Research

My research addresses fundamental problems on interfacial flows with an emphasis on wetting and the interactions of liquids with soft substrates (elastocapillarity). In addition to widespread industrial and technological applications, fluid transport on solid substrates typifies the multiple-scale problem, as bulk, surface, and line forces are coupled through a free-boundary value problem. More broadly, I am interested in pattern formation on interfaces, surface tension-driven phenomena, complex fluids, and soft matter. I am attracted to such problems because it is often possible to elucidate the underlying physics using simple, yet rigorous, mathematical models to compare to experiments. Current areas of research are:

If you are an interested student, send a CV and a description of your research interests to Dr. Bostwick.

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation through the divisions of CBET (Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport systems) and CMMI (Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation), L3Harris corporation, and the SC Space Grant Consortium.