David Rothamer

Prof. Rothamer is the Robert Lorenz Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a principal investigator in the Engine Research Center (ERC), an internationally renowned center focusing on the study in internal combustion (IC) engines, and is also a member of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, a DOE funded bioenergy research center focused on basic research related to biofuels technologies. Rothamer received his PhD from Stanford University in 2008. Prior to his work at Stanford, he received his BS and MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rothamer was a recipient of the Masao Horiba award in 2008 given by Horiba Ltd. to young scientists who are devoting themselves to research and development of innovative technologies in analysis and measurement. In 2012, Rothamer received an NSF CAREER award to support research in the area of advanced temperature imaging diagnostics using thermographic phosphors with application to low temperature combustion in IC engines. Prof. Rothamer’s research is focused on problems involving fluid mechanics, chemical kinetics, and combustion, including: the design of alternative fuels and impact of fuel chemistry and properties on IC engine performance and emissions, understanding the fundamental mechanisms of soot formation in IC engines, and designing and applying advanced laser-based imaging diagnostics to study fundamental combustion problems and practical combustion systems.