Krishan K Ahuja

Regents Professor
Telephone
Office Building
Guggenheim
Office Room Number
362
Biography

A 2019 inductee to the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Ahuja has more than 35 years of research and development experience in aircraft noise research, acoustics facilities design, flow control, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and advanced signal processing. During his employment of 13 years at Lockheed Georgia Company in various capacities, including the head of the Aeroacoustics Research and acting manager of the Advanced Flight Sciences Department, he was the principal investigator and/or the program manager on several successfully completed projects funded by Lockheed, the U. S. Air Force and NASA. He joined the faculty of Georgia Institute of Technology as a Senior Faculty Research Leader in March 1989. He recently served in the capacity of the Director of Georgia Tech Ireland. Dr. Ahuja is a former associate editor of the AIAA Journal and also a former Chairman of the AIAA Aeroacoustics Technical Committee. Dr. Ahuja has authored or co-authored over 180 technical articles or reports on a range of topics including acoustic shielding, fan noise, active flow control, flow/acoustic interactions, jet noise, cavity noise, automobile noise, sonic boom research, psychoacoustics, high-temperature fiber optics strain gauges, acoustic transducers, active noise control, tilt rotor noise, source separation, acoustic fatigue, duct acoustics, computational aeroacoustics, innovative flow visualization techniques, tornado signatures, rapid charging of batteries and others. The international media, including CNN and Beyond 2000, has covered his work.

Teaching Interests

Professor Ahuja's teaching interests include undergraduate and graduate courses in experimental mechanics, solid mechanics, and materials characterization. He emphasizes the integration of theoretical concepts with practical laboratory experiences to develop students’ analytical and experimental skills. His approach supports foundational learning in mechanical behavior of materials and structures, promoting active student engagement in research and hands-on problem solving.

Research Interests

Professor Ahuja’s research focuses on experimental mechanics and solid mechanics, with emphasis on advanced materials characterization and mechanical behavior of materials under various loading conditions. His work involves developing and applying experimental methodologies to understand material deformation, damage, and failure mechanisms. The research aims to inform material design and structural performance through precise measurement techniques and data analysis.

Research

Lab/Collaborations:

  • Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
  • Institute for Materials
  • Aerospace Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory

Disciplines:

  • Propulsion & Combustion
  • Aerodynamics & Fluid Mechanics

AE Multidisciplinary Research Areas:

  • Sustainable Transportation and Energy Systems
Education

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, (Honors) 1969, University of London, U.K.; M.Phil., Aeronautical Engineering, 1972, University of London, U.K.; Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 1976, Syracuse University;

Distinctions & Awards

GTRI Outstanding Performance in Research Award in 1990; Georgia Tech "Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activity Award for 1992; AIAA Aeroacoustics Award in 1993; Listed as one of top 50 Innovators by Aerospace magazine, 1995 and one of top 50 Technology leaders in the US by Industry Week Magazine; AIAA Engineer of the Year 2000 (Also AIAA Southeast Engineer of the Year, 2000); 2001 Aerospace Laurels Award by Aviation Week magazine for making major contributions in the field of international aerospace in 2001; Fellow of AIAA in 2002;

Recent Publications
  • David N. Ramsey, Rohan Parnerkar, E. Wang, Rohan Paladugu, Alexis Noel et al., Preliminary Design and Analysis of the HyperSat using CubeSat Technologies, 2026 DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-1561
  • Michael Milone, Nehemiah Horak, David N. Ramsey, Krishan K. Ahuja, Continued Characterization and Improvements to an Inductively Coupled Plasma Jet for Thermal Protection System Pre-Screening, 2026 DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-1563
  • Krishan K. Ahuja, Alexis Noel, Brendan Mindiak, Nick K. Breen, Bradford E. Robertson et al., HyperSat: An Innovative, High-cadence, Hypersonic Flying Testbed, 2026 DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-1559
  • Jackson S. Larisch, Krishan K. Ahuja, Coherent Noise Sources in Subsonic Lobed Jets, 2026 DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-1294
  • Alexis Noel, Michael V. Gamarnik, Jesus Arias, John E. Dec, Krishan K. Ahuja, Mechanical Analysis of a Deployable Flexible Thermal Protection System for HyperSat, a CubeSat Platform, 2026  DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-1562