{"id":67,"date":"2026-03-23T11:16:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T15:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mae.ucf.edu\/TESD\/?page_id=67"},"modified":"2026-08-28T14:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T18:08:15","slug":"openings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mae.ucf.edu\/TESD\/openings\/","title":{"rendered":"Openings"},"content":{"rendered":"

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*** 3 PhD Student Positions Available in Heat Transfer\/Energy Storage\/Chemical Reactors for Spring or Fall 2027 ***<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We invites enthusiastic applications from highly motivated and talented individuals for three (3)<\/strong> PhD graduate research assistantships (GRAs), with the start date in Spring<\/strong> or<\/strong> Fall<\/strong> 2027<\/strong>. The UCF application deadlines and requirements can be found from this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Position 1<\/strong> will be focused on computational modeling<\/strong> of heat transfer, CFD, granular flows, and thermochemical reactions, including (1) continuum CFD modeling, (2) coupled CFD-discrete element method (CFD-DEM) modeling of particulate flows in thermochemical reactors, and (3) Joule heating of high-temperature materials and structures.<\/p>\n

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Position 2<\/strong> will be focused on materials study and characterization<\/strong> of high-temperature materials such as ceramic particles\/pellets and redox metal oxides (MOs) for thermal and thermochemical energy storage systems (TES\/TCES).<\/p>\n

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Position 3<\/strong> will be focused on experimental design and testing<\/strong> of high-temperature (up to 1500 degree Celsius) solar receivers and chemical reactors for TES\/TCES with applications in power generation and providing industrial process heat.<\/p>\n

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Students with the following qualifications are encouraged to apply:<\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material Sciences and Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, or a closely aligned field.<\/li>\n
  2. For Position 1<\/strong>: Experience in numerical modeling of thermal-fluid systems (e.g., CFD) with computational skills in developing in-house code (using FORTRAN, C, MATLAB, or others) and\/or in using CFD-related commercial software such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL or others.<\/li>\n
  3. For Positions 2&3<\/strong>: Experience in experimental design and testing of thermal energy systems such as high-temperature furnaces, chemical reactors, or heat exchangers.<\/li>\n
  4. A team player that is able to work together with external collaborators and possess good oral and written communication skills.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Interested applicants should email Dr. Like Li (like.li@ucf.edu<\/a>) their (1) CV, (2) Transcripts, and (3) Personal Statements covering their previous relevant research experience and motivation in joining the UCF TESD Lab. Please include \u201cPosition #<\/strong>\u201d in the Subject.<\/u><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    About the research group:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Dr. Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE, https:\/\/mae.ucf.edu\/faculty-directory\/<\/a>), a core faculty member of the Center for <\/strong>Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research<\/strong> (CATER<\/strong>, https:\/\/cater.cecs.ucf.edu\/<\/a>), and an affiliated faculty member of the Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) <\/strong>Center<\/strong> (https:\/\/rises.research.ucf.edu\/center-faculty\/<\/a>) at UCF.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The research focuses in Dr. Li\u2019s lab include: (1) modeling and testing of reactive materials and structures in thermal energy storage systems; (2) fundamental understanding of thermal and chemical transport in thermo-fluids systems, such as fluidized beds and particle reactors; (3) experimental design and testing of lab-scale chemical reactors for energy conversion and storage systems; and (4) cooling of high-power electronics and data centers. Dr. Li\u2019s group has received funding from federal agencies including NSF, DOE, NASA, DOD and industries such as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Duke Energy. The group has strong collaborations with national laboratories, such as Sandia National Laboratories and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), and industrial partners such as Tempo Inc., Siemens Energy, and Duke Energy.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    More about UCF:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    UCF is one of the nation’s largest universities with a diverse student body of approximately 70,000 students and has grown substantially in size, quality, diversity, and reputation. Today, the university offers more than 230 degree programs. UCF’s students represent all 50 states and over 120 countries. UCF is in a centralized location that is 30 minutes to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando and 60 minutes to the beach. UCF has 16 sports teams, including football, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and 600+ cultural, academic, and social student clubs and organizations all led by faculty mentors.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Central Florida has been also home to several global energy companies<\/strong>. With NASA Kennedy Space Center less than an hour away from Orlando, many well-known companies such as Siemens Energy, Mitsubishi Power, and Lockheed Martin have their major headquarters in Orlando. Others such as Pratt & Whitney (Raytheon) and Northrop Grumman have their headquarters within easy drivable distances. All these companies share the same talent pools available in this region.<\/p>\n

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