PEOPLE
Current Members

Kasey Laurent, PhD
Assistant Professor
klaurent@syr.edu
CV | LinkedIn | Google Scholar

Adhip Gupta
PhD Candidate
agupta46@syr.edu
CV | LinkedIn | Google Scholar

Sona Flask
Undergraduate
ssflask@syr.edu

Joshua Varkey
Undergraduate
jjvarkey@syr.edu
Past Members

Maximillian Lipinski
Undergraduate (REU)

Jayprakash Shankar
MS Student

Cody VanNostrand
Undergraduate (Honors Thesis)

Kazi Rafee
Undergraduate (Honors Thesis)

Alexandra Vaida
Undergraduate (SOURCE)

Sophia Ameneyro-Fourcade
Undergraduate (SOURCE)
LATEST NEWS
01.16.2025 – Undergraduate student Sona Flask joins the lab! Her SOURCE-funded project aims to understand how textured surfaces which mimic shark skin can reduce drag.
11.25.2024 – PhD student Adhip Gupta presents his work at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics conference. Read the abstract here
10.18.2024 – In collaboration with Dr. Lui, Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research for Spring – Fall 2025. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
08.05.2024 – Dr. Laurent presents Birds, Planes, & Aerodynamics at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
07.16.2024 – Dr. Laurent volunteers for TACNY’s Summer STEM Trekker Program. Read more about it on our “Outreach” page!
06.03.2024 – Undergraduate student Maximilian joins the lab for a summer REU-funded project! This project aims to develop an experimental setup for measuring the forces on a flapping wing.
06.03.2024 – Undergraduate student Joshua Varkey joins the lab! His SOURCE-funded project aims to design and analyze flow visualization techniques for a low-speed water tunnel.
02.15.2024 – Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research for Summer & Fall 2024. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
02.07.2024 – Dr. Laurent’s collaborative work with local company OpB Data Insights is published in Experiments in Fluids. Read the article here
01.20.2024 – Dr. Laurent presents Birds of Prey in Flight: Exploring the Aerodynamics of Birds of Prey at the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse.
12.11.2023 – Dr. Laurent presents her research at Clarkson University’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Graduate Seminar
08.28.2023 – Undergraduate student Kazi joins the lab! His research project examines drag-reduction in car designs.
01.17.2023 – Undergraduate students Sophia and Alex join the lab! Their SOURCE funded project examines how fish bodies reduce drag.
09.29.2023 – Dr. Laurent receives funding from SOURCE for undergraduate research. Learn more about the project and how to get involved here!
08.29.2022 – Undergraduate student Cody joins the lab! His research project examines optimal flapping patterns in manta-inspired robots.
08.22.2022 – Dr. Laurent arrives at Syracuse University to start her role as an Assistant Professor.
03.10.2023 – Dr. Laurent presents her research at Syracuse University’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Graduate Seminar
03.02.2022 – An interview with Dr. Laurent is published in BBC Wildlife – read the article here
JOIN OUR TEAM!
There are open opportunities for PhD and master students. Highly motivated undergraduate students are encouraged to reach out as well. Please email your CV with a brief introduction to klaurent@syr.edu