Meet the Team

Leadership

Wayne Strasser
Before entering academia, Dr. Wayne Strasser provided computational solutions to problems related to fluids, chemical reactions, and phase change for various global industry partners for 25 years, resulting in increased energy utilization and improved product yield valued at tens of millions (USD) annually. The thrusts of his current research include optimization of a transonic self-sustaining pulsatile airblast atomizer and hybrid RANS-LES modeling of primary atomization. He has 37 patents in the US, plus those abroad. He is a registered P.E. in three US states, an ASME Fellow, an Executive Director of Industrial Relations for ASTFE, and operates a private CFD consulting company. He previously chaired the ASME Fluid Applications and Systems Technical Committee, the ASME Honors and Awards Committee, and the ASME Fluid Mechanics Technical Committee. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Fluids Engineering and actively reviews articles for at least a dozen journals. He also enjoys lively philosophical debate on the origin and meaning of life.

Graduate Students

Kent Gingerich (PhD)
Kent “Newt” Gingerich is a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student at Liberty University. He has helped Dr. Strasser create an introductory demonstration of the open source CFD program OpenFOAM and is currently involved in dolphin skin modeling. He plans on writing his honors thesis on modeling an airfoil with a movable flap, like that embedded in shark skin, to reduce stall by controlling the flow over the airfoil. It is only through the grace of God that he is studying at Liberty University, and he is very grateful to be a part of the FLUID group.
Robert Kacinski (PhD)
Robert Kacinski is a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University. He grew up in Long Island, New York but currently resides in Lynchburg, VA. During his undergraduate studies, he participated in a directed research project with Dr. Wayne Strasser involving CFD and shark skin for boundary layer separation control. This study was instrumental in piquing an interest in the field that is now being pursued in graduate level research. Outside of his studies, playing the piano and golf are two of his favorite pastimes, as they provide a level of mental challenge along with the leisure of the two activities. I am resolute in my faith regarding frequent prayer and a firm belief that God works all things for good.
Babu Karra (PhD)
Newton Babu Karra is a dedicated research scholar who recently completed his Master’s in Thermal Engineering and Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in India. He focuses on alternative fuels, energy systems, and CFD in his research. Additionally, Newton has a strong passion for theology & Psychology having earned both a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Divinity from prestigious seminaries in India. While studying, he served in various church ministries across Andhra Pradesh, engaging in community service and youth educational initiatives. His volunteer work includes tutoring in orphanages and participating in a range of church activities. Newton’s dual commitment to engineering and theology showcases his potential for impactful contributions to society, blending technical proficiency with spiritual leadership.
Ryan Learn (PhD)
Ryan Learn is a mechanical engineering student at Liberty University. He has participated in research towards nanostructured alloy development for additive manufacturing as well as research into solid state metal foams using oxide reduction and intraparticle expansion. He is a part of his university’s Aero Competition Team and holds a strong interest in the aerospace industry. Ryan enjoys simulation-oriented and hands-on projects; in his free time, he can be found golfing, playing video games, spending quality time with friends, and more.
Caleb Miller (PhD)
Caleb Miller is a mechanical engineering student at Liberty University. He is working on developing meshes for modeling the launch conditions of LUSE’s Rocketry Competition Team. He has past experience with other computational simulations such as molecular dynamics but is looking forward to expanding into CFD. He is originally from Clinton, Mississippi, and enjoys spending time playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, and reading about apologetics/theology. Caleb plans to continue research after undergraduate studies and pursue a PhD.
Elijah Yoder (PhD)
Elijah Yoder is a Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate student interested in studying God’s creation and using that as inspiration for modern engineering. His F.L.U.I.D. research involves studying the Bombardier Beetle’s volatile spray defense mechanism and utilizing that in a fire extinguisher. He has been a part of Liberty’s Formula SAE team and has had various hands-on engineering experience through internships with PennDOT. In his free time, he enjoys working out, playing sports of various kinds, and catching up on the latest movies.

Undergraduate Students

Daniel Archer
Daniel Jackson Archer is a Christian mechanical engineering student graduating in May of 2026 at Liberty University with minors in mathematics and computer science. In everything that he does, he aims to glorify God and advance his kingdom. From Spring 2023 to the present, he has served on Liberty University’s Human Powered Vehicle Competition (HPVC) Team and NASA Human-powered Exploration Rover Challenge, leading the design and manufacturing of the wheels and frame for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 years, respectively. He has been certified by Dassault Systemes with a SolidWorks Associate Certification in Mechanical Design. During his internship at TENNLab, based at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he assisted in the research of SNNs for control applications, specifically the Ant-v4 benchmark problem from MuJoCo, Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity, swarm robotics, hyperparameter optimization, and training SNNs using EONS, an evolutionary optimization algorithm specifically designed for training neuromorphic systems. During the 2024–2025 academic year, he constructed a robot mimicking the Ant-v4 model and trained SNNs using EONS in the Ant-v4 environment to eventually integrate and create a real-life implementation of a walking Ant-v4 model. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys reading, rock climbing, and playing games.
Simon Babcock
Simon Babcock is an undergraduate mechanical engineering student with interests in aerospace engineering, design optimization, and machining processes. Outside of school, he is an avid scuba diver with several professional dive certifications under his belt and enjoys hiking, backpacking, mountain climbing, and kayaking as well.
Emily Combs
Emily Combs is a senior at Liberty University studying Mechanical Engineering. Currently, she is researching how various non-Newtonian fluids behave compared to Newtonian fluids through simulations in Ansys Fluent and also researching on the flow of fluids through a channel and over a heated cylinder. Other research projects she has worked on include simulating pedal box and brake rotor behavior for a Formula SAE car during operation, rocket canard optimization, designing an inexpensive brick press, and the effects of a lack on backwashing on a Grifaid filter. She desires to continue her fluids research, especially if the research can help improve other people’s lives.
Cyrus Harris
Cyrus Harris is a rising Junior, majoring in both Mechanical and Civil Engineering. He lives in Forest, Virginia and has loved growing up in a city surrounded by a Christian community. He is passionate about design and the act of creating, whether that be through art, music, writing, or engineering - mimicking and taking inspiration from the Lord, the Creator. He is excited to start research under the guidance of Dr. Strasser and hopes to continue growing in the Lord and his skills through this experience.
Caleb Hellmund
Caleb Hellmund is currently studying computer engineering at Liberty University and is passionate about solving problems and acquiring knowledge. He is from Northern Virginia and enjoys a variety of hobbies, including chess, coding, playing guitar, and studying apologetics.
Sarah Hilliard
Sarah Hilliard is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering at Liberty University. She has previously worked for Dynamic Aviation Group as both a mechanic and an engineering intern and has been hired as an intern by Framatome. Sarah is passionate about the aviation industry and hopes to apply this interest in her research. She is originally from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where she enjoys hiking and rock climbing.
Luke Krick
Luke Krick is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Luke has previously worked in the refrigeration industry and will be an intern for BWXT. CFD and its applications for the space industry are Luke’s primary research interests. On the side, Luke loves to read, build rockets, and work on his car.
Danny Rees
Danny is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He grew up in Virginia Beach and currently resides in Lynchburg, VA. Danny enjoys learning about and spending time in God’s creation. This includes hunting, fishing, SCUBA diving, and disc golf. His love of learning drives his efforts in academics and research.
Gabriel Shreve
Gabriel Shreve is a Mechanical Engineering student at Liberty University. Raised in rural Middle Tennessee, Gabriel seeks to combine the principles of academia with the hands-on approach of farm life. His goal is to show the light of Christ through his work and interactions in the professional world. Breaking into the research field, Gabriel’s work focuses on the heat transfer improvements of a rifle barrel when subjected to a vortical convective flow. In personal life, Gabriel is a triathlete; he has competed both individually on the international stage and as a member of Liberty University Triathlon in the collegiate field.
Johnny Sugarman
Johnny Sugarman is a third-year mechanical engineering student at Liberty University. He is working to model the shock wave location in a converging-diverging nozzle. He currently resides in Meridian, Idaho and will be interning for Micron there this coming summer. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, water skiing, and learning new songs on the piano.

Alumni (Graduate)

Reid Prichard (PhD)
Employed by BWXT
Alex Strasser (PhD)
PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University
Eric Turman (MS)
Employed by General Motors
Daniel Wilson (PhD)
Employed by Clemson University

Alumni (Undergraduate)

Isabelle Ambrose
John Bailey
Christian Bernth
Eli Best
Nathanael Breed
Josh Clayton
Hrishav Dey
Michael Diaz
Joel Dowdell
Jon Estes
Sydney Gates
Joshua Glenn
Parker Harris
Emilie Hatton
Samuel Heath
Josh Ingram
Jacob Knollinger
Joseph Krahn
Daniel Lazor
Isaac Liu
Matthew Marcinko
Clay McClintock
Micah Mutscheller
Brett Natelborg
Ethan Newkirk
Jonah Osterhus
Luke Phayre
Ryan Pritzkau
Tanner Randall
Elijah Reeves
Nathan Roberts
Nathan Rogers
Harry Rogish
Aaron Ronaldson
Emily Schneidau
Samuel Springer
Serenity Sudbrock
Aleck Tilbrook
Ben Truxel
Tyler Ulmschneider
Nicholas Veeder
Arianna Verbosky
Skylar Waechter
Jacob Walker
Liu Bo Wilkins
Abraham Wingfield
Aaron Young
Hayley Yukihiro