Ryley McConkey

I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering (co-op). Pursing an interest in turbulence and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), I then began a Master’s degree at the University of Waterloo. In my Master’s research, I was focused on simulating a new type of wind turbine which uses vortex induced vibration (VIV) to generate energy. Then, I direct transferred to a PhD in 2020. My PhD was focused on developing new turbulence models using machine learning. I completed a 6 month visit at the University of Manchester in 2022-2023, where I focused on data-driven turbulence modelling on complex 3D flows. After completing my PhD in 2024, I have recently started a Postdoc at MIT in Tess Smidt’s atomic architects group. More to come!

My diverse experience includes mechanical design, software implementation, and industrial research and development. At MACH32, a medical device startup company, I designed and simulated novel autoinjectors and COVID-19 protection devices. I also worked on automating CFD simulations as a Software Developer at Orbital Stack, a wind engineering startup company. In the Research and Development group (Labs) at RWDI, I developed and implemented machine learning based tools to augment simulations and wind tunnel experiments.

Here is a playlist with my favourite fluid mechanics videos: