Freund elected Fellow of American Physical Society

Professor Jonathan Freund

A professor in the departments of Mechanical Science and Engineering as well as Aerospace Engineering, Freund was cited for “his pioneering and incisive numerical simulation studies of atomic-scale and biological flows, free shear flow turbulence, and jet aeroacoustics.”

His research group investigates mechanical phenomena in a range of systems. Most of the group’s investigations utilize advanced computer simulations tools coupled with detailed analysis. Freund and his colleagues design many of the simulations tools they use.

Current and recent research activities include: jet noise control, simulation and analysis of aeroacoustic resonances in jet engine test cells, tissue injury during shock-wave lithotripsy,the dynamics of atomically thin liquid films, the flow of large numbers of blood cells in the microcirculation, simulation of advanced solid rocket motors, thermal transport at crystal lattice boundaries, self-healing hydrodynamics in autonomic composites, and ion machining of semiconductor materials.

On faculty in the College of Engineering at Illinois since 2001, Freund has a joint appointment in AE and mechanical science and engineering. He also is a computer science affiliate and a part-time faculty member of the Beckman Institute.

Before coming to Illinois, Freund was an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned three degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University: a bachelor’s in 1991, a master’s in 1992 and a PhD in 1998.

Freund’s other honors and awards include: Kritzer Faculty Scholar, Xerox Award for Faculty Research, Francois Frenkiel Award from the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, UIUC "Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students" (2004, 2008, 2009), Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising, and APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Gallery of Fluid Motion. He has been an associate editor of the Physics of Fluids journal since 2010 and is serving on the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics Editorial Committee.