The 68th VKI Diploma Ceremony of the Research Master in Fluid Dynamics was an unforgettable event held on June 28th, 2024 at the von Karman Institute. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and pride as the graduates were celebrated for their remarkable achievements. The ceremony commenced with a heartfelt congratulatory message from Mr. Peter GROGNARD, the VKI Managing Director. His words set the tone for the day, acknowledging the dedication and hard work of the graduates. Mr. Sven VAN LOO, the chair of the VKI Board of Directors, then took the stage, delivering an inspiring speech that resonated with the audience. Dr. Bryan WELLS, NATO Chief Scientist, graced the occasion with his presence and delivered a captivating address emphasizing the importance of VKI for NATO.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the special technical presentation by Dr. Andrea BRESCANI, who completed his PhD thesis in 2023. He shared his research on "Physical and perceptual prediction of wind turbine noise," with the objective of developing numerical methods for wind turbine noise prediction to comply with noise regulations, as well as noise auralization to investigate noise annoyance. He showcased the innovative work carried out at VKI and University of Twente. Dr. Guerric DE CROMBRUGGHE, Funding Partner Nuketech, made an impressive introduction on the usefulness of the useless knowledge (A. Flexner) and shared his valuable experience at the von Karman Institute with the graduates, reflecting on the significant impact it had on his own career.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the special technical presentation by Dr. Andrea BRESCANI, who completed his PhD thesis in 2023. He shared his research on "Physical and perceptual prediction of wind turbine noise," with the objective of developing numerical methods for wind turbine noise prediction to comply with noise regulations, as well as noise auralization to investigate noise annoyance. He showcased the innovative work carried out at VKI and University of Twente. Dr. Guerric DE CROMBRUGGHE, Funding Partner Nuketech, made an impressive introduction on the usefulness of the useless knowledge (A. Flexner) and shared his valuable experience at the von Karman Institute with the graduates, reflecting on the significant impact it had on his own career.
The diploma distribution commenced with great anticipation. Mr. Sven VAN LOO, chair of the Board of Directors, had the honor of awarding the prizes, as well as the well-deserved diplomas to the graduates.
The recipients of the awards showcased exceptional talent and dedication. Bruno FONTAINE received the Theodore von Karman Prize for his outstanding project titled "Modeling and Simulation of Elkectron Distribution Function in the VKI DRAG-ON facility."
Bruno BARATA was recognized with the Belgian Government Prize, for his remarkable project on " Numerical Investigation of IGV and Mid-Fan Flutter of a Modern Transonic Compressor."
James TWADDLE was recognized with the Prince Alexandre of Belgium Award for the Best Presentation. James received a gift on behalf of Her Royal Highness Princess Léa DE BELGIQUE, who was unable to attend the ceremony.
Leni SCHMIDT was honored with the Excellence in Experimental Research award for her great work on " Combination of BOS and LES for an Accurate Absolute Concentration Measurement, Quantifying the Dispersion of an Underexpanded Jet," while Alberto TESTA received the Excellence in Numerical Research award.
The ceremony was also a moment to acknowledge and congratulate all the graduates who received their diplomas. Their names were called out, accompanied by applause and admiration for their exceptional accomplishments.
Honored mentions were given to Bruno BARATA, Diego BINDONI, Francesco COSPITO, Gonçalo DAS NEVES CARNEIRO, Bruno FONTAINE, Peter HARTFORD, Sebastiano RANDINO, Landry RIOU, Leni SCHMIDT, Jan SKÁCEL, Alberto TESTA, James TWADDLE, Simone URBANI, Davide VISCONTI among other graduates, Antonió ABREU, Dimitrios ADAM, Mithat Berk AKSOY, Ruben ANTONISSEN, Ian BALLOU, Amund BERTHEUSSEN, Francesco FEDERICO, Julien HEINE, Kai HILDEBRANDT, Csanád Árpád HUBAY, Melikşah KOCA, Semanur KÜÇÜK, Alessandro NOVI, Andrea PERIN, Damla SAN Türkiye, Bálint SOÓS, Girolamo SQUEO, Rebecca STANCIU, Nicholas Benedetto ZINGALE
Mehmet ARSLAN and Konstantinos Theodoros LAMPROU have successfully defended the projet.
Guest speakers continued to inspire and uplift the graduates. Dr. Tamas Regert, President of the VKI alumni association, delivered a moving speech on behalf of the alumni association, culminating in the presentation of the Best Collaborative Student Award to Andrea PERIN.
Prof. Jeroen VAN BEECK, the dean of the faculty, took the stage to present the Best PhD Presentation Award of the Phd Symposium 2024. Pedro Afonso MARQUES was honored with this prestigious award for his work on " Characterization of heat and mass in cryogenic storage tanks." Diana MARTINS was recognized with the Best Poster Award for his research on " “Investigating thermomechanical behaviour of woven thermal protection material for aerospace applications."
Finally, Peter HARTFORD, Andrea PERIN and Osman Giray OGUZMAN, representatives of the Research Master students, gave a vote of thanks to the guests.
The 68th VKI Diploma Ceremony celebrated the exceptional achievements, dedication, and commitment of the graduates, leaving an important mark on their journey towards a brilliant future.

Bruno FONTAINE
Bruno FONTAINE
Theodore von Karman Prize

Bruno BARATA
Bruno BARATA
Belgian Government Prize

James TWADDLE
James TWADDLE
Prince Alexandre of Belgium Award for Best Presentation

Leni SCHMIDT
Leni SCHMIDT
Excellence in Experimental Research

Alberto TESTA
Alberto TESTA
Excellence in Numerical Research

Diego BINDONI
Diego BINDONI

Francesco COSPITO
Francesco COSPITO

Goncalo DAS NEVES CARNEIRO
Goncalo DAS NEVES CARNEIRO

Peter HARTFORD
Peter HARTFORD

Sebastiano RANDINO
Sebastiano RANDINO

Landry RIOU
Landry RIOU

Jan SKÁCEL
Jan SKÁCEL

Simone URBANI
Simone URBANI

Davide VISCONTI
Davide VISCONTI

Antonió ABREU
Antonió ABREU

Dimitris ADAM
Dimitris ADAM

Mithat Berk AKSOY
Mithat Berk AKSOY

Ruben ANTHONISSEN
Ruben ANTHONISSEN

Ian BALLOU
Ian BALLOU

Armund BERTHEUSSEN
Armund BERTHEUSSEN

Francesco FEDERICO
Francesco FEDERICO

Julien HEINE
Julien HEINE

Kai HILDEBRANDT
Kai HILDEBRANDT

Csanád Árpád HUBAY
Csanád Árpád HUBAY

Meliksah KOCA
Meliksah KOCA

Semanur KÜCÜK
Semanur KÜCÜK

Alessandro NOVI
Alessandro NOVI

Andrea PERIN
Andrea PERIN
Best Collaboration Award

Damla SAN
Damla SAN

Bálint SOÓS
Bálint SOÓS

Girolamo SQUEO
Girolamo SQUEO

Rebecca STANCIU
Rebecca STANCIU

Nicholas Benedetto ZINGALE
Nicholas Benedetto ZINGALE

Mehmet ARSLAN
Mehmet ARSLAN

Konstantinos Theodoros LAMPROU
Konstantinos Theodoros LAMPROU

Pedro Afonso MARQUES
Pedro Afonso MARQUES
PhD Symposium 2024
Best PhD Presentation Award

Diana MARTINS
Diana MARTINS
PhD Symposium 2024
Best PhD Poster Award

Mr. Peter GROGNARD
Mr. Peter GROGNARD
Managing Director

Dr. Bryan WELLS
Dr. Bryan WELLS
NATO Chief Scientist

Mr. Sven VAN LOO
Mr. Sven VAN LOO
Chair of the Board of Directors

Dr. Andrea BRESCANI
Dr. Andrea BRESCANI
Research Engineer at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

Dr. Guérric DE CROMBRUGGHE
Dr. Guérric DE CROMBRUGGHE
Funding Partner Nuketech

Dr. Tamas REGERT
Dr. Tamas REGERT
Chair of the VKI Alumni Association

Prof. Jeroen VAN BEECK
Prof. Jeroen VAN BEECK
Dean of the faculty / Head of Environment and Applied Fluid Dynamics