Faculty Profile

Zihao Zhang

Title
Assistant Professor
Department
Mechanical Engineering
College
College of Engineering

    

    

      


                          

            
Curriculum Vitae

            

              Click Here to View Faculty CV
            

          

        
                          

            
Education

            



  

  


  
PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2015. 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Degree Specialization: Heat Transfer
Dissertation Title: Investigating the far- and near-field thermal radiation in carbon-based nanomaterials
MS, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013. 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Degree Specialization: Bioengineering
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Dissertation Title: Experimental evaluation of heat transfer characteristics of silica nanofluid





          

        
                

          
Current Scheduled Teaching*


          
MEEN 6950.751, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2024 
MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2024 Syllabus
MEEN 6940.729, Individual Research, Spring 2024 


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  


    

    

      


        


          


            
Previous Scheduled Teaching*


            
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2023 
                    

                    MEEN 3242.001, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.002, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.003, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.302, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.306, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.308, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3242.309, Mechanical and Energy Engineering Laboratory II, Fall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Spring 2023  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.729, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2023 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5950.753, Masters Thesis, Spring 8W2 2023 
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.001, Heat Transfer, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5950.715, Masters Thesis, Fall 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 5315.002, Nanoscale Energy Transport, Fall 2022  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Summer 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Spring 2022  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.729, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6940.729, Individual Research, Spring 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 5950.729, Masters Thesis, Spring 2022 
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6940.715, Individual Research, Fall 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 5950.715, Masters Thesis, Fall 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 5315.001, Nanoscale Energy Transport, Fall 2021  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Summer 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 6940.715, Individual Research, Summer 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5140.601, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Spring 2021 Syllabus
                    

                    MEEN 6950.729, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6940.741, Individual Research, Spring 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 5950.729, Masters Thesis, Spring 2021 
                    

                    MEEN 6950.729, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2020 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6940.741, Individual Research, Fall 2020 
                    

                    MEEN 5800.021, Selected Topics of Contemporary Interest in Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 4800.021, Topics in Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.741, Doctoral Dissertation, Summer 10W 2020 
                    

                    MEEN 6950.741, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2020 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    MEEN 6940.741, Individual Research, Spring 2020 
                    

                    MEEN 5315.001, Nanoscale Energy Transport, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    MEEN 5315.601, Nanoscale Energy Transport, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5140.605, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5950.729, Masters Thesis, Fall 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 5950.741, Masters Thesis, Summer 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 5890.741, Directed Study in Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Spring 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 6950.741, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.001, Heat Transfer, Spring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5950.741, Masters Thesis, Spring 2019 
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2018  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5140.605, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2018  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6950.715, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2018 
                    

                    MEEN 3210.001, Heat Transfer, Spring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 3210.002, Heat Transfer, Spring 2018  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 6940.741, Individual Research, Spring 2018 
                    

                    MEEN 5140.001, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2017  SPOT
                    

                    MEEN 5140.605, Advanced Mathematical Methods for Engineers, Fall 2017  SPOT

          


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  

  
  	

	

	  

		

		   
Published Publications



  

  
Published Intellectual Contributions


  
Abstracts and Proceedings
Zhang, Z., Araki, K.  (2022). Near-perfect broadband thermal reflector and transmitter using dielectric high-contrast gratings. Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics Conference (META 2022). 
B.S. Thesis
Zhang, Z.  (2010). Experimental evaluation of heat transfer characteristics of silica nanofluid. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
Conference Proceeding
Vallin, M. P., Zhang, R. Z. (2020). Calculation and Variation of Thermoelectric Properties of Phase Transition Materials. ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. 84508, V003T03A013. 
Zhang, R. Z. (2018). Near-Field Thermal Radiation between Hyperbolic Topological Insulators. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 
Journal Article
Araki, K., Zhang, Z.  (2022). Simultaneous solar rejection and infrared emission switching using an integrated dielectrics-on-VO2 metasurface. AIP Advances. 12, . https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0085111
Zhang, Z., Araki, K.  (2022). Ultralow emittance thermal radiation barrier using a monolithic high-contrast grating Fabry-Pérot coating. Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer. 37(1), . https://doi.org/10.2514/1.T6636
Blankenship, M. A., Adams, K. D., Zhang, R. Z. (2021). Gradient-index metasurface multilayer for quasioptical coupling of infrared detectors. Optical Engineering. 60(10), 107102. SPIE. 
Araki, K., Zhang, R. Z. (2021). Mechano-Optical Resonant Emission by Edge Angle Modulation of Wrinkled Graphene on Plasmonic Metal Gratings. Other. 4(8), 8399--8407. American Chemical Society. 
Zhang, R. Z. (2020). Optical and thermal radiative properties of topological insulator semiconductor multilayers. Other. 253, 107133. Pergamon. 
araki, k., Zhang, Z.  Plasmon-resonance emission tailoring of “origami” graphene-covered photonic gratings. Optics Express. 28, 22791-22802. 
Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z. M. (2017). Validity of Effective Medium Theory in Multilayered Hyperbolic Materials. Other. Pergamon. 
Zhang, Z., Liu, X., Zhang, Z. M. (2015). Modeling the Optical and Radiative Properties of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes in the Infrared Region. Journal of Heat Transfer. 137(9), 091009. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 
Zhang, Z., Liu, X., Zhang, Z. M. (2015). Near-field radiation between graphene-covered carbon nanotube arrays. AIP Advances. 5(5), 053501. AIP Publishing. 
Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z. M. (2015). Negative refraction and self-collimation in the far infrared with aligned carbon nanotube films. Other. 158, 91--100. Pergamon. 
Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z. M. (2015). Tunable positive and negative refraction of infrared radiation in graphene-dielectric multilayers. Applied Physics Letters. 107, 191112. AIP Publishing LLC. 
Liu, X., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z.  (2014). Near-field radiative heat transfer with doped-silicon nanostructured metamaterials. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 73, 389--398. Pergamon. 
Liu, X., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Z.  (2013). Near-field thermal radiation between hyperbolic metamaterials: Graphite and carbon nanotubes. Applied Physics Letters. 103(21), . American Institute of Physics. 
Poster
Blankenship, M., Zhang, R. Z. (2019). Near-field radiation in topological insulators with spin-Hall effect. ASME IMECE. 
Vallin, M., Zhang, R. Z. (2019). Thermal Conductivity of 2D SnSe Nanomaterial. ASME SHTC. 
Research Report
Zhang, Z., Liu, X., Zhang, Z. M. (2015). Thermal radiation in graphene-enhanced metamaterials. SPIE: The International Society for Optics and Photonics. 



	
		
		
	  

	

	

  
    
	

	

	  

		

		   
Awarded Grants



  
  
  	  
          
Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research  

 	 
	 	 
  
Grant - Research   
Zhang, Z. (Principal), Kelber, J. (Co-Principal), "Tunable Plasmonic Multispectral Metasurfaces," Sponsored by Dept. of Defense, Federal, $799998 Funded. (July 31, 2023 – July 30, 2027).
Zhang, Z., Kelber, J. A., "Protective Thermal Electro-Chromic Coatings (PROTECC) for Lunar Exploration," Sponsored by NASA, Federal, $899999 Funded. (August 1, 2023 – August 1, 2026).
Neu, J. (Co-Principal), Zhang, Z. (Principal), Kelber, J. A. (Co-Principal), Krokhin, A. (Co-Principal), Choi, T., "High-Contrast Elasto-Metamaterial Photonics for Adaptable and Stable Lasing," Sponsored by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Federal, $4437624 Funded. (September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2025).
Zhang, Z., Kelber, J. A., "Adaptive and Protective Transparent Capping of Self-Cooling Thermal Radiative Coatings," University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (May 2021 – May 2022).
Zhang, Z. (Co-Principal), Jeffry, K. (Co-Principal), "Adaptive and Protective Transparent Capping of Self-Cooling Thermal Radiative Coatings," Sponsored by UNT VPIR, University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (June 1, 2021 – May 30, 2022).
Zhang, Z., "Air Force Research Laboratory Summer Faculty Fellowship Program," Sponsored by Air Force Research Laboratory/Sysplus, Federal, $46872 Funded. (May 2018 – July 2019).
Sponsored Research   
Zhang, Z. (Principal), Kelber, J. (Co-Principal), "Adaptive and Protective Transparent Capping of Cooling Thermal Radiative Coatings," Sponsored by College of Engineering/College of Science, University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (August 2021 – May 2022).



	
		
		
	  

	

	

	
	

  
  
  

  	

		

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					Overall
Summative Rating		
					Challenge and
Engagement Index		
					Response Rate
					
				

			
			
				

					
					
out of 5		
					
out of 7		
					%
 of 
students responded		
					
					
				

			
		


		
    
			
  • Overall Summative Rating (median):
    
			This rating represents the combined responses of students to the four global summative items and is presented to provide an overall index of the class’s quality. Overall summative statements include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, and 1= Very poor):
				
      
					
    • The course as a whole was
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    • The course content was
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    • The instructor’s contribution to the course was
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    • The instructor’s effectiveness in teaching the subject matter was
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  • Challenge and Engagement Index:
    
			This rating combines student responses to several SPOT items relating to how academically challenging students found the course to be and how engaged they were. Challenge and Engagement Index items include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 7 = Much higher, 4 = Average, and 1 = Much lower):
				
      
					
    • Do you expect your grade in this course to be
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    • The intellectual challenge presented was
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    • The amount of effort you put into this course was
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    • The amount of effort to succeed in this course was
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    • Your involvement in course (doing assignments, attending classes, etc.) was
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