Graduate Students
Aaron Farha is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. He received his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue in 2022 and 2023 respectively. His research focuses on the development of advanced heat pumping cycles integrating thermal storage and their application within residential buildings. In his free time, Aaron enjoys reading, playing video games, and getting into shenanigans with his roommates. Aaron joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Arash Khabbazi is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. He holds a master’s degree from The University of British Columbia and a bachelor’s with the highest distinction from the University of Tabriz, both in Mechanical Engineering. His research centers on machine learning, optimization, and control algorithms for heating and cooling systems in commercial buildings. In his spare time, he enjoys the gym, swimming, and surfing the net. Arash’s previous research was aligned with Canada’s “Net-Zero Emissions by 2050” initiative and received accolades, including the Best Presentation Award at CSME 2022 and the Best Paper Award at CSME 2023. Arash joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Levi Reyes Premer is a Mechanical Engineering MS student. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Mexico in 2023. His research focuses on applying advanced control strategies to HVAC and microgrid systems in residential communities to enhance home resiliency and the robustness of the municipal grid. Levi enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding, or surfing when he’s back home in California. Levi joined the group in the summer of 2023.
Nadah Al Theeb is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. She earned her BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering and her MSc degree in Industrial Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology. Nadah is interested in heat pump systems and their interaction with buildings, electrification activities, and integrating clean energy sources with the electric grid. She is currently working on improving thermal comfort from air-source heat pumps by modifying equipment and controls. Nadah enjoys cooking, watching movies, and volunteering in community projects in her free time. Nadah joined the group in the spring of 2023.
Priyadarshan is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. His research focuses on smart electrification and sustainable buildings. He loves biryani and is enthusiastic about cricket. He received his undergraduate degree from Manipal Institute of Technology, India and masters from Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, India. Priyadarshan joined the group in the fall of 2022.
Elias Nikolaos Pergantis is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. His research focuses on control systems for residential buildings with the aim of reducing utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions. In his free time, Elias is an avid book reader, plays the saxophone and likes to watch artsy movies. He received his undergraduate Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Bristol with First Class Honors. His previous research experience involves advanced thermodynamics, nanoscale heat transfer as well as computational fluid dynamics with a focus on wind turbines and biofluids. He received an Onassis Foundation Scholarship for his work on sustainable buildings. Elias joined the group in the fall of 2022.
Undergraduate Students
Andrew Beck is a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering. He is from Collegeville, Pennsylvania and is very interested in thermal and fluid sciences. He hopes to use his knowledge for development in sustainability and efficiency in transportation systems. He currently works on electric vehicle integration into the DC Nanogrid House. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym and playing golf. Andrew joined the group in the spring of 2024.
Sophia Evers is a Nuclear Engineering junior. Her research interests pertain to renewable energy integration, the optimization of current nonrenewable energy systems/sources, and the integration of nuclear power in a diverse range of applications. Sophia enjoys cooking and golfing. She is also a member of Purdue Solar Racing and Women In Nuclear. After graduating, Sophia hopes to pursue graduate studies in Mechanical Engineering. Sophia joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Justin Chang is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering. He is from Taiwan and has research experience with a small-scale wind tunnel from an exchange year in Germany. Relatively new to his research career, he is interested in thermal control. Justin is currently involved in troubleshooting and optimizing Purdue’s Northwest Chiller Plant, aimed to increase cooling capacity and reduce cost. In his free time, Justin has a particular interest in music performance and his personal projects. After graduating, he plans on pursuing a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering specializing in control. Justin joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Aadit Kumar is a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering and Economics. He is from Hyderabad, India and is very interested in sustainable engineering and using the skills he learns to make the world more equitable for everyone. His current work analyzes Purdue’s Northwest Chiller Plant to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and save energy. In his free time, Aadit likes karaoke, basketball, reading, and exploring places nearby. Aadit joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Brendan Corban is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on modeling and optimizing the Northwest Chiller Plant on Purdue’s campus. In his free time, he enjoys spending time in the mountains snowboarding in the winter and hiking in the summer. After graduating he plans on pursuing a career in sustainability and energy efficiency. Brendan joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Liam Johnson is a junior in Mechanical Engineering. Their research focuses on introducing energy savings to residential buildings by analyzing and displaying household performance data. Liam enjoys listening to music, collecting records, playing basketball, and biking in their free time. Post graduation, they plan on pursuing a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Liam joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Jacob Aldridge is a junior in Computer Science. He’s researching an interactive dashboard that balances comfort versus energy savings. In his free time Jacob likes gaming, drawing, music production, or writing fantasy stories. Jacob joined the group in the fall of 2023.
Alex Lee is a senior studying Civil Engineering and Computer Science. While he is still very much new in his research career, his research interests lie mainly in smart building controls through machine learning and optimization algorithms and he dreams of designing smart cities one day. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and listening to music, as well as going to the gym and playing soccer with his fellow teammates from Herrick Labs. Alex joined the group in the summer of 2023.
Jude Lin is a junior in Mechanical Engineering. He is focusing on creating a dashboard to present accurate energy use data of the DC House and future predictions. His hobbies outside of engineering are art, fashion, and sculpting. After graduation, he is looking for work in the energy or robotics field. Jude joined the group in the spring of 2023.