Whitney Yu named Fulbright Scholar for research in Brazil
Whitney Yu named Fulbright Scholar for research in Brazil
Dr. Huidan (Whitney) Yu, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University in Indianapolis, has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for the 2025–2026 academic year. She will travel to Brazil to conduct collaborative research in fluid dynamics.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational and cultural exchange initiative. Each year, it supports approximately 800 American scholars to conduct research or teach abroad, while welcoming about 900 international scholars to institutions across the United States.
“This was my first time applying for something like this,” said Yu. “I’m so excited they chose me!”
Yu's research focuses on the fluid dynamics of complex flow systems, particularly in human blood vessels and porous media. The opportunity to work in Brazil emerged unexpectedly at a turbulence workshop in February 2024, where she was invited to present her work. “A group of Brazilian petroleum engineers approached me after my talk,” she recalled. “They were interested in my approach to computational modeling and wanted to explore a collaboration.”
That conversation led to an invitation to Santa Catarina, Brazil, where Yu visited in August 2024. She was hosted by Dr. Luiz Hegele at Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), who had been leading a project on subsea oil spill dispersion, supported by Petrobras, South America's largest petroleum company. During her two-week visit, Yu gave six talks and laid the groundwork for a new international research partnership.
“My expertise is in image-based computational fluid dynamics,” Yu explained. “I apply it in two main areas: human blood vessels and porous media in engineering systems. That background aligns perfectly with Dr. Hegele’s work on improving responses to subsea oil spills.”
Hegele encouraged Yu to apply for the Fulbright and agreed to serve as her host. Following her second visit to UDESC in May 2025, Yu is now preparing for a three-month Fulbright-supported research stay beginning July 1, 2025.
“I’ve been using Duolingo to brush up on my Portuguese!” she said with a smile. “Everyone at UDESC has been incredibly welcoming, and the Santa Catarina region is absolutely beautiful. I’m really looking forward to this experience.”
Source: Whitney Yu, yu597@purdue.edu
Writer: Jared Pike, jaredpike@purdue.edu, 765-496-0374