Biographical Info

James Sutherland is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and adjunct Professor in the School of Computing at the University of Utah. Dr. Sutherland’s research is in the nexus of turbulent reacting flow, numerical analysis, and high-performance computing, with applications in Large Eddy Simulation, Direct Numerical Simulation, and reduced order modeling of turbulent combusting flows. Prior to joining the University of Utah’s faculty, he was a post-doctoral researcher at Sandia National Laboratories, where he developed models and software for simulating objects in pool fires. Dr. Sutherland enjoys spending time with his family backpacking, mountain biking, and boating.

James presented on his work with real-world applications of computer modeling. During the initial spurge of the COVID-19 pandemic, his team was asked to figure out how the Utah Symphony might return to work by simulating patterns of airflow on the stage at Abravelal Hall. After discovering where the most harmful airflow was concentrated, James’ team were able to advise them on how to prevent sickness by repositioning the musicians on stage.