Rate My Professor Sarah Wakes

Her research focuses on computational fluid dynamics, modelling wind flows over complex topographies such as sand dunes, environmental wind modelling, sedimentation effects, air and wind interactions with complex geometries, and the interplay between technology and industrial design, including sustainability of materials. Key publications include 'Numerical modelling of wind flow over a complex topography' (Environmental Modelling & Software, 2010, with Maegli, Dickinson, and Hilton), 'Modeling of surface roughness for flow over a complex vegetated surface' (International Journal of Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, 2008, with Pattanapol, Hilton, and Dickinson), 'Use of computational fluid dynamics in domestic oven design' (International Journal of Multiphysics, 2008, with Fahey and Shaw), 'The relationship between total embodied energy and cost of commercial buildings' (Energy & Buildings, 2012, with Jiao and Lloyd), and 'The illusion of weightlessness' (International Journal of Injury Control & Safety Promotion, 2010, with Caudwell). With over 1,440 citations, her work impacts environmental modelling, coastal management, and engineering design. She teaches courses including MATH 120 Mathematics for Scientists, MATS 204 Treasure or Trash: Sustainability of materials, and EMAN 301 Fluids and Heat Transfer. In 2024, she delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture, 'Where the wind blows'.