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Peter Hamlington is an associate professor and Vogel Faculty Fellow in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on computational simulations of turbulent and reacting flows in a variety of contexts, including aerospace propulsion, wind energy, ocean dynamics, and wildland fire. For the past several years he served as the graduate program chair in the ME department and he looks forward to serving as the next department chair beginning this summer. Peter enjoys running, hiking, and golfing in his free time, as well as spending time with his wife Barbara, daughter Ada, and their two dogs Charlie and Ellie.

What has been your favorite work or personal project so far?

Our research on wildland fire modeling and prediction is endlessly interesting and has important societal and environmental impacts. This project also includes several different researchers at CU and beyond, and it has been great to work with a group of such talented and hardworking people.

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

I’ve been fortunate to have several outstanding mentors over the years, including my PhD advisor Werner Dahm, my postdoc advisor Elaine Oran, and my colleagues in ME, John Daily and Mike Hannigan. Mentorship is such an important part of career growth and I look forward to mentoring other faculty in our department as chair.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

I always enjoy traveling to Italy. I have collaborators in Bologna who are great to work with, and the food, wine, history, and culture of Italy are hugely fascinating to me. Where else can you see Galileo’s actual fingers (check out the Museo Galileo in Florence)?

What is an ordinary moment in your life that brings you joy?

Any time I spend with my daughter — playing in the pool, hiking, or exploring our hometown of Louisville — brings me joy. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is a wonderful thing.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

As someone who received their PhD in Aerospace Science and grew up playing countless flight simulators, I have always been fascinated by airplanes. I haven’t taken the leap yet and learned to fly myself, but it is one of my dreams to one day break the sound barrier riding as a passenger in an Air Force jet.

One thing you’re willing to spend way too much on...

Golf clubs — they are generally quite expensive but there is always hope that I can improve my game by a few strokes with the latest, greatest equipment.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Fantasy sports, especially the NFL and the English Premier League (I lived in England for six years as a child). Beyond scratching my competitive itch, fantasy sports have been a great way to stay connected with friends all over the world, especially during the pandemic.