Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2023
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2018
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Olin College of Engineering, 2011
Licenses & Certifications
  • Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
Academic Appointments
  • Teaching Assistant for Engineering Design Optimization, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 2019
  • Teaching Assistant for Thermodynamics, Olin College, 2010-2011
Professional Honors
  • Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing, 2020
  • Stanford Engineering Graduate Fellowship, 2016-2018
  • Franklin W. Olin Scholarship, 2007-2011

Dr. West is a mechanical engineer with expertise in the thermal sciences, including fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and shock wave propagation through solids, liquids, and gases. He has experience using complex numerical simulations to answer engineering questions across a variety of applications, as well as performing experimental testing of thermal-fluid systems.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. West completed his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, where he developed and used advanced numerical simulations to study various phenomena in flow physics. His Masters' research focused on understanding the fundamental limitations to energy extraction in large wind farms using large eddy simulation of wind turbines in the atmospheric boundary layer. His Ph.D. research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and involved simulation of a variety of multiphase flow systems. These include radiatively heated particle-laden turbulence with application to a novel solar energy concept, and high-velocity impacts of metal projectiles resulting in severe material deformation and strain hardening. This work involved significant collaboration with scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to expand and validate their simulation capabilities.

Dr. West has also practiced as a design engineer at Peterbilt Motors Company, focusing on design and integration of diesel emissions systems into heavy duty trucks. He has experience creating testing protocols to detect faults before production, investigating production failures, investigating field failures, and with warranty analysis.