Job Description
Recruiting 1–2 Funded Students — Prospective PhD (preferred) & Prospective MS — Spring, Summer, or Fall 2026
LSU Petroleum Engineering (Prof. Yuanhang Chen) | Baton Rouge, LA
I am seeking prospective PhD (preferred) and strong MS students to join my research group at LSU to work at the intersection of CCUS, geothermal systems, well control/MPD, and process safety.
Our group studies transient multiphase flow with heat and mass transfer, combining advanced modeling with multi-scale, hands-on experimentation—including field-scale testing at LSU’s PERTT Lab, an industrial facility capable of high-pressure, multiphase flow experiments in real tubular systems. Future projects will also leverage the new CO₂ research well and related experimental setups as they come online.
Focus areas (selected):
• CO₂ transport safety and subsurface injection
• CO₂, LNG, and hazardous-liquid atmospheric dispersion resulting from accidental releases or leaks
• Machine learning–accelerated simulation and surrogate modeling for multiphase and dispersion processes
• Geothermal drilling and system thermo-hydraulics; MPD and well control for offshore, geothermal, and CO₂ well construction operations
Candidates should hold a degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, Nuclear, Environmental Engineering, or a related field. Priority will be given to applicants with hands-on CFD experience in multiphase and thermofluid problems. Strong proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or C++, along with solid foundations in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics, is expected. Experience with instrumentation/DAQ, experimental setups, or machine learning techniques for scientific modeling and surrogate development is considered a plus.
How to apply:
Email your CV and a brief cover note to yuanhangchen@lsu.edu
. If available, include representative publications, transcripts, and your earliest possible start term.
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