University of Texas at Austin

Cross-
Cutting
Research Area

Computational Engineering

Tackling grand challenge societal problems through modeling, simulation and engineering problem-solving

Computational engineers use computers and advanced computational methods to analyze and solve engineering problems.

Our research in computational engineering is advancing a broad range of fields including energy, environment, aerospace, biomedical and autonomous systems.

An Overview: Computational Engineering

What is Computational Engineering?

Credit: from the Cockrell School of Engineering

Examples of Oden Institute research in Computational Engineering

Research is multifaceted, ranging from foundational advances in theory, methods and algorithms, to real-world impact in societal grand challenge problems.

digital twin aircraft

Digital twins of engineering systems from aircraft to the near-earth orbital space environment

Spectral wave modeling

Spectral wave modeling: The interactions between winds, the sea floor, circulation, and waves transfer significant amounts of energy that impacts both magnitude and timing of storm surge. The modeling of these complex interactions and phenomena is challenging as the physics of waves in space and time are accompanied by spectral effects.

Compound Flooding Model Development

Compound Flooding Model Development

Working with partners

Oden Institute faculty members have been centrally involved in the design and offering of UT Austin’s Bachelor of Science in Computational Engineering degree, offered by the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.

The ADvanced CIRculation modeling framework (ADCIRC) is a research partnership into coastal ocean storm surge modeling developed through collaboration between Dr. Clint Dawson at the Computational Hydraulics Group (CHG) and the University of Notre Dame, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Carolina State University, the University of Oklahoma, and UT’s Center for Space Research. Other ADCIRC partners include US Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, The Water Institute and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

AEOLUS: Advances in Experimental Design, Optimization and Learning for Uncertain Complex Systems is a U.S. Department of Energy Mathematical Multifaceted Integrated Capabilities Center (MMICC) led by the Oden Institute and also involving researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Texas A&M University.

The Oden Institute Center for Predictive Engineering and Computational Science is leading the development of high-fidelity simulations of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torches as part of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Predictive Science Academic Alliance Program.

News in brief

Inaugural Graduates of Integrated Computational Engineering Program Launch Startup Together

News

May 14, 2026

Inaugural Graduates of Integrated Computational Engineering Program Launch Startup Together

Antonio Jimenez and Atharva Kalamkar, the first graduates of the new 5-year Integrated Computational Engineering BS/MS program, are already making an impact beyond UT with a project that grew out of their coursework. 

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Seeing the Possibilities: High School Students Step into Oden Institute Research World

News

May 13, 2026

Seeing the Possibilities: High School Students Step into Oden Institute Research World

Students from the Liberal Arts and Science Academy got a front row seat to current research on topics including cancer, the cosmos, digital twins, robotics, and ocean systems during a field trip to the Oden Institute.

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After a Decade of Pioneering Digital Twin Research,  UT Emerges as a Global Leader in AI for Science

News

Feb. 27, 2026

After a Decade of Pioneering Digital Twin Research, UT Emerges as a Global Leader in AI for Science

After more than a decade of advances in AI, mathematics and supercomputing, UT is shaping the future of digital twins — bringing together researchers across campus to deploy physics‑informed, AI‑powered models for energy, healthcare, national security and natural hazard mitigation.


 

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