October 22, 2026 New Mechanical Engineering Faculty: Michael Wadas Written By: Caitlin Scott Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Faculty Michael Wadas will join the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an Assistant Professor in January 2027! My research focuses on shocks and other waves in fluid flows, particularly those that involve multiple fluids. In such systems, from mixing processes in air-breathing engines to supernovae, the interaction of waves with fluid interfaces stimulates rotation that results in vortices that govern the evolution of the flow. Remarkably, the behavior of such vortices in settings well known to mechanical and aerospace engineering, like airplane wakes, maps to extreme regimes like those generated by inertial fusion, a technology that is poised to revolutionize power generation in the coming decades. Wisconsin has a rich history of important contributions to our understanding of wave-interface dynamics, making it the ideal place to explore how these flow physics are expressed across an incredibly wide range of regimes. Doing so will enable key advancements for existing engineering applications and pave the way for transformative future capabilities! Wadas earned his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan. He joins UW after completing his postdoc at the California Institute of Technology.