Yiannis Levendis
COE Distinguished Professor,
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Center Member,
The Plastics Center
Office
- 303 SN
- 617.373.3806
Lab
- 302 SN and 012F FR
- 617.373.2388
Research Focus
Gasification and combustion of solid fuels, generation and containment of combustion-generated pollution, synthesis and characterization of combustion-generated materials, fire suppression – fire extinction, engine design and operation
Education
- PhD (1987), Environmental Engineering Science, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- M.S. (1982) Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
- B.S. (1981) Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
Honors & Awards
- American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Robert G. Quinn Award 2025
- Excellence in Mentoring Award 2025
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics STEM Educator Award 2023
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Fellow 2023
- Constantinos Mavroidis Translational Research Faculty Award 2022
- American Society of Engineering Education Ralph Coats Roe Award 2021
- National Academy of Inventors Fellow 2020
- The Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow 2019
- Fellow, Combustion Institute 2018
- Elected to the Steering committee of the Greek Energy Forum 2016
- ASME/AIME Percy Nicholls Award 2015
- George Westinghouse Gold Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2013
- Honorable Mention as co-advisor of best engineering thesis, Brazilian Ministry of Education, 2012
- AEA Environmental Award, Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering, 2012
- Outstanding Oral Presentation Award, SAE International Congress / Exposition, 2010
- Outstanding Teaching Award, ASEE New England Section, 2007
- John J. McCambridge Award, Institute of Hazardous Materials Management, 2007
- Elected Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE, 2007
- Elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME, 2006
- Elected Distinguished Professor College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2006
- SAE Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, SAE, 2005
- Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2005
- Outstanding Research Award, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2001
- Elected member of ΦΚΦ, Northeastern University, 2000
- Excellence in Teaching Award, University-wide, Northeastern University, 1995
- Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Professor (students’ choice) 2010, 2002, 1998, 1995, 1993
- SAE Faculty Advisor Recognition Award, SAE, 1997
- SAE Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, SAE, 1994
- Ralph E. Teetor Educational Award SAE, 1993
- Charipar Fellow, Cummins Engine Company, 1982 and 1983
Teaching Interests
- Combustion – Air Pollution
- Energy Harvesting – Power Generation – Sustainability
- Internal Combustion Engines
- Engineering Design
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow of the Combustion Institute
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
- Member of the honorary research society Sigma Chi (ƩX)
- Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International
- Member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)
- Member of The Combustion Institute
- Member of the honorary societies: TBΠ, ΠTΣ and ΦΚΦ.
Research Overview
Gasification and combustion of solid fuels, generation and containment of combustion-generated pollution, synthesis and characterization of combustion-generated materials, fire suppression – fire extinction, engine design and operation
Selected Research Projects
- A Study on Burning Iron Particles as Carbon-Free Circular Fuels with co-Generation of Value-Added Nanomaterials
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Containment of Greenhouse Gases Through use of Refrigerants that are based on Petroleum-derived Products and Recycled Carbon Dioxide
- – Principal Investigator, Funded by The American Chemical Society
- Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes from Waste Polymeric Materials using Various Catalysts
- – Principal Investigator, Canon Virginia Inc
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Panahi, A., Toole, N., Wang, X., Levendis, Y.A. (2020). On the Minimum Oxygen Requirements for Oxy-Combustion of Torrefied Biomass. Combustion and Flame, 213, 426-440.
- Levendis, Y.A., Kowalski, G., Lu, Y., and Baldassarre, G. (2020). A Simple Experiment on Global Warming. Royal Society Open Science, 7, 192075, 1-11.
- Panahi, A., Sun, X., Song, G., Levendis, Y.A. (2020). On the Impact of Carrier Gas Type and Flowrate on the Catalytic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Stainless Steel. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59, 31, 14004–14014.
- Panahi, N. Vorobiev, M. Schiemann, M. Tarakcioglu, M. Delichatsios ,Y.A. Levendis, Combustion Details of Raw and Torrefied Biomass Fuel Particles with Individually-Observed Size, Shape and Mass, Combustion and Flame, 207, 2019, 327-341
- Z. Wang, S.C. Yelishala, G. Yu, H. Metghalchi, Y.A. Levendis Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Laminar Burning Speed and Flame Instability of Methane/Air and Propane/Air Mixtures: A Literature Review, Energy and Fuels, 33, 2019, 9403-9418
- Panahi, Z. Wei, G. Song, Y.A. Levendis, Influence of Stainless-Steel Catalyst Substrate Type and Pretreatment on Growing Carbon Nanotubes from Waste Postconsumer Plastics, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58, 2019, 3009−3023
Sep 11, 2025
Unexpected Path to Innovative Research on Concentrated Solar Power
Benjamin Lynch, E’24, PhD’29, mechanical engineering, was always interested in engineering. His non-traditional path to Northeastern led him to discover his zeal and fascination with concentrated solar power and renewable energy. During his PhD studies, he had the opportunity to pursue his passion and expand his capstone project into an extensive research project.
Jun 09, 2025
Levendis Receives ASEE Robert G. Quinn Award
MIE Distinguished Professor Yiannis Levendis is the recipient of the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Robert G. Quinn Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of excellence in experimentation and laboratory instruction.
Mar 24, 2025
Undergrad Students Present at 2025 ASEE-NE Conference
Under the guidance of COE Distinguished Teaching Professor Bala Maheswaran, undergraduate engineering students published and presented papers at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Northeast Section Conference on March 22, 2025, in Bridgeport, CT.
Jan 31, 2025
2024 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above. The list below includes those who published a paper in 2024 or later.
Jan 30, 2025
Faculty and Staff Awards 2025
Faculty and staff were recognized at the 27th Annual College of Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards for their exceptional service and dedication in support of students, the COE community, and the university during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Sep 23, 2024
SFPE 2024 Jack Bono Award for Engineering Communication
MIE Distinguished Professor Yiannis Levendis is one of 15 collaborators who received the 2024 Jack Bono Award for Engineering Communication in the field of fire technology from the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) for their paper “The Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Outdoor Fire Fighting.”
Aug 02, 2024
Advancing Heliostat Design and Operation Education
MIE Professors Hameed Metghalchi (PI), Yiannis Levendis, and Emeritus Associate Professor Gregory Kowalski were awarded a $360,065 grant for “Advancing University Level Education on Heliostat Design and Operation” from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Heliostat Consortium.
Dec 07, 2023
2023 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.
Oct 04, 2023
Using Iron Powder as a Renewable Energy Source
MIE Professors Yiannis Levendis, Hameed Metghalchi, and Associate Professor Randall Erb were awarded a $600,000 NSF grant, titled “A Study on Burning Iron Particles as Carbon-Free Circular Fuels With Co-Generation of Value-Added Nanomaterials,” to improve the process of burning iron to produce carbon-free renewable energy.
Jul 24, 2023
Burning Iron Particles To Generate Clean Energy
MIE Professors Yiannis Levendis, Hameed Metghalchi, and Associate Professor Randall Erb were awarded a $600,000 NSF grant for “A Study on Burning Iron Particles as Carbon-Free Circular Fuels With Co-Generation of Value-Added Nanomaterials.”