David Sumner
I am an “historic anglophone” originally from Montreal. I have been a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan (university motto: Deo et Patriæ = For God and Country) since 1999. The small prairie city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is where my family calls home.
My main research interests are in bluff-body aerodynamics and experimental fluid mechanics. Most of my research is fundamental in nature rather than applied, and I typically supervise a small team of four to five graduate students. My students and I have made contributions in the areas of wake and proximity interference and the flows around surface-mounted bluff bodies.
Teaching is something I genuinely enjoy. Using the traditional blackboard and coloured chalk, I teach courses in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and thermodynamics. I also coordinate the capstone design project course in my department. In 2022, I received the Master Teacher Award from the University of Saskatchewan.
In the past, I have served as our department’s undergraduate program chair, graduate program chair, and program accreditation lead.
Employment
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan (2010-present)
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan (2003-2010)
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan (1999-2003)
Professional Engineer, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) (2008-present)
Shad Valley Program, University of Waterloo (1986)
Education
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1999)
M.A.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (1994)
B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering (with Option in Aeronautical Engineering), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1992)
D.EC., Pure and Applied Sciences, Marianopolis College, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1988)
David Sumner 