Michael Howland, Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Young Investigator Program (YIP) award from the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

The three-year $750,000 grant will support his project, “Closing the Loop on Joint Physics- and Data-Driven Modeling of Marine Boundary Layer Turbulence Above Waves.” Howland is one of 24 university professors chosen from more than 230 applicants to receive this award. The selected researchers will conduct innovative scientific research that will advance science and technology development for the Department of the Navy.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from the ONR,” Howland says. “This award will allow me to continue research on modeling atmospheric boundary layer flow in marine environments, which is critical to weather and climate modeling. Further, this project enables our lab to integrate our computational and experimental fluid dynamics research through uncertainty quantification, enabling improved engineered systems operating in uncertain marine environments for Naval applications. I look forward to furthering this research with the support of the ONR.”

“This award highlights Michael’s outstanding contributions to environmental fluid mechanics and renewable energy research,” says Department Head and JR East Professor of Engineering Ali Jadbabaie. “His innovative approach to integrating physics-based and data-driven modeling is on track to make a significant impact. Michael has made remarkable achievements in advancing our understanding and predictive capabilities for engineering systems operating in uncertain environmental conditions. His lab uniquely combines the disciplines of environmental fluid mechanics, atmospheric dynamics, aerodynamics, and turbulence with optimization, uncertainty quantification, machine learning, and high-performance computing. We are proud of his achievements and excited for the future of his research. 

Established in 1985, The ONR YIP is a highly competitive program that recognizes outstanding early-career academics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics whose research proposes innovative solutions to Navy and Marine Corps warfighter challenges.

Researchers in the Howland Lab combine fluid mechanics, weather and climate modeling, uncertainty quantification, and optimization and control with an emphasis on renewable energy systems. Their research uses simulations, laboratory and field experiments, and modeling to understand the operation of renewable energy systems and to improve efficiency, predictability, and reliability of engineered systems operating in uncertain environments.