Darshan G Pahinkar

Darshan is the principal investigator of AETL and an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department at Florida Tech. Before joining Florida Tech, he was a post-doctoral fellow in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and led research in interface materials for electronic packaging and materials of neuromorphic computing. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in the Fall of 2016, specializing in gas separation systems. He received his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Pune, India, in 2006 and his M.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, in 2009, focusing on Thermal and Fluids. He was a manager (Development) at Tata Motors Engineering Research Center, Pune, between 2009 and 2011.

Samuel Babatunde Olushola

Ph. D. Student (Summer 2024 - Present)

Samuel completed a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Kwara State University, Nigeria. He furthered his academic journey with a master’s degree in Thermal Power and Fluid Engineering from the University of Manchester, UK, where he worked on the Role of Artificial Intelligence in CFD. He continues to pursue his passion for thermal and fluid sciences. He is currently pursuing his PhD, working on a thermally driven carbon dioxide separation system used for converting CO2 into bio-oil.

Caroline McClung

M.S. Student (Summer 2024 - Present)

Caroline graduated with a bachelor of arts in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. After completing her bachelor's, she worked as a high school math teacher until deciding to pursue engineering. She is currently an MS student in Mechanical Engineering, graduating in the summer of 2025, and is currently studying thermal and fluid sciences. Her research focuses on computational modeling of two-phase flows in microchannels. 

Rithwik Lella

M.S. Student (Fall 2024 - Present) 

After earning his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from GITAM University in Visakhapatnam, India in 2023, Rithwik completed a five-month internship in the Power-Train & Drive-Train R&D Department at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. Following this, he is currently pursuing his MS in Mechanical Engineering at Florida Tech, specializing in Thermal and Fluid Sciences. His research centers around conducting experimental investigations of multiphase flows in adsorbent channels and synthesizing adsorbent layers using 3D printing.

Kaleem Bocus

B.S. Student (Fall 2023 - Present)

Kaleem is currently pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an expected graduation date in December 2026. He is CAPE scholarship winner from Trinidad and Tobago. He enjoys learning new skills and socialising. Kaleem's work focuses on developing new ideas for adsorbent coating, taking high speed flow visualization videos. 

Stephan Jean-Baptiste

B.S. Student (Fall 2024 - Present)

Stephan is currently a 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student, expected to graduate in Spring 2026. He plans to pursue a Master’s degree, aiming to complete it by 2028. Stephan aspires to build a career in developmental engineering, with a focus on CAD modeling and design. At AETL, he will work on new roadway deicing techniques.