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NSI welcomed a new Postdoctoral Research Associate. Dr. Tim Aiken recently graduated with his PhD from CU’s Aerospace Engineering Sciences program. Tim will support the extensive hypersonics efforts at NSI.

Tim received a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences in 2023 from the University of Colorado and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering in 2019 from the University of Kansas. His dissertation research involved the development and application of quantum state-resolved chemical kinetic models for ionized hypersonic flows. His current research involves a continued exploration of the detailed kinetics underlying plasma formation behind strong shock waves via novel code development, the calculation and inference of key rate parameters, and the analysis of experimental data from impulse facilities. Another major piece of Tim's research is sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification, whereby the contribution of model parameter uncertainty to the uncertainty in each model prediction is systematically quantified. He has also investigated the performance of Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models for the prediction of turbulent heat transfer and skin friction over flat plates immersed in hypersonic flow.