Richard Stevens

Physics of Fluids

University of Twente

Curriculum Vitae

Profile

I am Professor in the Physics of Fluids group at the University of Twente. My research uses large-eddy simulation, direct numerical simulation, and high-performance computing to study turbulence in wind farms, atmospheric boundary layers, wall-bounded flows, and thermally driven flows. A central theme is how turbulent transport controls wind-farm wakes, power production, atmospheric exchange, and multiscale flow interactions relevant to renewable energy and climate.

Research areas

Turbulence; wind-farm fluid mechanics; atmospheric-boundary-layer flow; large-eddy simulation; direct numerical simulation; high-performance computing; wall-bounded turbulence; thermal convection; turbulent transport in energy and environmental flows.

Current position

Professor, Physics of Fluids group, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
Member of the Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics.

Career

  • 06/2024–present: Professor, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
  • 06/2021–05/2024: Associate Professor with tenure, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
  • 09/2016–05/2021: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
  • 09/2015–08/2016: FOM Young Energy Scientist Fellow, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
  • 05/2012–08/2015: FOM Young Energy Scientist Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, United States.
  • 07/2011–04/2012: Postdoctoral researcher, Physics of Fluids group, University of Twente, The Netherlands.

Education

  • 04/2008–06/2011: PhD, Physics of Fluids group, University of Twente, with distinction. Promotors: Prof. Detlef Lohse and Prof. Herman Clercx.
  • 09/2003–03/2008: MSc Applied Physics, University of Twente, with distinction.

Major grants and fellowships

  • 2024–2029: ERC Consolidator Grant, €2.0M.
  • 2018–2023: ERC Starting Grant, €1.5M.
  • 2016–2022: NWO VIDI Award, €0.8M.
  • 2016–2022: Shell-NWO/FOM CSER tenure-track grant, €0.7M.
  • 2012–2016: FOM Young Energy Scientist Fellowship.

Publication and citation metrics

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles: 132
  • H-index: 44 Web of Science; 52 Google Scholar
  • Citations: 5833 Web of Science; 8649 Google Scholar
  • Average citations per journal article: 34.2 Web of Science; 63.5 Google Scholar

Metrics last updated: July 2026.

Publication highlights

  • 132 peer-reviewed journal articles.
  • 1 Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics article.
  • 11 Physical Review Letters papers, including 2 cover articles.
  • 2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences papers.
  • 34 Journal of Fluid Mechanics papers.
  • Multiple publications in Wind Energy, Renewable Energy, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, and Wind Energy Science.

See the publications page for the full publication list.

High-performance computing

I have led or contributed to large-scale turbulence simulations on European and national supercomputing systems, including SuperMUC-NG, PRACE/EuroHPC/DECI systems, SURF/Snellius, and Piz Daint, with allocations exceeding 800 million CPU hours.

Selected honours and recognition

  • ERC Consolidator Grant, 2023.
  • ERC Starting Grant, 2018.
  • NWO VIDI Award, 2016.
  • Invited Journal of Fluid Mechanics Focus article on wind-farm power densities, 2023.
  • PRX Energy article featured by Physics Magazine, 2022.
  • Physical Review Fluids Editors’ Suggestion and international media coverage for windbreak-enhanced wind-farm performance, 2021.
  • Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics review on flow structure and turbulence in wind farms, 2016.
  • Corrsin-Kovasznay Outstanding Paper Award, 2015.
  • ERCOFTAC da Vinci Award for best PhD thesis on fluid dynamics in Europe, 2011.
  • PhD with distinction, University of Twente, 2011.

Invited lectures and community roles

I have delivered more than 100 lectures, including over 35 invited lectures and keynotes at international meetings and research schools. Selected venues include APS-DFD, the Symposium on Boundary Layers and Turbulence, the Wind Energy Science Conference, ERCOFTAC meetings, and high-performance-computing workshops.

Teaching and supervision

I teach and coordinate courses in turbulence, mathematical and numerical physics, and renewable energy and climate at the University of Twente. I also contribute as invited lecturer to national graduate courses on turbulence and wake flows.

My group and I supervise PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, MSc students, and BSc students in wind-farm fluid mechanics, atmospheric-boundary-layer turbulence, thermal convection, and numerical simulation of turbulent flows.

See the people page for current group members and alumni.

Academic service

I serve the fluid mechanics, wind-energy, and computational-science communities through journal reviewing, proposal evaluation, dissertation committees, and scientific meeting organization. I have served on NWO panels, reviewed proposals for ERC, DFG, SNF, ANR, DOE, PRACE, and national computing facilities, and completed over 400 verified peer reviews for international journals.

Public engagement and science communication

I communicate fluid mechanics and wind-energy research through public lectures, media contributions, university communication channels, and social media. My research has been featured by outlets including Physics Magazine, Physics Today, Science News, De Ingenieur, Nemo Kennislink, and University of Twente news. I received the University of Twente Social Media Award in 2022.

External profiles