: Utilization of solid fuels in pulse detonation engines for energy and propulstion purposes.

Notable: Designed and built a long range gas powered UAV for automated wildlife tracking data collection.

Thesis: Infrared radiation emissions from alternative large hydrocarbon fuels

Employment: Intel

Thesis: Flameless (MILD) combustion of large hydrocarbon fuels

Employment: SpaceX

Research Focus: Smoldering Combustion of Simple Fuels.

 

Notable: Formerly involved with the hybrid rocket team

     

Sebastian Okhovat (M.S.)

sebastian.okhovat@gmail.com

Aaron Jesse Fillo (Ph.D)

filloa@oregonstate.edu

Parker Weide (M.S.)

weidep@oregonstate.edu

Tyler Hudson (M.S.)

hudsont@oregonstate.edu

Daniel Cowan (M.S.)

cowand@oregonstate.edu

Nathan Schorn (M.S.)

schornn@oregonstate.edu

     

Thesis: Temperature Evolution of
Spark Kernels in Quiescent and
Cross-flow Conditions

Employment: Bell Aerospace

Thesis: The Global Consumption
Speeds of Premixed Large Hydrocarbon
Fuel/Air Turbulent Bunsen

Employment: Freelance

Thesis: Mild Combustion of a Surrogate Jet Fuel

Employment: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Thesis: Multi-Scale Study of Ember Production and Transport Under Multiple Enviromental and Fuel conditions

Employment: Rouge Approach

Thesis: Effects of Fuel Characteristics on Spread Rate and Surface Temperatures of Smoldering Duff

Employment: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Thesis: Turbulent Combustion Analysis of Large Hydrocarbon Fuels in a Reduced Pressure Environment

Employment: Onboard Dynamics

     

Undergraduate Research Assistants:

Jonathan Carter BRG

Name: Jonathan Carter

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Under Graduate Research Assistant

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Studying Convective and Radiative Heat Transfer dynamics

Year joined/Intended graduation: Joined 11/2022 / Graduating Summer 2024

Notable: Jon is a Senior Engineering student pursuing a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, he has previously worked in Dr. Camburn’s Ion Propulsion Research Lab and Dr. Wirz Energy and Plasma Research. Both of these experiences crafted a passion and drive for expanding and contributing to the scientific field.

Ian Gilchrist BRG

Name: Ian Gilchrist

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Undergrad Research Assistant

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Waste Heat Recovery

Year joined/Intended graduation: April 2023 - June 2024

Notable: Ian Gilchrist previously worked in the Kiewit Material Science Lab under Dr. Ideker’s Research group. This experience supplemented his academic studies and furthered his understanding of material science.

Outside the classroom, Ian is active, with interests in cycling, climbing, and skateboarding. Additionally, Ian spends time playing music to try to add a creative dimension to his personal interests

Name: Tim Giedraitis

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Undergraduate Research Assistant and Capstone Team Lead

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Waste Heat Recovery, embers from structures

Year joined/Intended graduation: January 2024 / June 2024

Notable: Tim is a Senior Engineering student pursuing a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He started his Senior Capstone Project, the ThermoPEG, under the mentorship of Dr Deepak Sharma. He was later hired to work on the study of firebrands produced by burning structures. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family and friends and producing electronic music.

Name: Lacey Petersen

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Capstone Team Member

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Waste Heat Recovery from wood stove

Year joined/Intended graduation: January 2024- June 2024

Notable: Lacey has been leading the product development of the ThermoPEG waste heat recovery device under the mentorship of Dr. Sharma. In her spare time, she reads books and dabbles in drawing.

Name: Khawater Hussein

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Capstone Team Member

Major: Mechanical Engineering Major, Exercise Physiology Minor

Field of Research: Energy Harvesting from Low-Grade Waste Heat

Research interests include environmentally and economically sustainable design, bio-inspired robotics, bio-mimetic system design, and design for human factors.

Year joined/Intended graduation: Joined January 2024 // Graduating Summer 2024

Notable: Khawater works on the ThermoPEG Capstone Team under the mentorship of Dr. Deepak Sharma as the Research, Development, and Design Lead, the Data Collection Sub-Lead, and previously served as the Capstone Team Lead. She formerly worked in soft robotics as a part of Dr. Yigit Menguc's mLab.

Khawater has served in a variety of leadership roles throughout OSU, from the Governor appointed Student Trustee on the OSU Board of Trustees, to the Leadership Liaison at the Ettihad Cultural Center, and has done social organizing for more than 10 years. She runs a book club that she co-founded in the Fall of 2020 called Engineers That REad (ETRE), which focuses on racialized, politicized topics and social responsibility as an engineer.

Name: Katherine Xue

Research Group: CIRE LAB

Role in Research Group: Capstone Team Member

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Waste Heat Recovery from wood stove

Year joined/Intended graduation: January 2024 - September 2024

Notable: Kat is currently pursuing a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. In her free time, she likes to listen to Russian shoegaze.

Name: Adael Scatena

Research Group: CIRE Lab

Role in Research Group: Undergraduate Research Assistant

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Field of Research: Firebrand Generation, Convective Heat Transfer

Year Joined/Intended Graduation: Spring 2024/Winter 2025

Notables: Adael is a 4th year student getting her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Aerospace Engineering. Outside of academics, she is also a hurdler for the OSU Track and Field team and enjoys hiking, backpacking, and reading in her spare time.

 

Interns 

Graduate Interns

Summer 2023 - Yatin Kumar (Computer Science/OSU) 
Summer 2023 - Adarsh Kumar Verma (Industrial Engineering/OSU)
Summer 2023 - Ravi Ganesh Korpu (Industrial Engineering/OSU)

 

Undergraduate Interns

Summer 2023 - Camden Warme (Mechanical Engineering/OSU)
Summer 2022 - Dylan Waring (Mechanical Engineering/OSU)
Summer 2022 - Dylan Dhkhwa (Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering/Purdue University)

 

Former Undergraduate Students:

Bianca Hansen

hansenbi@oregonstate.edu

Dylan Waring (ME)

waringd@oregonstate.edu

Will Heffernan (ME)

heffernw@oregonstate.edu

Kyle Froman (ME)
fromank@oregonstate.edu
Wiley Wolfe (ChE)
wolfewi@oregonstate.edu
Jeremiah Hauth (ME)
 hauthj@oregonstate.edu
Michael Katancik (ME)
katancim@oregonstate.edu
Calvin Stalp (ME)
stalpc@oregonstate.edu
Brad Anderson (ME)
Anderbra@oregonstate.edu
Ian Walters (ME) 
waltersi@oregonstate.edu
Bruck Sameshima (ChE) 
sameshib@oregonstate.edu
Tyler Baker (ME)
bakerty@oregonstate.edu
Emma Fraley (ME)
fraleye@oregonstate.edu
Morgan Mayer (ChemE)
mayermo@oregonstate.edu
Justice Ofosu (ME)
ofosuj@oregonstate.edu
John Anderson (ME)
anderjoh@oregonstate.edu
Alex Bruzda (ME) 
bruzdaa@oregonstate.edu
Joshua Allen (ME)
allenj5@oregonstate.edu
Austin Rose (ME)
roseau@oregonstate.edu
Jorge Dominguez
Email: TBA
Rachel Nelke (ME) 
nelker@oregonstate.edu
Haden Wallin (ME)
wallinh@oregonstate.edu
Kaiden Moore (ME)
moorkaid@oregonstate.edu
Scott Boreham (ME)
borehams@oregonstate.edu
Matthew Hoeper (ME)
hoeperm@oregonstate.edu