Ken Franko, PhD

2004 Hertz Fellow
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Ken Franko is a Senior Software Engineer at Google.

Ken was previously a senior member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratory, where he helped to create the next generation of computational fluid dynamics codes for national defense application.

Ken’s thesis, Linear and Nonlinear Processes in Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition to Turbulence, advances the physical understanding of the fundamental processes involved in transition to turbulence of boundary layers on vehicles which travel at speeds greater than 5 times the speed of sound. Understanding the physical processes of boundary layer transition is key to ultimately predicting the heat loads that these vehicles experience. Different aspects of the work have been or will be submitted to the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Physics of Fluids.

“The Hertz Fellowship allowed me to explore many different topics and find my own path in my research.”
– Kenneth Franko

Graduate Studies

Stanford University
Aerospace Engineering
Linear and Nonlinear Processes in Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition to Turbulence

Undergraduate Studies

Case Western Reserve University

Awards

2004, Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Related Events

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Apr 27, 2024 - Apr 27, 2024
Special Event
Community Representatives, Andrew Winkler and Ken Franko invite Bay Area Fellows to a private vineyard tour and dinner hosted by a former President of the Hertz Foundation, Jay Davis, at the Davis-King Vineyard on Saturday, April 27 at 5:00 pm pacific in Livermore, CA.