Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering August 2014 - Present
  • Montana State University Bozeman, MT

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering August 2011 - August 2014
    Cornell University Ithaca, NY
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering August 2008 - August 2011
    University of Colorado Boulder, CO
    Focus: Energy and the Environment
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering August 2004 - May 2008
    Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
    Minor: Mathematics

Research Experience

Assistant Professor 2014 - Present

Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

  • Uncertainty quantification of multiphase flows
  • Electrohydrodynamic assisted atomization
  • Numerical method for gas-liquid multiphase flows
  • Contact line dynamics and gas-liquid flows in porous media

Graduate Research Assistant 2011 - 2014

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

  • Advised by Dr. Olivier Desjardins
    • Studied the atomization process of liquid jets including diesel injection, jets in cross-flow, and pressure-swirl atomizers
    • Performed high performance computing with massively parallel simulations on billions of grid cells using thousands of computational processors
    • Developed numerical schemes based on geometric algorithms to transport quantities in the presence of discontinuities
    • Applied the geometric algorithms to the volume-of-fluid method to transport a phase interface with second-order accuracy and discrete conservation

Graduate Research Assistant 2008 - 2011

University of Colorado Boulder, CO

  • Advised by Dr. Olivier Desjardins
    • Improved level set interface tracking methods with the development of a discontinuous Galerkin discretization and a new interface normal calculation method
    • Studied the flow through a pipe subjected to periodic translations and rotations to improve Coriolis flow meters

Undergraduate Researcher 2007 - 2008

Honors Program, Clarkson University Potsdam, NY

  • Advised by Dr. Kenneth Visser
    • Senior thesis on the feasibility of a contra-rotating vertical-axis wind-turbine-powered home-heating system
    • Received first place award at AIAA Northeastern Regional Student Paper Conference

Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor 2014 - Present

Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

  • Courses
    • Spring 2016 - EMEC 303 - Computer Aided Engineering III
    • Fall 2015 - EMEC 303 - Computer Aided Engineering III
    • Fall 2015 - EMEC 100 - Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
    • Spring 2015 - EMEC 303 - Computer Aided Engineering III
    • Fall 2014 - EMEC 303 - Computer Aided Engineering III
  • Capstone Projects
    • Laboratory exercise for EMEC 303 course (2016)
    • Human Powered Vehicle Team (2016)
    • Conversion of carbureted to fuel injection system (2015)
    • Human Powered Vehicle Team (2015)

Instructor 2011 - 2012

Art Institute of Colorado Denver, CO

  • Taught physics, robotics, and mechanical engineering courses
  • Initiated a new laboratory component for the physics course with biweekly experiments
  • Redesigned the robotics course to provide students a goal-oriented project-based course with students actively learning by building robots
  • Practiced interactive teaching methods to motivate and engage students

Teaching Assistant for Fluid Dynamics Laboratory 2012

Cornell University, Dr. Charles Williamson Ithaca, NY

  • Instructed four sections of students through fluid dynamics laboratory course
  • Directed experiments, taught recitations, and graded lab reports

Teaching Assistant for Fluid Dynamics Course 2008

  • University of Colorado, Dr. Jean Hertzberg Boulder, CO
    • Led review sessions, held office hours, and graded exams and homework assignments
    • Received "Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award" - Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Tutor 2006 - 2008

  • Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
    • Tutored individual students in fluids, statics, dynamics, and environmental economics

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Work Experience

Intern Summer and Fall 2006

  • GE Energy, Reliability Engineering Group Schenectady, NY
  • Wrote a visual basic program to optimize wind turbine maintenance schedules
  • Developed a \Lessons-Learned Database" to categorize and track failure data for integrated gasication combined cycle power plants

Intern Summer 2004 and 2005

  • Millennium Global Technology, Inc. Vernon, NY
  • Designed and constructed prototypes at an engineering rm
  • Improved design skills, practiced computer-aided-design, and learned machine shop practices

Extra-Curricular Activities

Team Leader 2007 - 2008

  • Human-Powered Vehicle Clarkson University
  • Led a team of eleven senior mechanical engineers in the design and construction of a fully-enclosed recumbent bicycle
  • Competed in the 2008 ASME human-powered vehicle competition in Wisconsin

Suspension Sub-team Leader 2004 - 2007

  • Mini-Baja Clarkson University
  • Participated in a team that engineered and built an off-road vehicle
  • Directed a group of five students with the design and fabrication of the suspension system
  • Competed in the SAE Mini-Baja events and earned 2nd place out of 66 teams in 2006

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Service and Outreach

Grant proposal Reviewer 2015

  • National Science Foundation

Journal Reviewer 2013 - Present

  • Journal of Computational Physics
  • Communications in Computational Physics
  • Atomization and Sprays

NanoDays/MicroDays April 2015

  • Worked with middle and high-school students to help them learn about fluid dynamics on the nano and micro scale

Fluid Dynamics Program Instructor June 2013

  • 4H Career Exploration Cornell University
  • Led a group of high school students through a two-day exploration of fluid dynamics
  • Designed and directed multiple experiments and demonstrations

Student Representative 2009 - 2010

  • Graduate Committee - Dept. of Mechanical Engineering University of Colorado
  • Met biweekly with a group of 9 faculty members to address student, faculty, and departmental concerns
  • Contributed significantly to the re-design of the Ph.D. Preliminary Exam process for incoming graduate students
  • Participated in the process of updating the department's course requirements for graduate students

Mentor 2009 - 2010

  • George Reynolds Middle School Boulder, CO
  • Mentored an at-risk middle-school youth weekly through Community Access Mentoring

Symposium Coordinator 2008 - 2009

  • Graduate Engineering Annual Research Symposium University of Colorado
  • Led the student group who organized a department-wide research conference with over 20 presenters
  • Coordinated industrial sponsors, visiting prospective students, catering, advertising, web-site development, and presentations

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Refereed Journal Articles

  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (under review) ``A mass and momentum conserving unsplit semi-Lagrangian framework for simulating multiphase flows'', Journal of Computational Physics.
  • Sheehy, P., Owkes, M. (under review) ``Numerical Study of Electric Reynolds Number of Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) Assisted Atomization'', Atomization and Sprays.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) ``A mesh-decoupled height function method for computing interface curvature'', Journal of Computational Physics, 281, 285-300.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) "A computational framework for three-dimensional, un-split, geometric transport with applications to the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method", Journal of Computational Physics, 270 (1) 587-612.
  • Desjardins, O., McCaslin, J., Owkes, M., Brady, P., (2013) "Direct numerical and large-eddy simulation of primary atomization in complex geometries", Atomization and Sprays, 23 (11) 1001-1048.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2013) "A discontinuous Galerkin conservative level set scheme for interface capturing in multiphase flows", Journal of Computational Physics, 249 (15) 275-302.

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Conference Proceedings

  • Spirnak, J., Samland, M., Tremont, B., McQuirter, A., Williams, E., Benson, M., Van Poppel, B., VerHulst, C., Elkins, C., Burton, L., Eaton, J., Owkes, M. (2016) ``Validation of Magnetic Resonance Thermometry through Experimental and Computational Approaches'' AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition, Salt Lake City, UT.
  • Owkes, M., Van Poppel, B. (2016) ``High-Fidelity Simulations of Realistic Electrically-Charged Atomizing Diesel-Type Jets'' 28th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Dearborn, MI.
  •  Turnquist, B., Owkes, M. (2016) ``Framework for Uncertainty Quantification of Multiphase Flows Including Atomizing Jets'' 28th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Dearborn, MI
  • Cauble, E., Owkes, M. (2016) ``Least Square Curvature Calculation Method for VOF Schemes'' 28th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Dearborn, MI
  • Garrick, D., Owkes, M., Regele, J. (2016) ``A finite volume method for simulating droplet breakup in a supersonic cross flow'' 28th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Dearborn, MI
  • Hosseinzadeh-Nik, Z., Aslani, M., Owkes, M., Regele, J. (2016) ``Numerical simulation of a shock wave impacting a droplet using the adaptive wavelet- collocation method'' 28th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Dearborn, MI
  • Reckinger, S. M., Reckinger, S. J., Owkes, M., Yenny, R. (2015) "A day in the life of a fluid dynamicist " 68th Annual Meeting of the APS DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion, Boston, MA.
  • Gaillard, B., Owkes, M., Van Poppel, B. (2015) "High-Fidelity Simulations of Electrically-Charged Atomizing Diesel-Type Jets" 68th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Boston, MA.
  • Cauble, E., Owkes, M. (2015) "Numerical Simulations of Droplet Dynamics in PEM Fuel Cell Microchannels" 68th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Boston, MA.
  • Sheehy, P., Owkes, M. (2015) "Numerical study on influence of electric Reynolds and Peclet numbers on electrohydrodynamic assisted atomization" 68th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Boston, MA.
  • Sheehy, P., Owkes, M. (2015) "Detailed numerical study of charge mobility on electrohydrodynamic assisted atomization" 27th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Raleigh, NC.
  • Owkes, M., Herrmann, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) Accurate VoF based curvature evaluation method for low-resolution interface geometries, 66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, San Fransisco, CA.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) "Second-order and conservative numerical method for convection of variables with discontinuities", International Conference on Numerical Methods in Multiphase Flows, Darmstadt, Germany.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) "Consistent and conservative computational framework for simulations of electrohydrodynamic atomization", 26th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Portland, OR.
  • Owkes, M., Pai, M., Desjardins, O. (2014) "Large-eddy simulation study of injector geometry on liquid jet in cross-flow and validation with experiments", AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition - 52nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting, National Harbor, MD.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2013) "Direct numerical simulation of leaky dielectrics with application to electrohydrodynamic atomization", 66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2013) "Consistent and conservative computational framework for high density ratio simulations", 25th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2013) "Conservative, three-dimensional, unsplit, semi-Lagrangian scheme for volume-of-fluid methods", International Conference on Multiphase Flows, Jeju, Korea.
  • Owkes, M., Desjardins, O. (2012) "Efficient high-fidelity simulation of pressure swirl injection", 65th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, San Diego, CA.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2012) "Towards direct numerical simulation of a pressure swirl injector", 24th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, San Antonio, TX.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2011) "Towards direct numerical simulation of pressure swirl injectors with realistic geometries", 64th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Baltimore, MD.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2011) "A discontinuous Galerkin conservative level set scheme for simulating turbulent primary atomization", 23rd Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Ventura, CA.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2011) "Experimental and numerical investigation of air-blast n-dodecane injection", 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2010) "A quadrature-free discontinuous Galerkin conservative level set method", 63rd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Long Beach, CA.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2010) "Quadrature-free discontinuous Galerkin level set scheme", 22nd Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Cincinnati, OH.
  • Owkes*, M., Desjardins, O. (2009) "Direct numerical simulation of turbulent pipe flows subjected to transverse oscillations", 62nd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Owkes*, M., Visser, K. (2009) "Feasibility of a Unique Wind Powered Home Heating System", 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Owkes*, M., Visser, K. (2008) "Feasibility of a Unique Wind Powered Home Heating System", AIAA Northeastern Regional Student Conference, Potsdam, NY.
  • * Published under maiden name Czajkowski

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Professional and Honor Societies

  • American Physical Society (APS)
  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
  • Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (ILASS)
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • Phalanx - Clarkson University's Highest Honorary Society
  • Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society
  • Phi Kappa Phi - Honor Society

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