Research and academic work
Professor Foster's research applies fluid mechanics and transport phenomena to biomedical and industrial problems. His CFD group works with students and collaborators to create geometries and meshes, develop numerical models, and interpret flow and transport in complex systems.
Education
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, 1999
- M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, 1994
- B.S., Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1988
Academic and industrial experience
Professor Foster has taught at the University of Rochester since 2000, including fluid dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, separation processes and advanced transport phenomena. Before joining the university full-time, he spent approximately three decades in research and development at Eastman Kodak, including research leadership in thermal media and imaging materials.
His university appointments include Adjunct Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Chemical Engineering (instructional), beginning in July 2023.
Textbook authorship
He is a coauthor of Fundamentals of Momentum, Heat and Mass Transfer, including the sixth and seventh editions; work on the eighth edition is underway.
Teaching and student research
The CFD group emphasizes student participation, from initial geometry and mesh development through computational simulation and presentation of findings at scientific conferences.
Biographical foundation: original academic biography and official faculty page.