L. Gary Leal

Biography

Abstract

L. Gary Leal is Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (1989-present). Other institutional affiliations include the California Institute of Technology and Cambridge University. His research interests include the dynamics of complex fluids and coalescence phenomena.

Important Dates

March 18, 1943Birth, Bellingham (Wash.).

1965Obtained BS, University of Washington, Seattle (Wash.).

1968Obtained MS, Stanford University, Stanford (Calif.).

1969Obtained PhD in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford (Calif.).

1969 – 1970National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow, Cambridge University.

1970 – 1989Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering (1970-1975); Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering (1975-1978); Professor of Chemical Engineering (1978-1986); and Chevron Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering (1986-1989), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1975 – 1979Consultant, Richards of Rockford, Inc.

1976 – 1977Senior Visitor in Applied Mathematics, Cambridge University.

1981 – 1989Consultant, Firestone Research Development.

1982 – 1991Consultant, Dynamics Technology, Inc.

1985 – 1988Consultant, Dowell-Schlumberger.

1985 – 1988Member, Advisory Council for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

1989 – presentProfessor of Chemical Engineering (1989-2003); Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering (1989-1998); Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering (2003-present); and Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering (2004-2008), University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara (Calif.).

1991 – 1995Consultant, Fracturing Fluid Characterization Project, University of Oklahoma.

1991 – presentMember, United States National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

1992 – presentMember, General Assembly, International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

1993 – 1997Member, Committee on Microgravity Research, Space Studies Board, National Research Council.

1994 – 1996Chair, United States National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

1996Rothschild Visiting Professor, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematics, Cambridge University.

1998 – presentEditor, Physics of Fluids, AIP Publishing, LLC.

2000 – presentMember, Congress Committee, International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

2002Awarded Fluid Dynamics Prize, American Physical Society.

Occupation

Polymer physicist.

Places

Birth

Bellingham (Wash.)

Undergraduate Education

Seattle (Wash.)

Graduate Education

Stanford (Calif.)

Employment

Pasadena (Calif.)

Santa Barbara (Calif.)

Subjects

Complex fluids.

Fluid mechanics.

Polymers.

Rheology.

Relationships

People

Family

Leal, Farrah Aimee

Daughter.

Leal, Heather Noel

Daughter.

Leal, Kamaron Brie

Daughter.

Leal, Mary

Wife. Married 1965.

Advisors & Collaborators

Acrivos, A.

PhD advisor at Stanford University, chemical engineering.

Baldessari, Fabio

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Flow-induced coalescence of drops: Theory and simulations."

Borrell-Hernandez, Marcos

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Thin-film stability in the formation of polymeric blends, foams, and nanostructured materials."

Frostad, John M.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Fundamental Investigations of Phase Separation in Multiphase Fluids."

Hsu, Adam S.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "The drop deformation, breakup and coalescence in planar extensional flows."

Kapnistos, Michail

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Linear and nonlinear rheology of architecturally complex polymers."

Kaur, Sukhvinder

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Microscale dynamics in emulsions: The effect of concentration and non-axisymmetry."

Kirkwood, Keith M.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Stress relaxation of comb polymers."

Oberhauser, James P.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Rheo -optical experiments and modeling studies of entangled polymer solutions in steady and transient shear flows."

Park, Chungsoo C.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Flow induced drop coalescence."

Sentinella, Robert K.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Multi-scale modeling of Liquid Crystalline Polymers."

Sgalari, Giorgia

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Rheology and texture of sheared liquid crystalline polymers."

Stone, Howard Alvin

Advised by Leal at California Institute of Technology, "Dynamics of drop deformation and breakup in time-dependent flows at low Reynolds numbers."

Tezel, Amy K.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Nonlinear rheology of entangled symmetric and asymmetric star polymers."

Tretheway, Derek C.

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Drops and non -Newtonian fluids in planar extensional flow."

Yoon, Yosang

Advised by Leal at University of California, Santa Barbara, "Flow-induced coalescence of two deformable drops."

Colleagues

DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901-1994

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Everhart, Thomas E.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Goldberger, Marvin L.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Homsy, G. M. (George M.)

Both employed at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Institutions

Major Positions

AIP Publishing, LLC

Editor, Physics of Fluids.

California Institute of Technology. Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering; Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Chevron Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering.

University of California, Santa Barbara. Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering

Professor of Chemical Engineering; Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering; Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering; and Chair, Department of Chemical Engineering.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 2002 Fluid Dynamics Prize.

Dowell Schlumberger

Consultant.

Dynamics Technology, Inc.

Consultant.

Firestone Research Development

Consultant.

International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Member and Member, Congress Committee.

National Research Council (U.S.)

Member, Committee on Microgravity Research, Space Studies Board.

Richards of Rockford, Inc.

Consultant.

Stanford University. Department of Chemical Engineering

Obtained MS (1968) and PhD in Chemical Engineering (1969).

U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Member and Chair.

University of Cambridge

National Science Foundation Fellow; Senior Visitor in Applied Mathematics; and Rothschild Visiting Professor, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematics.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Member, Advisory Council for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

University of Oklahoma

Consultant, Fracturing Fluid Characterization Project.

University of Washington. Department of Chemical Engineering

Obtained BS (1965).

Resources