Navid Goudarzi, Ph.D. ’14, mechanical engineering, remembers UMBC for its diversity and supportive academic environment, as well as its strong connection to the broader University of Maryland system, which enabled interdisciplinary engagement across campuses. Now an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Washkewicz College of Engineering at Cleveland State University, Goudzari was recently honored with a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award. The CAREER Award recognizes early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional potential to integrate research, education, and broader societal impact.

During his time in Maryland, Goudzari worked with UMBC professor of mechanical engineering Weidong Zhu and University of Maryland, College Park mechanical engineering professor Peter Sandborn. 

Goudarzi currently leads the Multiscale Multiphysics Modeling and Data-Driven Analysis of Thermofluids (M3TFluiD) Lab and serves as co-director of the Center for Integrated Modeling for Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability (IERS) at Cleveland State University. His research focuses on complex flow behavior in engineered and environmental systems, with applications to energy systems, next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles, high-performance buildings, resilient infrastructure, and more.

Read more about his NSF CAREER Award-supported research in this Washkewicz Magazine article (2025-2026 edition, pages 8-11).