Saeed Moghaddam, Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
As computing systems scale toward unprecedented power densities — driven by artificial intelligence and data-centric technologies — thermal management has emerged as a fundamental limiter to performance, energy efficiency and the ability to scale computing systems to higher power densities.
Saeed Moghaddam has built an influential research career focused on overcoming this challenge. His work has uncovered key physical mechanisms governing high heat flux dissipation and enabled the development of novel cooling technologies. The technologies developed in his laboratory are now advancing toward scale-up and are positioned to play a significant role in the future of high-performance computing.
Moghaddam’s research focuses on phase-change heat transfer at solid–liquid interfaces, with an emphasis on evaporation-driven heat removal. Building on this foundation, his work translates fundamental understanding into engineered cooling architectures that reduce thermal resistance and sustain efficient heat transport at high heat fluxes. Among his most impactful contributions are membrane-based, two-phase cooling systems that dramatically increase heat removal while reducing energy consumption. These platforms represent a shift from conventional cooling technologies and are advancing toward commercialization through industry partnerships.
“My research focuses on overcoming thermal barriers at solid–fluid interfaces and engineering the associated systems,” Moghaddam explains, “by leveraging phase- change heat transfer to enable power-dense, energy- efficient technologies for computing, energy and defense applications.”
His work has attracted more than $25 million in external funding from agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA-E, the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. His discoveries have garnered international attention and are shaping new directions in thermal management and sustainable energy systems.
Moghaddam is also a committed educator and mentor. He has graduated more than two dozen doctoral students, many of whom now hold leadership positions in academia, national laboratories and industry. Through professional societies and national advisory roles, he contributes to setting future research priorities in heat transfer and energy systems.
In his nomination, department chair Douglas E. Spearot wrote, “Saeed’s contributions consist of landmark studies that have greatly advanced the field and exemplify the highest levels of research excellence and impact.”