Panels

Organizer: K8: Diana-Andra Borca-Tasciuc and Sumith Yesudasan

Description: This panel addresses industry AI readiness and the evolving skill requirements for entry-level engineers in heat transfer and its applications. The session brings together industry perspectives to outline current expectations, identify required technical and computational skills, and examine the role of AI tools in analysis, design, and decision-making. Topics include data-driven modeling, automation of simulation workflows, integration of AI with traditional heat transfer methods, and gaps between academic preparation and industry needs. The discussion aims to inform curriculum development and support preparation of engineers entering roles related to thermal systems, energy, manufacturing, and aerospace.

Panelists:

• Arun Mulley, Technical Fellow and South East Asia Technology Director, Boeing Research & Technology
• Prahit Dubey, Director of Thermal Systems and Software, General Motors
• Qingyang Wang, Thermal Engineer/Scientist, Accelsius
• Ravi Annapragada, Head of Strategy, Carrier Energy & Sustainability, Carrier

Organizer: K20: Elia Merzari, Hamidreza Najafi

This panel will explore modern practices in computational fluid dynamics for heat transfer applications from multiple perspectives, spanning both industry and academia. Speakers will share insights into current best practices, validation and verification strategies, model selection, and the integration of high-fidelity simulation into engineering workflows. The discussion will encompass a broad spectrum of computational tools, ranging from cutting-edge research codes developed in academic and national laboratory settings to widely adopted commercial software used in industrial design and analysis. Together, these perspectives will provide a comprehensive view of the state of the art in CFD for heat transfer and its practical implementation across sectors.

Speakers:

• Nate Salpeter, Consultant
• Giacomo Busco, Kairos Power
• Paul Fischer, UIUC

Organizers: K8: Amitabh Narain, Vladimir Ramos Alvarado, Vaibhav Bahadur

Panel Scope and Themes:
The panel will bridge the gap between fundamental research and industrial application, focusing on:

• High-Power xPUs: Addressing thermal management for next-generation processors dissipating 700–2000 W
• Chip-Level Mitigation: Exploring hot spot mitigation in nano-sheet device layers and their interfaces
• Direct-to-Chip Cooling: Utilizing single or two-phase liquid cooling via Cold Plates and CDUs
• Systems & Sustainability: Data Center or Building level Thermal Management, Discussions of time-to-tokens throughput, 3-year refresh cycles, and the potential for chillerless waste heat dump and 10–20% clean electricity generation through waste-heat recover

Panel Moderators:

• Prof. Amitabh Narain, Michigan Technological University (Panel Chair)
• Prof. Bladimir Ramos Alvarado, Pennsylvania State University
• Prof. Vaibhav Bahadur, University of Texas at Austin (Chair, K8 Committee)

Invited Panelists

Academia

• Professor Yogendra Joshi
  John M. McKenney and Warren D. Shiver Distinguished Chair,
  G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering,
  Georgia Institute of Technology


• Prof. Wangda Zuo, Ph.D.
  Fellow of ASHRAE and IBPSA;
  Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering,
  Pennsylvania State University

Industry

• Dr. Qingyang Wang, Ph.D.
  Principal Engineer, Accelsius


• Dr. Tony Lin
  Principal Member of Technical Staff,
  Thermal Design of Data Centers, AMD, Inc.


• Nithish Selvan
  Senior Simulation Engineer,
  AI Data Center Thermal Management, Modelon


• Navid Gougol
  Yektasonics, Inc.
  Adaptive RF Amplifier Electronics for Piezo-Actuated Two-Phase Direct-to-Chip Cooling (collaborative development with APC Inc. and Michigan Tech)