Mai Al Shaaban

Mai is a Mechanical Engineering student at Columbia graduating in 2028. She has spent the past two years working in computational fluid dynamics, using numerical solvers and machine learning to analyze turbulent high-speed flow data and predict time series and 3D vortex structures. Having found joy in research, she plans to pursue graduate studies and hopes to make it a lifelong pursuit. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, jigsaw puzzles, hiking, and spending time with her dog, Vivi!

At the Fusion Research Center, Mai works with Sophia Guizzo and Ellie Winkler on electromagnetic pumps that use magnetic fields to move molten salt coolant and carry heat away from fusion reactor blankets. She’s currently working on building an analytical model that shows how different designs and operating conditions affect pump performance, with plans to develop simulations in COMSOL and contribute to the pump’s design.