MiNDS Lab


Education

  • Ph.D., Purdue University, 2007
  • M.S., Purdue University, 2007
  • M.S., Louisiana State University, 2003
  • B.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 2001

Teaching Interests

Professor Kumar’s teaching focuses on core mechanical engineering subjects including heat transfer, computational methods, and energy systems at undergraduate and graduate levels. His instruction aims to build foundational knowledge while integrating principles of engineering design and analysis. He is committed to engaging students through problem-solving approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to mechanical engineering and energy conversion.

Research Interests

Professor Kumar’s research centers on  thermal management, multi-physics transport models, application of machine learning techniques to develop high-fidelity multi-scale models, and high-precision thermal metrology to analyze thermal materials. Kumar’s research proceeds systematically from new insights into thermal transport principles at the micro-nano scales to the development of innovative transport models and demonstrations at the mesoscale and continuum scale.

Recent Publications

  • Sakrikar, A., Rajeev, R., and Kumar, S., “Physics-informed Neural Networks to Predict Mass Transfer at Interfaces in Liquid-Vapor Phase Change Problems,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 259, 128392, 2026.
  • Lee, P. C., Choi, M., Contreras Mora, D., Wang, K., Yun, S., Go, D., Dutta, J., Pal, D., Kumar, S., and Kummel, A. C., "High-Speed AlN Film Deposition via Low-Pressure Bipolar High Power Impulsed Magnetron Sputter for Enhanced Thermal Conductivity," Thin Solid Films, Early Access, Nov. 8, 2025.
  • Choi, M., Vaca, D., and Kumar, S., "Machine Learning-Enabled Fast and Accurate Inversion of Thermal Properties at the Micro- and Nanoscale via Optical Metrology," Annual Review of Heat Transfer, 28, 277-337, Oct. 2025. 
  • Choi, M., Krishnakumar, S., Khorasani, R. R., Swaminathan, M., Partin-Vaisband, I., and  Kumar, S., "Substrate-Embedded Microfluidic Cooling of Distributed Vertical Power Delivery Architectures for High-Performance Computing Processors," IEEE Transactions on Component, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, 15(9), 1912-1920, Sep. 2025.
  • Tikadar, A., Hossain, M. J., and Kumar, S., “Electric Motor Thermal Management Using 3D-Printed Hollow Liner,” IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification, 11(3), 8318–8326, 2025.