Dr. Bamin Khomami
Granger and Beaman Distinguished University Professor,
CBE Department Head
Ph.D., University of Illinois- Urbana (1987): Transport Mechanics of Complex Fluids, Advanced Materials for Sustainable Energy Applications, Multiscale Modeling and Simulation, Drug Delivery and Personalized Medicine, Rheology
Brief Bio
Bamin Khomami graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics in 1983 (Summa Cum Laude) and obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois-Urbana in 1985 and 1987, respectively. He joined Washington University in 1987 as an Assistant Professor and was named the Francis F. Ahmann Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1997. In fall of 2006 he joined the University of Tennessee in Knoxville as the Granger & Beaman Distinguished University Professor and Head of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. In January of 2008, he was named the founding director of the Sustainable Energy Education and Research at the University of Tennessee. In addition, between 1992 to 2006, he served as a visiting Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, Universidad Nacional De Education A Distancia, and the Technical University of Denmark.
Through development of rigorous and novel multiscale modeling and simulations strategies as well as detailed experimental studies, Khomami’s research group has been able to elucidate important physiochemical phenomena and predict system/process level features that have proven essential in successful design, development, and processing of a wide range of nano-and-micro structured materials. His current research interests are mainly focused on rational design and engineering of micro- and- nano-structured materials with applications to sustainable energy, biology, chemistry and medicine. To date, Khomami’s research has resulted in more than 110 refereed Journal publications and more than 80 invited presentations at universities in the US and abroad as well as national and international conferences including keynotes lectures at XIV International Congress of Rheology (2004), the European Conference on Reaction Engineering of Polyolefins (2005), and European Society of Rheology (2009), as well as a Plenary lecture at the 77th Annual meeting of the Society of Rheology (2005). Khomami is a member of numerous professional societies and a number of national and international steering and award committees. He also serves on the editorial board of Journals of Rheology, Applied Rheology and Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics.
Research Areas
» Dynamics of complex fluids: Polymers, biological fluids, colloidal and fiber suspensions
» Hybrid and biomimetic materials for sustainable energy applications
» Development of nano-and micro-structured fluids for drug delivery applications
» Processing science of nano-structured particles and films
» Interfacial transport and separation with applications to nuclear fuel reprocessing
» Rheology
Selected Awards and Honors
2009 Fellow, American Physical Society
2007 University of Tennessee College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Award
1993 Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar National Award
1991-1996 NSF, Presidential Young Investigator (PYI) Award
1983-1987 University of Illinois Research Fellow
Professional Activities
Member of: (1) American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), (2) Society of Rheology (SOR), (3) American Institute of physics, (4) American Chemical Society, and (5) American Physical Society (Division of Fluid Dynamics and High Polymer Physics).
Member of editorial boards of: (1) Journal of Rheology, (2) Journal of non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, and (3) Applied Rheology.
Guest-Editor of the special issue of Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics devoted to the XIIth International Workshop on Numerical Methods for Non-Newtonian Flows (2001).
Chair, (2001) XIIth International Workshop on Numerical Methods for Non-Newtonian Flows
AIChE Fluid Dynamics Programming Committee (1999-Present); Bingham Medal Committee of SOR (member 1999-2000; chair 2000-2002).
Selected Publications
J.M. Kim, B.J. Edwards, D.J. Keffer, and B. Khomami (2009) “Single-chain dynamics of linear polyethylene liquids under shear flow,” Phys. Lett. A, 373,769.
S. Y. Dhumal, T. L. Daulton , J. Jiang, B. Khomami, and P. Biswas (2009) "Synthesis of Visible-Light-Active Nanostructured TiOx (x < 2) Photocatalysts in a Flame Aerosol Reactor,” S. Y. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 86, 145.
D. G. Thomas, R. J. DePuit, and B. Khomami (2009) "Simulations of Single DNA Molecules in Oscillatory Shear Flow," J. Rheology, 53, 275. Also appeared on March 1, 2009 issue of Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.
D. G. Thomas, B. Khomami, and R. Sureshkumar (2009), "Nonlinear Dynamics of Viscoelastic Taylor-Couette Flow: Effect of Elasticity on Pattern Selection, Molecular Conformation and Drag," J. Fluid Mech. 620, 353.
V. Venkataramani, R. Sureshkumar, and B. Khomami (2008), “Coarse-Grained Modeling of Dynamics of Dilute Macromolecular Solutions Using a Configurational Based Approach,” J. Rheology, 52, 1143. Also appeared in September 1, 2008 issue of Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.
M. Vasudevan, A. Shen, B. Khomami, and R. Sureshkumar (2008), “Self-Similar Shear Thickening Behavior in CTAB/NaSal Surfactant Solutions,” J. Rheology, 52, 527.
H. Sim, B. Khomami, and R. Sureshkumar (2007), “Flow-Induced Chain Scission in Dilute Polymer Solutions: Algorithm Development and Results for Scission Dynamics in Elongational Flow,” J. Rheology, 51, 1223.
C. F. Li, R. Sureshkumar, and B. Khomami (2006), “Influence of Rheological Parameters on Polymer Induced Turbulent Drag Reduction,” J. Non-Newt. Fluid Mech., 140, 23.
D.G. Thomas, R. Sureshkumar, and B. Khomami (2006), “Pattern Formation in Taylor-Couette Flow of Dilute Polymeric Solutions: Dynamical Simulations and Mechanism,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 97,054501.
G. Bhatara, E. S. G. Shaqfeh, and B. Khomami (2005), “The Influence of Polymer Concentration and Chain Architecture on Free Surface Displacement Flows of Polymeric Liquids,” J. Rheology, 49, 929.
Contact Dr. Khomami
419 Dougherty Engineering Bldg.
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-2200
Tel: (865) 974-2035
Email: bkhomami @utk.edu
Group Website: http://mrail.utk.edu