Staying on top of work and life: Meet Guodong Gai, our PIMS-CNRS PDF at UBC.
By Lisa Sammoh, Communications and Events Assistant.
Born and raised in China, Guodong Gai has spent a large part of his life developing a strong academic foundation on the principles of engineering and applied mathematics. He completed his master’s degree in nuclear engineering at the Sun Yat-sen University in China, and received a Ph.D. in 2020 from the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) in cooperation with Université de Rouen Normandie in Rouen, France. Gradually, Guodong’s interest in mathematics expanded to where he is at today as a postdoctoral fellow in Canada.
His Ph.D. research focused on a range of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) problems related to nuclear accident scenarios, such as hydrogen combustion, shock waves, and droplet-induced turbulence. “I became very interested in high-performance computation and direct numerical simulations of the multiphase flow,” he says. His research would go on to span from industrial applications to fundamental studies in CFD. T accurate modeling in engineering applications depends on high-fidelity data. On top of that, he credits his graduate studies with expanding his skillset in project management, data analysis, and technical writing, which contributed in getting to his current position as a postdoctoral researcher.
Today, Guodong’s primary research interests focus on the mathematical analysis and numerical modeling of flow-particle interactions, which are essential in many different applications such as atmospheric and oceanic pollution, sediment transport in rivers, ocean dynamics, liquid fuel in engines, and fire-mitigation spray systems. In 2021, Guodong joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) under the excellent supervision and guidance of Prof. Anthony Wachs (UBC) to begin investigating the interactions between laminar flow and Platonic solids. He is working on a research project on the development, improvement, and use of high-fidelity Finite Volume immersed boundary/fictitious domain methods on adaptive octree grid to solve particle-laden flow problems where the PDEs are the momentum and mass conservation, the immersed boundary stationary or freely moving particles. Computations are performed by a DEM-DLM/FD approach implemented in Basilisk on octree adaptive grids where a parent cube cell can be recursively divided into 8 sub-cubes to achieve local mesh refinement of the areas of interest. The flow problem of present interest is the interaction between a laminar flow and Platonic solids. Platonic solids are regular convex polyhedrons of aspect ratio 1 that exhibit specific symmetry properties and their angularity is well controlled.
“I first investigate the drag and lift coefficients for steady flows past a fixed particle of different shape and then study the regime transition and path instabilities of the freely settling of a Platonic particle in the Newtonian fluid,” he says.
Aside from his research, Guodong gained a lot of experience in the last two years from teaching two undergraduate courses (Math100 and Math101). As a first-time instructor in a university setting, there were some initial challenges. Guodong placed a lot of well-guided effort into preparing lessons and actively sought feedback and cooperation from his students, colleagues, and former course instructors. He now sees the entire experience as a “true fortune”, learning that teaching is not only about “imparting knowledge, but also about fostering a positive learning environment.” It’s not enough to understand the material; a successful student should also develop critical thinking skills and even feel inspired by their interest in the subject. The biggest outcome of all of this for Guodong has been to keep an open communication line between the instructor and the student. He has gained more confidence in his teaching, and his students made significant progress in the classes, which he believes is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
To stay on top of all his research endeavors, Guodong acknowledges two important factors. Firstly, to the support of his postdoctoral supervisor, Prof. Anthony Wachs. Secondly, he credits his ability for tolerance and open-mindedness to his life experiences while living in three different countries with strong cultural differences. While science continues to be a great passion that brings him a lot of joy and fulfillment, Guodong also recognizes the importance of having a balanced life.
Traveling, in particular, has been an enriching experience and a chance to explore many cultures, cuisines, and landscapes. In fact, he finds Vancouver to be an incredibly fascinating city with its perfect blend of different cultures all in one place. He makes it a priority to engage in a variety of activities wherever he is; in Vancouver, so far, that includes the love he has for traveling and skiing. “Doing so allows me to step away from my research and gain new perspectives, both literally and figuratively,” he says. On the other hand, he also finds skiing to be “extremely exhilarating”. It’s a great and refreshing way to stay active while also enjoying Canada’s natural beauty. It also lets him disconnect from work and focus on the present moments with friends. Guodong holds both of these two pastimes close to his heart as an essential part of his overall health and well-being.
There is a lot to look forward to this year and further down for Guodong. Moving to Vancouver has opened up a multitude of career and personal opportunities, from forming new connections with roommates and colleagues outside of work to finding himself as a part of a distinctly skilled and supportive academic community. “The group’s dynamic and the resources available at UBC make it an ideal place to conduct my research,” he says. He continues to advocate for the importance of work-life balance and looks forward to learning and contributing as a researcher to his research group and to the scientific community at large.
Guodong will be speaking at the PIMS Emergent Research Seminar Series, on January 25 , 2023, at 9:30 AM Pacific. Details on his talk, Dynamics and Wakes of a Fixed and Freely Moving Angular Particle in an Inertial Flow, can be found here.
