Matthew J. DeWitt, Ph.D.

Dr. DeWitt is the Director of the Fuels and Energetic Materials Division at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI).  In this role, he is responsible for the leadership and management of broad-disciplined groups of scientists and engineers performing a wide-range of basic to applied R&D activities, primarily for aerospace-related applications.  He has been involved for over 25 years in R&D related to fuel chemistry and engineering applications, and has been a Principal Investigator and Lead Researcher for numerous projects, primarily in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

• Fuels and Engineering Strategies for Hypersonic Flight Applications
• Development and Evaluation of Sustainable Aviation Fuels
• Use of Aviation Fuels for High- and Low-Temperature Applications
• Use and Evaluation of Aviation Fuel Additives
• Analytical Method Development
• Characterization of Gaseous and Particulate Matter Emissions from Combustors/Engines

• Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, 1999
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 1994

• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
• International Association for the Stability Handling and Use of Liquid Fuels (IASH)

Author/Co-Author of over

• 43 Peer-Reviewed Publications
• 2 Book Chapters
• Over 80 Conference Proceedings
• 24 AFRL Technical Reports
• Over 125 Technical Presentations in Various Forums.
• 1 Patent

Majority of publications in Open Literature can be found at:

• https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ubzYUKQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
• https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1631-0080

• SERDP Project of the Year—Weapon Systems and Platforms, 2008.
• NASA Group Award to Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX) Team, 2010.
• Invited Panel Member, Northwestern University Hulburt-Thodos Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Professional Development Symposium, 2012 and 2013.
• NASA Group Award to Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX-II) Team, 2012.
• University-Wide Presentation at Recognition for Excellence in Research, University of Dayton 4th Annual Spotlight on Technology, Arts, Research and Scholarship (STARS) Symposium, September 19 , 2014.
• 2015 Affiliate Council of Dayton Outstanding Engineer and Scientists Award for Excellence in Research, April, 2015.
• Invited Speaker, 62nd JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, Nashville, TN, June 2, 2015.
• UDRI 2020 Exceptional Performance Award.
• Guest Editor for Special Issue in FUEL, 2023.
• IASH Chairman’s Award, 2024.

• External Advisory Board Member, Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department of the University of Toledo, 2010 - present.
• Liaison to SAE AE-5 Aerospace Fuel, Oil and Oxidizer Systems Committee, 2011-present.

• Session Chair, Dayton-Cincinnati Aerospace Science Symposium (DCASS), 2002-2012.
• Session Chair, 38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conf. and Exhibit, 2002.
• Session Chair, IASH Biennial Conferences, 2013, 2015, 2017.
• Session Chair, JANNAF Propulsion Joint Subcommittee Meeting, December, 2016.
• Session Chair, JANNAF Propulsion Joint Subcommittee Meeting, May, 2018.
• Session Chair, JANNAF Propulsion Joint Subcommittee Meeting, June, 2019.
• Session Chair (Scramjets: Fuel Systems) JANNAF Propulsion Joint Subcommittee Virtual Meeting, December 10, 2020.
• Session Chair (Scramjet Fuels and Fuel Systems) JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, June, 2022.
• Session Chair (Scramjet Fuels) JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, December, 2023.
• Panel Chair, Fuels, JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, Airbreathing Prop., 2020, 2022, 2023

• Officer and Chair Emeritus in the International Association for the Stability, Handling and Use of Liquid Fuels (www.iash.net) (2018 - present).

Adjunct Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Dayton

Courses Taught:

• CME 466L Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Lab, 2010-2019, 2022
• CME 281, Chemical Engineering Computations, 2012-2017.

Research Thesis Advisor for Nine Students

• University of Dayton Emerging Leader Certificate Program (2023 - 2024)
• Leadership UD, University of Dayton (2008 - 2009)