Get to know Marc Schwalbach, computational scientist
1) What do you do?
I specialize in the field of computational sciences / scientific computing. This is essentially a combination of computer science, maths, and engineering that allows us to use computers to simulate physical phenomena, such as the flow of fluids around an airplane or weather forecasting. These computer simulations serve as a virtual lab with which we can analyze different designs and scenarios even before the first prototype is manufactured for physical experiments.
For example, in my PhD I combined both fluid and structural simulations to optimize the shape of a radial turbine to maximize its aerodynamic efficiency while ensuring its structural integrity.
2) Where do you work?
I currently work as a research engineer at CFD-Berlin in Germany, where most projects involve computational fluid dynamics and aeroacoustic optimization.
3) Tell us about the photos!
[Left:] My COVID-times PhD defense pose which was conducted via video call earlier this year.
[Right:] At a project meeting in Glasgow with our international partners in 2018
4) Tell us about your academic career path so far.
After graduating from high school in the Philippines, I moved to Germany where I first attended a preparatory "Studienkolleg" that allows students with foreign high school degrees to apply for university.
I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computational Engineering Science from RWTH Aachen University where I began specializing in computational fluid dynamics and optimization. During this time, I got to spend a few months as a research intern at UBC in Canada with a DAAD RISE scholarship.
I then moved to the von Karman Institute in Belgium where I conducted my PhD research as a Marie Curie fellow and received my doctoral degree in Computer Science from the TU Kaiserslautern in Germany.
5) Anything else you’d like to share
This site builds a strong sense of community among Pinoy Scientists and it's encouraging to see that many of us abroad keep our roots in mind. I hope youngsters who are thinking about a scientific or technical career see their future selves in some of the stories posted here and that more Pinoy Scientists take the initiative to contribute. If anyone would like to get in touch, please don't hesitate: marcschwalbach.com.
