Ning Zhang, PhD

Dr. Ning Zhang is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Head of Engineering and Computer Science at McNeese State University. Since joining McNeese in 2008, his research has focused on coastal hydraulics, hydraulic modeling, computational fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.

Dr. Zhang has earned national and international recognition for his contributions to engineering research and education. He has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, presented extensively at international conferences, and organized a wide range of technical symposia. His scholarly work has advanced the understanding and application of fluid mechanics and related engineering disciplines.

An active leader within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Dr. Zhang has served in several prominent roles within the ASME Fluids Engineering Division, including Division Chair, Chair of the Honors and Awards Committee, and Chair of the Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee. In recognition of his professional accomplishments and contributions to the engineering profession, he was elected an ASME Fellow in 2019.

Dr. Zhang has also held leadership positions within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). From 2020 to 2022, he served as Chair of the Fluid Dynamics Technical Committee of the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI), where he helped promote research and collaboration in fluid dynamics and engineering mechanics.

Education:

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, December 2005, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, June 2000, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, June 1997, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

Research Interests:

• Computational Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer and Aerodynamics
• Coastal Hydraulics and hydraulic Modeling
• Multiphase and Turbulent Flows
• High-Performance Computing

Selected Journal Publications

• Lin, J., Zhang, N., 2026. Street-Level Flood Modeling in Contraband Bayou and Its Surrounding Areas. Journal of Fluids Engineering (in press)
• Li, P., Campbell, M., Zhang, N., Eckels, S., 2022. Investigation of relationship between flow structures and drag forces on micro-fin enhanced surfaces using large eddy simulations. Journal of Fluids Engineering, 144(10), 101207
• Li, P., Campbell, M., Zhang, N., Eckels, S., 2019. Relationship between turbulent structures and heat transfer in microfin enhanced surfaces using large eddy simulations and particle image velocimetry. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 136, 1282
• Liu, D., Zhang, N., 2016, Spectral Element Simulation of Rotating Particle in Viscous Flow. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 4, 1260-1268
• Zhang, N., Kee, D., Li, P., 2013 Investigation of the Impacts of Gulf Sediments on Calcasieu Ship Channel and Surrounding Water Systems. Computers & Fluids, 77, 125-133
• Zhang, N., Zheng, Z.C., Glasgow, L., and Braley, B., 2010, Simulation of Particle Deposition at the Bottom Surface in a Room-Scale Chamber with Particle Injection, Advanced Powder Technology, 21(3), 256-267
• Zhang, N., Zheng, Z.C., 2007, An Improved Direct-Forcing Immersed-Boundary Method for Finite Difference Applications, Journal of Computational Physics, 221(1), 250-268