Dr. Stephen Ruffin

Biography

Stephen M. Ruffin is a professor at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also serves as the director of NASA's Georgia Space Grant Consortium and heads the Aerothermodynamics Research Technology Laboratory (ARTLAB). His expertise encompasses high temperature gas dynamics and compressible flow aerodynamics, particularly in airframe propulsion integration applications. He is noted for his work on developing 3-D Cartesian Grid based Navier-Stokes solvers (NASCART-GT) for chemical reacting flows, and he is pioneering novel methodologies that enable Navier-Stokes simulations using purely Cartesian grid solvers. The ARTLAB takes a multidisciplinary approach to applications involving hypersonic planetary entry vehicles, rotorcraft-airframe interaction flows, and transonic/supersonic missile unsteady store separation issues. As director of the GSGC, Ruffin oversees a vast range of projects that conduct research and design activities, internships, and educational training programs aimed at enhancing K-12 STEM education. He has notably held the position of national chair of the Council of Space Grant Directors, where he influenced NASA's outreach initiatives. His administrative responsibilities also include serving as associate dean of Academic Affairs for Georgia Tech Professional Education.

Research Interests

Awards