Bhuvana Srinivasan

Biography

Bhuvana Srinivasan is a Professor in the William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington where she is the director of the PLASMAWISE laboratory. Prior to joining UWAA, she was an Associate Professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean engineering at Virginia Tech where she was the director of the Plasma Dynamics Computational Laboratory. She was appointed to the Endowed Crofton Faculty Fellowship in Engineering from 2021 until the end of her appointment at Virginia Tech. Prior to her appointment at Virginia Tech, she was a postdoctoral researcher and a scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. She received her PhD from the University of Washington where she specialized in computational plasma physics applicable to nuclear fusion with a focus on high-fidelity multi-fluid models using the discontinuous Galerkin method.

Her research aims to advance a number of different fusion energy concepts, to further several plasma-based propulsion concepts, and to enhance understanding of fundamental plasma physics relevant to space and astrophysical plasmas. Specific research topics include plasma-material interactions in fusion devices and plasma thrusters, instabilities in high-energy-density fusion and astrophysical plasmas, ionospheric plasma instabilities, and numerical algorithm development for fluid and kinetic models.  An understanding of plasma-material interactions along with methods to handle the extreme plasma conditions encountered near material walls is a critical area of research necessary for the success of the majority of fusion and propulsion concepts. Additionally, the majority of fusion concepts suffer from plasma instabilities that require high-fidelity modeling efforts.  Her research explores plasma instabilities across a range of plasma parameters from high-energy-density fusion to near-earth space plasmas. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, DOE Office of Science, DOE National Nuclear Security Administration, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and several DOE national laboratories.

Education

• Ph.D., Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington
• M.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington
• B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

Previous appointments

• Associate Professor, Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech
• Assistant Professor, Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech
• Scientist and postdoctoral researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Honors & awards

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), 2025
• Crofton Faculty Fellow in Engineering, 2021-2023, Virginia Tech Board of Visitors
• Faculty Fellow, 2019, Dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech
• Outstanding Assistant Professor, 2017, Dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech
• NSF CAREER, 2019-2024, National Science Foundation
• Amelia Earhart Fellowship, 2007-2009, Zonta International
• Outstanding Female Engineer, 2007, Society of Women Engineers, University of Washington chapter
• Outstanding Female Engineer, 2006, Society of Women Engineers, University of Washington chapter
• Top Scholar Award, 2004-2005, Graduate Fund for Excellence and Innovation, University of Washington
• John L. Way award, 2002, Academic Resource Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology

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