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Nimish Pujara

Nimish Pujara

Assistant Professor
gscholar website
lab website

We pursue research in fluid mechanics with the aim of improving our understanding of the role of fluid motion in environmental processes. We use a variety of tools including laboratory experiments, theory, and numerical models to tackle interesting problems across different scales, from flow-biota interactions in turbulence to the impact of waves on coastlines.

Department

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Contact

Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Dr
Madison, WI

  • PhD 2015, Cornell University
  • BA Hons 2010, Cambridge University
  • MEng 2010, Cambridge University

  • Environmental Fluid Mechanics
  • Nearshore Hydrodynamics
  • Turbulent and Multiphase Flows
  • Flow-Biota interactions
  • Water Wave Mechanics
  • Coastal Processes
  • Experimental Methods

Affiliated Departments

  • 2024 National Science Foundation , NSF CAREER Award
  • 2023 National Academies , National Academies Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship
  • 2021 U.S. National Committee for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Hughes Fellowship
  • 2018 Madison Teaching and Learning Excellence, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Fellow (Mu cohort)
  • 2015 Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 1st place presentation Research Symposium
  • 2014 Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 2nd place Presentation Research Symposium
  • 2014 Cornell University, DeFrees Fellowship
  • 2006 Cambridge University, Cambridge European Trust Bursary

  • Davidson, B., Brenner, J., & Pujara, N. (2023). Beaching model for buoyant marine debris in bore-driven swash. Flow, 3 https://doi.org/10.1017/flo.2023.31
  • Bang, J. Y., & Pujara, N. (2023). Homogeneous turbulence in a random-jet-stirred tank. Experiments in Fluids, 64(12), 185 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-023-03721-9
  • Ventrella, F. M., Pujara, N., Boffetta, G., Cencini, M., Thiffeault, J., & Lillo, F. D. (2023). Microswimmer trapping in surface waves with shear. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 479(2278), 20230280 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2023.0280
  • Lin, A., 'Alvarez-Salvado, Efr'en,, Milicic, N., Pujara, N., & Ehrlich, D. E. (2023). Multisensory navigational strategies of hatchling fish for dispersal. Current Biology, 33(22), 4917--4925.e4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.070
  • Pujara, N., & Thiffeault, J. (2023). Wave-averaged motion of small particles in surface gravity waves: Effect of particle shape on orientation, drift, and dispersion. Physical Review Fluids, 8(7), 074801 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.8.074801
  • DiBenedetto, M. H., Clark, L. K., & Pujara, N. (2022). Enhanced settling and dispersion of inertial particles in surface waves. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 936, A38 https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2022.95
  • Meza-Valle, C., & Pujara, N. (2022). Flow in oscillatory boundary layers over permeable beds. Physics of Fluids, 34(9), 092112 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0104305
  • Davidson, B., Batista, K., Samrah, S., Mendoza, L. M., & Pujara, N. (2022). Microplastic contamination of sediments across and within three beaches in western Lake Superior. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 48(6), 1563--1572 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2022.09.011
  • Ma, K., Pujara, N., & Thiffeault, J. (2022). Reaching for the surface: Spheroidal microswimmers in surface gravity waves. Physical Review Fluids, 7(1), 014310 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevfluids.7.014310
  • Pujara, N., Clos, K. T., Ayres, S., Variano, E. A., & Karp-Boss, L. (2021). Measurements of trajectories and spatial distributions of diatoms (Coscinodiscus spp.) at dissipation scales of turbulence. Experiments in fluids, 62, 149 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-021-03240-5

  • CIV ENGR 699 - Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 775 - Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 919 - Seminar-Hydraulic Engineering and Fluid Mechanics (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • E M A 775 - Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer (Spring 2025)
  • M E 775 - Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer (Spring 2025)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 310 - Fluid Mechanics (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 699 - Independent Study (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 919 - Seminar-Hydraulic Engineering and Fluid Mechanics (Fall 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 511 - Mixing and Transport in the Environment (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 919 - Seminar-Hydraulic Engineering and Fluid Mechanics (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • G L E 511 - Mixing and Transport in the Environment (Spring 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 919 - Seminar-Hydraulic Engineering and Fluid Mechanics (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2023)