Research Fellow Full-time

Murray F. and Julia Hawkins Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering
Recruiting 1-2 Funded Students — Prospective PhD (preferred) & Prospective MS — Spring, Summer, or Fall 2026

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.

CO₂ transport safety and subsurface injection

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.

Internship

Full‑time

Research, Analyst, and Information Technology