Dr Stephen Cowley

Career

Oct. 90 - Present: Assistant Lecturer, then Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge
Oct. 90 - Sept. 98: Fellow and Director of Studies, Selwyn College, Cambridge
Oct. 85 - Sept. 90: Lecturer, Imperial College London
Oct. 83 - Sept. 85: Lecturer, University College London
Oct. 82 - Sept. 83: Research Fellow, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Oct. 81 - Sept. 82: Research Fellow & Fulbright Scholar, Northwestern University
Jan. 81 - Sept. 81: Research Fellow, Selwyn College, Cambridge

Short and medium visitor to Caltech, Cornell University, NASA Langley, NASA Lewis, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Monash University, Moscow State University and PUC-Rio.

Qualifications

  • BA Mathematics (1977), University of Cambridge
  • Part III Mathematics (1978), University of Cambridge
  • MA (1980), University of Cambridge
  • PhD (1981), University of Cambridge

Research

My research has centred around asymptotic descriptions of high-Reynolds-number (i.e. fast) fluid flows, such the flow in the larger blood vessels, and as also occur in flows past cars, ships, turbine blades, aircraft wings/fuselages, and the space shuttle. Specifically I have been interested in separation/stall, the growth of instabilities leading to turbulence, and vortex-sheet roll-up.

Teaching

I have taught a range of courses in the Mathematical and Natural Science Triposes, including Vectors & Matrices (Part IA, previously Algebra & Geometry), Methods & Calculus (Part IA, now Vector Calculus), Numerical Analysis (both Part IB and Part II), Waves (Part II), High-Reynolds-Number Flows (Part III), Computational Methods in Fluid Dynamics (Part III) Perturbation Methods (Part III, and in a number guises) and Mathematical Methods (NST Part IB). I am the Director of CATAM (for my sins).

Other Internal Activities

I am an elected member in class (c) of the University's Council (2007-2010), and serve on a number of Committees including the Resource Management Committee, the Business Committee, the Nominations Committee, the University Admissions Committee, and the Council of the School of Physical Sciences. I have also served on the Standing Advisory Committee on Student Matters, and I was previously an elected member of the University's Board of Scruitiny (2001-2005).

External Activities

I have served on EPSRC grant and evaluation committees.