Emily Ryan

Emily M. Ryan, Associate Director with the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Boston University, received her PhD in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009, where her dissertation research focused on numerical modeling of chromium poisoning in the cathode of a solid oxide fuel cell. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon she worked as a post-doctoral research associate and staff computational scientist in the Computational Mathematics and Engineering group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Since joining Boston University in 2012, she founded the Computational Energy Laboratory (CEL). CEL uses multi-physics computational methods to investigate alternative and advanced energy technologies.

Her research focuses on developing computational models of reactive transport, fluid mechanics, heat transfer and electrochemistry to investigate the design and operation of energy-related systems, such as high temperature fuel cells, advanced battery technologies, diesel engines, subsurface transport and post combustion carbon capture. Understanding the accuracy of the models through validation, verification and uncertainty quantification (VVUQ) is integral to the development of computational models of physical systems. As such her research includes VVUQ and the application of statistical tools to computationally complex systems.

In addition to physical models, Dr. Ryan also researches the use of computational materials design through materials informatics. The use of data-driven materials design promises to greatly reduce materials development time and expand material possibilities for specific applications.

Main research areas:

• Development of computational models of complex systems
  • Reactive transport, porous media, electrochemistry, heat transfer
• Multi-scale modeling and upscaling methodologies
• Validation, verification and uncertainty quantification
• Computational materials design
  • Use of informatics techniques for materials discovery
• Applications to energy related systems
  • Degradation in electrochemical systems
  • Cavitation in fuel injectors
  • Design of post combustion carbon capture systems
  • Performance of advanced battery systems
  • Reactive transport in the subsurface

PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2005-2009
MS, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, 2000-2004

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