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William Devenport

Alumni Distinguished Professor
  • Crofton Professor in Engineering
  • Director of the VT Stability Wind Tunnel
  • Ph.D., 1985, Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics, Cambridge University, Great Britain
  • B.Sc., 1981, Engineering Science, Exeter University, Great Britain
Dr. William Devenport
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering (MC0119)
McBryde Hall, RM 660E, Virginia Tech
225 Stanger St.
Blacksburg, VA 24061
  • Prof. Devenport regularly teaches AOE 3114 Aerodynamics and Compressibility, AOE 5104 Advanced Aero/hydrodynamics and AOE5124 Aero/hydroacoustics. He also contributes to elements of AOE 3054 AOE Experimental Methods associated with the Stability Tunnel. His teaching, primarily conducted in lecture format, is based on a belief that effective teaching requires the instructor to understand the perspective of the students, and to  put the material in a context that is meaningful and relevant to them. He greatly enjoys adding the historical or technical context of important concepts, and believes strongly that experiments in labs must be experimental (i.e. not demonstrations) and that they must meaningfully engage each individual student in deciding goals, determining how the experiment is conducted and reported.  
  • Courses:
  • AOE 3114
  • AOE 5104
  • AOE 5124

 

Video of remote experimentation in Stability Wind Tunnel for AOE 3054, Spring 2020

  • 2020-Present, AIAA Aeroacoustics Technical Committee  
  • 2020-Present, AIAA Aeroacoustics Award Sub-Committee 
  • 2019-Present, Chair NATO AVT-349 working group on non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers
  • 2018-Present, Member NATO AVT-283/284 working groups on wind tunnel boundary simulation
  • 2019-Present, Chair, AIAA Hybrid Anechoic Wind Tunnel Workshop
  • 2014-2016, Technical Co-Chair, AIAA/CEAS 22nd Aeroacoustics Conference, Lyon, France, May 30th – June 1st, 2016
  • 2014 – 2015, Co-Chair, North American Wind Energy Academy 2015 Symposium, Blacksburg Virginia, June 9-11th, 2015
  • 2013-2015, AIAA Aeroacoustics Technical Committee  
  • 2013-Present, AIAA Fan Broadband Noise Prediction Panel
  • 2019, AIAA Aeroacoustics Award  
  • 2017, von Kármán Institute Lecture, Rhode Saint Genese, Belgium
  • 2015, Certificate of Teaching Excellence, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech
  • 2015, Virginia Tech Recognition for Contributions to Health and Safety
  • 2013, Virginia Tech Excellence in Access and Inclusion Award, for graduate student mentoring
  • 2012, McDonald-Mehta Lecture, Texas Tech University
  • 2011, Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Outstanding Professor 
  • 2007, Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech
  • 2006, Elected Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
  • 2013-Present, Director, Center for Renewable Energy and Aerodynamic Testing (CREATe)
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 2004-Present, Director, Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel
    College of Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 1999-Present, Professor
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH 
  • 2008-2016, Assistant Department Head for Facilities
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 2001-2004, W. S. “Pete” White Professor for Innovation in Engineering Education
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 1993-1999, Associate Professor
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 1989 – 1993, Assistant Professor      
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH
  • 1985 – 1989, Postdoctoral Researcher/Visiting Assistant Professor          
  • Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, VIRGINIA TECH