Samuel Grauer will hold the Kenneth Kuan-Yun Kuo Early Career Professorship until 2027. Credit: Poornima Tomy/Penn State.
Mechanical engineering early career professor: Samuel Grauer
May 11, 2026
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Samuel Grauer, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded a Kenneth Kuan-Yun Early Career Professorship, a three-year professorship that Grauer will hold until 2027. Kenneth K. Kuo, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering who died in 2016, endowed two early-career professorships in 2010, the Kenneth Kuan-Yun Kuo Early Career Professorship and the Kenneth K. and Olivia J Kuo Early Career Professorship.
Q: What is the primary focus of your research?
Grauer: We work on inverse problems, which are problems where we try to infer the state of a system from limited observations of that system. A simple example is a thermometer. The “forward problem” would be predicting how high the liquid rises if you already know the room temperature and liquid properties. The inverse problem is what we usually do: we observe the height of the liquid column and deduce the temperature of the thermometer.
My group is especially interested in “ill-posed” inverse problems in fluid mechanics. In ill-posed problems, the measurements are limited and a small amount of noise can lead to large changes in the estimated system state. These problems often arise in fluid mechanics because the flows we study, including turbulent flows, combustion and supersonic flows, are complex and difficult to measure. We develop computationally enhanced sensing methods that combine sparse and noisy experimental measurements of fluids with simulations so that we can extract more information from the data.
Much of our work focuses on propulsion-related systems, including engines that drive aircraft and missiles, as well as flows over wings and ship hulls. Many of these systems operate at extreme conditions, where turbulence, shock waves and chemical reactions can play an important role. We develop “data assimilation” methods to combine real-world measurements with physics-based simulations, allowing us to observe behaviors that are difficult to capture with either approach alone, and to improve the physical models that engineers use to predict and design engines, wings and other flow-related devices.
Q: What are some notable projects you and your group are working on?
Grauer: Our team is working with the High Temperature Tunnel (HTT) at NASA, which is the nation’s largest high-enthalpy hypersonic wind tunnel. We are studying extreme high-speed flight conditions at lower altitudes. It is used to test vehicle concepts for ultra-high-speed applications. When a vehicle is traveling faster than the speed of sound, shock waves form around it. At very high speeds, like Mach 5, 6 or 7, and in denser air closer to the ground, the conditions at the vehicle’s surface become extreme. The air behind the shock wave can become so hot that plasma forms near the surface, and the flow can even damage or remove material from the vehicle. This makes it harder to control the vehicle and limits the duration of flight. We are interested in measuring and modeling fluids in these conditions to help engineers design more resilient vehicles for high-speed, low-altitude flight. Specifically, my group is developing laser-based sensors for the HTT that can make reliable measurements in these harsh, high-speed flow environments.
I am also a member of the Air Force Center of Excellence on data assimilation, which is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Air Force Research Laboratory. The center focuses on the mathematical foundations of data assimilation for detonations and other high-speed flows with shock waves. These systems are especially difficult to study because both the simulations and measurements are challenging. There are many open questions about when data assimilation is possible for such flows and how to do it reliably. The team includes researchers at Johns Hopkins, the University of Michigan, California Institute of Technology and UC San Diego, and we’re working together to develop the mathematical tools needed to answer these questions.
Q: What does it mean for you to receive the Kenneth Kuan-Yun Kuo Early Career Professorship?
Grauer: The award is a tremendous honor. Professor Kuo’s textbook is like a bible in combustion, and his influence on the field was immense. When he was at Penn State, he made major strides in fundamental and applied combustion research while training many students who have since become leaders in the field in their own right. I have always admired the depth and care with which he approached technical problems. In his textbook, he would often walk through each and every step of a complex derivation, making the steps and the reasoning behind them clear. That clarity is something I try to bring to my own research and teaching, including in combustion-related research and courses, so it is meaningful to hold a professorship that bears his name.
The best part of this recognition, however, is what it says about my students and the work we’ve been able to do as a group. The most meaningful aspect of my career at Penn State has been working with my lab. Many of my students have graduated and charted their own paths as independent researchers. One of my former students is now at the Naval Research Laboratory, where he is extending the methods he honed in his Ph.D. to measure and model solid-fuel propulsion systems. Other former students are working with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney, and another is applying machine learning to process design in the semiconductor industry. Several undergraduate research assistants from my lab have also gone on to graduate studies. I truly love seeing the growth of my students, and I believe this recognition speaks to the accomplishments of the whole group.
The professorship also comes with some research funds. In the spirit of the award, we’re using those funds to invest in some “blue sky” ventures, including experimental equipment and computing power. These projects are scientifically exciting but still at an early stage, where there is room to test new ideas before we seek external funding. Specifically, this professorship has allowed me to pursue some “side quests” in inertial particle dynamics, model-based imaging, and other realms that I find exciting.
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