Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Office: 249 Kennedy Hall of Engineering
Phone: 616-331-6024
Email: [email protected]

Education: 

BS - Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
MS - Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
PhD - Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Research Interests:

Experimental and computational experience in multiphase flows, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and turbomachinery. Working knowledge in ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, CATIA V5, SolidWorks, MATLAB, C/C++, Pointwise, Tecplot.

Selected Publications:

• Manoharan, S., Zarajabad, O., Manglik, R., and Jog, M., Bubble Growth from Submerged Orifice Plates: Part 1 – Decoupling Interfacial Tension and Surface Wettability Effects, Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, 2026.  https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4072009
• Manoharan, S., and Jog, M., Bubble Growth from Submerged Orifice Plates: Part 2 – Dynamic Interaction of Chamber Volume, Surface Tension, Viscous Resistance, and Wetting, Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, 2026.  https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4072010
• Fleischmann, S. T., and Manoharan, S., A Scalable and Replicable Heat Transfer Laboratory Sequence to Enhance Undergraduate Learning, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 2026.
• Fleischmann, S. T., and Manoharan, S., Lessons Learned: Hands-on Fluids Lab in Remote Delivery Mode, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 50(4), 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306419022107825
• Manoharan, S., Manglik, R, M., Jog. M. A, Wetting and Capillarity Effects on Bubble Formation from Orifice Plates Submerged in Pools of Water, Journal of Heat Transfer, 143(10), 2021. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4051321

Selected Funded Federal Grants:

• Manoharan, S. (PI), Choudhuri, S. A., Baine, N., and Born, T., Building Engineering Pathways for Low-Income Undergraduates through Integrated Support Structures, National Science Foundation, $1,978,256.00, 2026 – 2031.
• Manoharan, S. (PI), Choudhuri, S. A., Plotkowski, P., Potteiger, J., and Campbell, A., Scholarships for Student Success in a Combined Bachelor/Master Degree Program in Engineering, National Science Foundation, $967,019.00, 2021 – 2026.
• Corneal, L., Manoharan, S. (Co-PI), and Choudhuri, S., ROPES HUB – Research on Organizational Partnerships in Education and STEM, National Science Foundation, Virginia Tech Subaward Grant, $29,991, 2023 – 2026.

Selected Awards and Honors:

• Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year, Michigan Association of State Universities, 2026
• GVSU PEW Teaching Excellence Award, 2024
• STEM Outreach Award, NASA Micro-g NExT, Winner, 2024
• GVSU Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award, 2022