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Heng Xiao

Associate Professor
  • Ph.D., 2009, Civil Engineering, Princeton University, USA
  • M.S., 2005, Mathematics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden
  • B.S., 2003, Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University, China
Heng Xiao
Aerospace & Ocean Engineering (MC0203)
Randolph Hall, RM 311-A, Virginia Tech
460 Old Turner St.
Blacksburg, VA 24061
  • AOE 3264: Thermodynamics and Marine Propulsion (junior level required course in ocean engineering)
  • AOE 3214: Ocean Wave Mechanics (junior level required course in ocean engineering)
  • AOE 5984: Scientific Machine Learning and Uncertainty Quantification (graduate course)

    Previous taught:
  • AOE 2204: Introduction to Ocean Engineering (sophomore level course)
  • AOE 4244: Marine Engineering (junior level required course in ocean engineering)

My research aims to advance the fundamental understanding and predictive modeling of complex, multi-scale physical systems in aerospace and ocean engineering, with particular emphasis on fluid flows, turbulence, dispersed phases (e.g., particles, bubbles), and the interactions among them. This is achieved by combining traditional physical models and modern data sciences such as statistical inference and machine learning. Specific areas of interests include:

  • Data-Driven Turbulence Modeling; Uncertainty Quantification
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (e.g., particle-laden flows and turbulence modeling)
  • Ocean Engineering and Marine Renewable Energy

See my publication page and Google Scholar profile for details.

  • Organizer, SIAM Meeting Uncertainty Quantification minisymposium on "UQ of Complex Physical Systems", 2016.
  • Organizer, SIAM Meeting CSE minisymposium on "UQ of Modeling Simulation of Turbulent Flows", 2017.
  • Reviewer for Journal of Fluid Mechanics; Journal of Turbulence; Reliability Engineering and System Safety; Advances in Water Resources; Journal of Hydraulic Engineering; Combustion Science and Technology; Powder Technology; International Journal of Uncertainty Quantification; Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics.
  •  Reviewer and Panelist for National Science Foundation and Austria National Science Foundation
  • Fellowship, Center of Turbulence Research Summer Progream, Stanford University, 2016.
  • Finalist, Undergraduate Research Advisor Award, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2014
  • Since 12/2023: Professor, University of Stuttgart, Germany
  • 5/2020 to 12/2022: Associate Professor, Virginia Tech, USA
  • 12/2012 to 5/2020: Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, USA
  • 11/2009 to 11/2012: Postdoctoral Researcher/Lecturer, ETH Zürich, Switzerland