Zhong Lab
About the Lab
I am a fluid dynamicist and a roboticist, which means I study how fluids move (in water and air) and apply fluid physics to robot development. I got hooked on interdisciplinary research in fluid robot systems as a graduate student in a multi-university research team studying how fish swim. In particular, I am primarily interested in how fish swimming can inspire the development of underwater robots and how robots can amplify the advantages of flow physics to be as maneuverable and efficient as possible.
Today, I’m applying fluid dynamics and robotics to my new lab at ISU. Our lab is expanding my previous research to more diverse areas, including amphibious locomotion, active flow perception, and ultra-maneuvering in complex flow, etc. In our lab, we are committed to fostering creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence among our students and researchers. We dismiss hierarchical structures and encourage team members to directly discuss any of their crazy ideas and progress with the PI.
My lab is under the Mechanical Engineering Department at Iowa State University. ISU is a flagship university of the Iowa State University system, classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity”. In the 2022 U.S. News and World Report rankings, ISU ranked 41st in Best Mechanical Engineering Programs.
Openings
We are looking for enthusiastic postdoctoral researchers and students to join our lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Iowa State University (ISU) in 2023 Spring.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
We welcome talented postdoctoral researchers and students who
- have a solid background in fluid mechanics, robot development, and programming
- have a thirst for knowledge and a strong interest in answering unknown questions at the intersection of fluid dynamics, robotics, biomechanics, etc.
Prospective postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students will work on topics related to ultra-maneuvering in complex flow (e.g., swimming/flying in vortex street, cross-flow), active flow perception (e.g., machine learning driven flow perception with onboard sensing), and bio-inspired robotics (e.g., amphibious robots, flying/swimming robots).
QUALIFICATIONS
- Postdoctoral Researcher: Highly self-motivated, strong communication skills, has a Ph.D. degree in related areas with a strong publication record.
- Ph.D. Student: Highly self-motivated, strong communication skills, a solid background in math, experiments, or robotics, GPA >= 3.0/4.0, TOEFL >= 79, GRE not required.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should contact Dr. Zhong at qzhong1@iastate.edu directly. Please include a single .pdf file containing the CV, two representative papers (for postdoctoral researchers only), and other materials that prove the applicant’s strength. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled.