Dunn-Rankin has a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is also the faculty director for the California Alliance for Maximizing Potential.

Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Thermal Science, 1985
M.S., University of California, Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering, 1984
B.S., University of California, Santa Barbara, Mechanical Engineering, 1980

Dunn-Rankin studies combustion, sprays and particles using optical diagnostics and laser spectroscopy.

Generally, he is interested in the fundamental information that can be obtained from simplified systems which mimic a specific behavior in more complex systems. Using non-intrusive laser diagnostics, he probes the simplified systems in order to develop physical insight into influencing factors.

His research activities include a study of the electrical aspects of microgravity combustion; an effort to develop techniques to measure the size of airborne droplets and particles using laser holography; and experiments associated with gas hydrates and deep ocean power science.

Research Topics: Combustion, optical particle sizing, particle aerodynamics, laser diagnostics and spectroscopy.