Program Head of Mechanical Engineering; Professor of Mechanical Engineering;Affiliation:NYU Abu Dhabi Education: PhD University of California, Berkeley
Research Areas: transport of light and thermal radiation
Sunil Kumar is a mechanical engineer whose scholarly research focuses on the transport of light and thermal radiation, specifically examining how lasers interact with surfaces and scattering media, fire dynamics, thermal-fluid analysis, and applied mathematics. He came to NYUAD from Polytechnic Institute of New York University (now NYU Tandon School of Engineering), where he was Graduate Dean and Associate Provost, and former head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering.
He has also taught at the University of California Berkeley, was a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, and a visiting scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. Kumar’s publications include approximately 60 journal articles, over 200 conference papers, one book, Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Handbook for Design and Implementation, and research monographs: “Nanotechnologies for the Life Sciences” and “Modeling and Simulation-Based Life Cycle Engineering.”
Kumar is research leader for NYU's Fire Research efforts, including the Advanced Learning Through Integrated Visual Environments (ALIVE) project, which educates, trains, and disseminates critical information to both career and volunteer firefighters via a unique game-based computer program.
Since its inception, ALIVE has been adopted as a training tool by more than 100 fire departments that encompass more than 25,000 firefighters, including those from New York City and Chicago—two of the largest departments in the United States. ALIVE is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Kumar holds a BTech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; a MS and MA from the State University of New York, Buffalo; and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
University of California at Berkeley, Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering
State University of New York at Buffalo, Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering
State University of New York at Buffalo, Master of Arts, Applied Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, Bachelor of Technology, Mechanical Engineering
Research and Academic Experience
NYU Abu Dhabi, Global Network Professor of Engineering and Vice Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs - July 2009 to present
NYU Abu Dhabi, Dean of Engineering - July 2009 to August 2015
New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Associate Provost - August 2003 to August 2015
New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering - August 2002 to present
Polytechnic Institute of New York University*, Dean of Graduate School - August 2013 to January 2011
Polytechnic University*, New York, Othmer Senior Fellow - October 2001 to August 2004
Mechanical Aerospace Manufacturing, Polytechnic University*, Department Head - June 1996 to August 2000
Polytechnic University*, New York, Tenured Associate Professor - June 1994 to August 2002
Polytechnic University*, New York, Assistant Professor - January 1990 to May 1994
Energy Systems Laboratories, Polytechnic University*, Co-Director - December 1992 to May 1995
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, California, Research Staff - June 1988 to January 1990
Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Lecturer - August 1988 to June 1989
Mechanical Engineering, Berkeley, Teaching & Research Assistant - August 1984 to December 1987
Mechanical Engineering, Buffalo, Teaching & Research Assistant - August 1981 to August 1984
*New NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Short-Term Appointments and Affiliations
NASA Ames Research Center, California, Visiting Scientist.
Metropolitan Technologies Consulting Group, LLC, New York City President
From: March 1999 to Present