Douglas Carter joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor in August 2026. He is an expert in turbulent flows and unsteady aerodynamics. His research encompasses all aspects of turbulent flows—from the “low” speeds typical of engineering and commercial aviation applications to “high” speeds found in challenging scenarios like atmospheric reentry of vehicles returning to the planet from space.
Carter grew up in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Hampshire in 2014 and his master’s degree and PhD in aerospace engineering and mechanics from the University of Minnesota in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Prior to joining UW-Madison, he was an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a recipient of the 2026 Young Investigator Program award from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
In this Q&A, Carter talks about his research and his excitement in helping establish the new aerospace engineering undergraduate degree program in the mechanical engineering department.
What is the focus of your research?
I study aerospace engineering—more specifically, aerodynamics and the role of turbulence in aerodynamics applications. I investigate questions such as how does turbulence produce forces and vibrations on aircraft? How does this change when the vehicle is flying at supersonic speeds? What are the fundamental physical processes that would allow us, as aerospace engineers, to predict how turbulence influences these systems at high and low speeds?
What are the main goals of your current research program?
My group never focuses on just one goal within turbulence research, but I will tell you about the latest project. It has to do with the problem of turbulent boundary layers interacting with physical protrusions at supersonic speeds—which leads to something called a shock-boundary-layer interaction. The protrusion could be, for example, a fin or an elevon of a vehicle (such as a space shuttle) returning to earth from orbit. It turns out that a shock-boundary-layer interaction on these surfaces produces very strong vibrations on the vehicle that can easily lead to catastrophic failure. The goal is to better understand the physical processes underlying these interactions to allow for accurate predictions on how to safely apply the fin or elevon during atmospheric re-entry. This is a key problem that, with enough work, can enable people to safely travel to and from space.
What are some key applications of your research?
Turbulent flows appear everywhere and therefore applications are abundant. They vary widely—from mixing, pipe transport and flow in the body like the lungs, heart and brain to aviation, weather prediction and even the dynamics of galaxies.
What attracted you to the UW-Madison Department of Mechanical Engineering?
I was attracted by the opportunity to work with motivated and talented colleagues in the department. Coming from outside UW-Madison, I can confidently say these people are some of the most respected in the world at what they do. I am particularly excited to help establish this new aerospace engineering degree program. It was a perfect fit!
What achievements are you most proud of in your career so far?
Looking back, I think publishing my first paper was really special for me personally. It made me realize that a PhD was possible for me and I am very proud of that. In terms of professional achievement, my recent Young Investigator Program award from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research was also a proud moment as my first solo grant to be successfully funded.
What courses will you be teaching?
I am sure with time I will have the chance to teach most aerospace courses that involve fluid mechanics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the near term, I will be teaching ME 775: Turbulent Heat and Momentum Transfer in spring 2027. I am very excited to teach that course!
What’s one thing you hope students who take a class with you will come away with?
That being intellectually vulnerable is a critical and underrated step in the learning process. Once we admit to ourselves that we don’t understand something, the foundation is laid to fill in the knowledge. This applies everywhere, not just in the classroom!
What are your hobbies and other interests?
Golf, skateboarding, gaming, hiking and spending quality time with my family.
Photo of Douglas Carter by Joel Hallberg