Rodward Hewlin Jr., Ph.D.

Lab Website

https://coefs.charlotte.edu/rhewlin/

Education

• North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2015) (Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering)
• North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2010) (M.S., Mechanical Engineering)
• North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2008) (B.S., Mechanical Engineering)

Research Areas

Animal flight morphology Biological Flows Computational Fluid Dynamics Electromagnetics and Medical Drug Delivery Heat and Mass Transport Instrumentation & Measurement Science
Physio-chemical Hydrodynamics Particle Imaging Velocimetry
Medical Implant design and analysis High-g, micro-g, and zero-g applications

Research Grants

PI, “Development of a Novel Time-Resolved Hybrid Light-Field and High Energy Pulse Color and Depth Encoded Illumination PIV System for Unsteady Flow Analyses”, Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), Army Research Office (ARO), Fluid Dynamics Program ($504,039), Award Period & Status: December 12 2024 to December 12 2025 (Pending). 

PI, “EAGER: A Novel Hybrid Light-Field and Synthetic Pulsed Color and Depth Encoded Illumination PIV Technique for Unsteady Flow Analyses”, National Science Foundation (NSF), CBET Division, Fluid Dynamics Program ($283,299), Award Period & Status: March 31, 2024 to March 31 2026 (Funded). 

PI, “Development of a Novel Dual Extrusion Acoustic and Magnetic DIW 3-D Printer for Printing Discontinuous High Heat and High Strength Thermoset Composites”, North Carolina Space Grant (NCSG) ($20,000), Award Period & Status: May 1, 2024 to June 31 2025 (Funded). 

PI, “Development of a Novel PVDF-TrFE and Dielectric Hybrid Sensing Element for Measurement of Wall Shear Stress in Unsteady Flow Applications”, Department of Defense (DOD), Army Research Office (ARO) ($59,999), Award Period & Status:  September 1, 2023 to June 30 2024 (Funded). (Co-PI: Dr. Michael Smith)

PI, “Development of a Portable, Low Cost, Easily Fabricated Travelling Wave Ferro-Microfluidic Device for Potential Rapid Pathogen Detection in Coastal Water Samples”, North Carolina Sea Grant ($10,000), Award Period & Status: January 1, 2023 to January 1 2024 (Funded). 

PI, “EAGER: A Novel 3-D Printed PVDF-TrFE Copolymer Wall Shear Stress Measuring Device for Measurement of Wall Shear Stress in Unsteady Flow Applications”, National Science Foundation (NSF), CBET Division, Fluid Dynamics Program ($219,313), Award Period & Status: March 31, 2021 to March 31 2024 (Funded). (Co-PI: Dr. Michael Smith)

Co-PI, “Developing a Safe and Cost-effective Physics-based Flight Control Methodology for a UAV-enabled Bridge Inspection”, North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) ($89,073), Award Period & Status: August 2019 to July 2021 (Funded). (PI: Dr. Ali Karimoddini, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University)

PI, “Design and Development of a Novel Parallel-Stream Counter-Rotating Darrieus Turbine System for Offshore Energy Extraction in Coastal North Carolina”, North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) ($75,561), Award Period & Status: July 1, 2020-July 31, 2021 (Funded)

PI, “Development of a Travelling Wave Ferro-Microfluidic Device for Particle Manipulation and Sorting in Gravitational and Non-Gravitational Environments”, NC Space Grant Faculty Research Grant ($40,000), Award Period & Status: June 1, 2020-May 31, 2022 (Funded)

PI, “Design and Implementation of a Magnetic Targeting System for Medical Drug Delivery”, UNC Charlotte FRG ($7,000), Award Period & Status: January 15, 2018-May 30, 2019 (Funded)

PI, ”Magnetophoretic and Hemodynamic Analysis of SPIONS in Cardiovascular Flow”, Wells Fargo Faculty Grant ($4,000), Award Period & Status: May 15, 2018-July 30, 2018 (Funded)

PI and Graduate Student Proposal, “Design and Development of a Digital Diagnostic System for Unsteady Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Analysis”, NC Space Grant Graduate Fellowship ($7,000), Award Period & Status: May 15, 2018-July 30, 2018 (Funded) 

PI, “Development of a Compact Ionic Polymer Transducing Sensor Wall Shear Stress Sensor for High Resolution Measurement in Unsteady Flows”, NC Space Grant New Investigator Award ($20,000), Award Period & Status July 1 2018-March 30, 2019 (Funded)

Awards & Recognitions

• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Fluids Engineering Division Best Paper Award (2013)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Fluids Engineering Division Board Member Appointment (2013)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Fluids Engineering Division Scholarship ($1,500)
• American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) Early Technical Career Conference Section Chair Appointment (2012)
• U.S. Department of Education Title III PhD Fellow ($302,000) 2011-2015

Selected Publications

Hewlin, R.L., Smith, M. and Kizito, J.P. Computational Assessment of Unsteady Flow Effects on Magnetic Nanoparticle Targeting Efficiency in a Magnetic Stented Carotid Bifurcation Artery. Cardiovasc Eng Tech (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-023-00681-3

Hewlin, R.L., Jr., Edwards, M., and Schultz, C, “Design and Development of a Traveling Wave Ferro-Microfluidic Device and System Rig for Potential Magnetophoretic Cell Separation and Sorting in a Water-Based Ferrofluid”, Micromachines 2023, 14, 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14040889

Edwards, M. and Hewlin, Jr., R.L., “Continuous Flow Separation of Red Blood Cells and Platelets in a Y-Microfluidic Channel Device with Saw-Tooth Profile Electrodes via Low Voltage Dielectrophoresis” Curr. Issues Mol Biol. 2023, 45, 3048-3067. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45040200

Edwards, M., Hewlin, Jr., R.L., and Smith, M.S., “A 2-D Transient Computational Multi-Physics Model for Analyzing Magnetic and Non-Magnetic (Red Blood Cells and E. Coli Bacteria) Particle Dynamics in a Travelling Wave Ferro-Magnetic Microfluidic Device”, ASME Journal of Engineering and Science for Medical Therapies and Diagnosis, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4062571

Hewlin, R.L., Jr. and Tindall, J.M. “Computational Assessment of Magnetic Nanoparticle Targeting Efficiency in a Simplified Circle of Willis Arterial Model”, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 2545. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032545

Crooks, J.M., Hewlin, R.L., Jr., and Williams, W.B. “Computational Design Analysis of a Hydrokinetic Horizontal Parallel Stream Direct Drive Counter-Rotating Darrieus Turbine System: A Phase One Design Analysis Study”. Energies 2022, 15, 8942. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15238942

Stanley, N., Ciero, A., Timms, W., and Hewlin, R. L., Jr., “A 3-D Printed Optically Clear Rigid Diseased Carotid Bifurcation Arterial Mock Vessel Model for Particle Image Velocimetry Analysis in Pulsatile Flow”, ASME Open J. Engineering ASME. January 2023 2 021010 doi: https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4056639

Edwards, M., Kizito, J.P, and Hewlin, Jr., R.L., “A Time-dependent Two Species Explicit Finite Difference Computational Model for Analyzing Diffusion in a Drug Eluting Stented Coronary Artery Wall: A Phase I Study”, 2022 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Akron Ohio, US, Oct 29-November 2, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-95803

Edwards, M., and Hewlin, Jr., R.L., “A Computational Model for Analysis of Field Force and Particle Dynamics in A Ferro-Magnetic Microfluidic System” 2022 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Akron Ohio, US, Oct 29-November 2, 2022,  https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-95690

Hewlin, Jr., R.L. Smith, E., Cavalline, T., and Karimoddini, A. “Aerodynamic Performance Evaluation of a Skydio Drone via CFD as a Platform for Bridge Inspection: Phase 1 Study” 2021 ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, https://doi.org/10.1115/FEDSM2021-65996

Stanley, N, Ciero, A., Timms, W., and Hewlin, R.L., “Development of 3-D Printed Optically Clear Rigid Anatomical Vessels for Particle Image Velocimetry Analysis in Cardiovascular Flow”, 2019 International Mechanical Engineering Conference & Exposition (IMECE), November 11-14, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2019-11649

Hewlin, R., Ciero, A., and Kizito, J., “Development of a Two-Way Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian Computational Magnetic Nanoparticle Targeting Model for Pulsatile Flow in a Patient-Specific Diseased Left Carotid Bifurcation Artery”, Journal of Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology, (2019), pp. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-019-00411-8

Hewlin, R.L, and Kizito, J.P., “Development of an Experimental and Digital Cardiovascular Arterial Model for Transient Hemodynamic and Postural Change Studies: “A Preliminary Framework Analysis”, Journal of Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology vol 8 no 32., pp 1-31 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-017-0332-z

Hewlin, R.L., and Kizito J.P., “Comparison of Carotid Bifurcation Hemodynamics in Patient-Specific Geometries at Rest and During Exercise”, ASME 2013 Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Incline Village, Nevada, July 7-11, 2013

Hewlin, R. L., and Kizito, J.P., “Development of a Capacitance Void Fraction Sensor for a Spray Cooling Loop”, ASME 2013 Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Incline Village, Nevada, July 7- 11, 2013 (Best Paper Award)

Hewlin, R. L., and Kizito, J.P., “Evaluation of the Effect of Simplified and Patient-Specific Arterial Geometry on Hemodynamic Flow in Stenosed Carotid Bifurcation Arteries”, ASME Early Technical Career Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, November 4-5, 2011

Yellen, BB; Erb, RM; Son, HS; Jr, R. Hewlin; Shang, H; Lee, GU, “Traveling Wave Magnetophoresis for high resolution chip based separations”, Lab On a Chip: microfluidic and nanotechnologies for chemistry, biology, and bioengineering, vol 7 no. 12 (2007), pp. 1681-1688[10.1039/b713547e] [abs]