Mechanical engineering alum Cosan Daskiran ’16G ’18 PhD has joined the Binghamton University (SUNY) faculty as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
Previously, Daskiran was a postdoctoral research associate at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), working on modeling and experimental studies of oil spills, including underwater jet flows and the spreading of oil slicks near the water surface with waves.
While a doctoral student at Lehigh, Daskiran was advised by Alparslan Öztekin, a professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics. Daskiran conducted research on the design and characterization of renewable energy harvesting devices aiming to increase the dissolved oxygen level in water for better aquatic life.
In his faculty role at Binghamton leading the Fluid Physics Lab, Daskiran will continue in his modeling and experimental work on challenges involving clean water and renewable energy—but with a new focus: water desalination.
“Although two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 3 percent is potable freshwater,” he says. “Desalination is considered a major solution to this future problem for coastal communities.”
Yet, unless the power required for desalination is generated through renewable sources, Daskiran says, the process could increase fossil fuel dependence and contribute to worsening the effects of climate change, exacerbating the freshwater supply problems it is intended to solve.
“There are many desalination plants all over the world, including over 1,400 of them in the United States,” he says. “I would like to focus on using renewable energy resources to drive the desalination units, which will decrease the cost of the desalinated water and the dependence of desalination plants on the electricity grid.”
Daskiran has published more than 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He holds MS and PhD in mechanical engineering from Lehigh as well as a BS from Istanbul Technical University (ITU).
Alumni Spotlight: Cosan Daskiran
“The most interesting and encouraging part of my research is helping the community with a problem of humanity,” says mechanical engineering alum Cosan Daskiran ’16G ’18 PhD, now an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Binghamton University (SUNY).
“My primary goal in attending graduate school was to be a part of the academic community to help students develop their skills, promote critical thinking, and assist them to reach their future goals in an encouraging learning environment. I believe being a faculty member in the mechanical engineering department at Binghamton opens these doors to me.”
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