Godfrey Mungal

Godfrey Mungal is a prominent academic in the field of mechanical engineering, currently serving as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University and holding the title of Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. He has an extensive background in engineering education and research, particularly in areas such as turbulent mixing, combustion, and fluid mechanics.

Educational Background

• Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto (1975).
• Graduate Degrees: Master of Science (M.S.) and Ph.D. in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (1977, 1983).

Academic Career

• Mungal began his academic career as a lecturer in Mathematics at the University of the West Indies (1975-1976).
• He served as a post-doctoral research fellow at Caltech from 1983 to 1985 before joining Stanford University.
• At Stanford, he held various roles including:
  • Director of the High-Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory (1993-1997).
  • Associate Chair for Student Services in Mechanical Engineering (1997-2001).
  • Associate Dean for Graduate Policy (2002-2005).
  • Resident Fellow at Rinconada House (2001-2007).
• He became Professor Emeritus at Stanford in 2007 and transitioned to Santa Clara University as the Sobrato Professor and Dean of Engineering.

Research Interests

Mungal's research encompasses a broad range of topics within mechanical engineering, including:

• Turbulent mixing and combustion processes.
• Drag reduction techniques for bluff bodies.
• Flow dynamics in microchannels.
• Use of pulsed plasmas for flame stability control.

He has authored or co-authored over 200 publications, contributing significantly to his field with more than 12,000 citations on Google Scholar.12

Teaching Contributions

Professor Mungal teaches several courses related to thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and gas dynamics. His commitment to education has been recognized through various awards, including:

• Special Faculty Senate Council Award at Santa Clara University (2017).
• Tau Beta Pi Eminent Engineer induction (2014).
• Multiple teaching awards during his tenure at Stanford University.23

Professional Affiliations

Mungal is a fellow of several prestigious organizations:

• American Physical Society (APS)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

His contributions to engineering education and research have made him a respected figure in the academic community.12