Yang Chao

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing

I am a mechanical engineer with interests in thermal-fluid sciences and aerospace systems, with an emphasis on computational modeling, hands-on engineering design, and undergraduate research. I direct the Carroll A. Curtis Thermal-Fluids Laboratory and co-advise the Chico Rocketry and Aerospace Club (CRAC), where students design, analyze, and test high-powered rocket systems through competition and research projects.

Education

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA (2024)
    • Advisor: Prof. Sandra K.S. Boetcher
    • Dissertation: “A Comprehensive Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Dynamics in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cooling”
  • M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA (2020)
    • Graduate With Distinction
  • B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, China (2018)

News

  • Jun 2026 Serving as faculty advisor for the CSU Chico CRAC team at IREC 2026.
  • May 2026 Presented at the AIAA ASCEND 2026 Conference.
  • May 2026 Awarded the 2026-2027 CSU RSCA Grant ($7,656).
  • Apr 2026 Awarded the University Foundation Governors’ Award ($11,590).
  • Apr 2026 Received Honorable Mention, Early Career Community Engagement Award, CSU Chico Office of Civic Engagement.
  • Mar 2026 Selected to attend the CSU Statewide Student Research Symposium Competition at San Jose State.
  • Aug 2024 Joined CSU Chico as Assistant Professor.

Research Interests

  • Computational and experimental thermal-fluid sciences
  • Aerospace and rocketry systems: CFD drag modeling, fin flutter analysis, airbrake design
  • Engineering education and AI integration in undergraduate STEM

Teaching

  • MECH 208 – Introduction to Technical Computing – MATLAB programming, numerical methods, and engineering computation (offered every semester since Fall 2024)
  • MECH 338 – Heat Transfer – Conduction, convection, radiation, and engineering applications (offered every semester since Fall 2024)
  • MECH 498 – Introduction to Aerospace Propulsion – New technical elective launching Fall 2026; mechanics and thermodynamics of air-breathing and rocket propulsion systems