A researcher at the Cullen College of Engineering will look to the animal kingdom, to see if the natural movement of creatures can translate to technological prowess, after receiving a National Science Foundation CAREER award.
Daniel Floryan, Kalsi Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, earned $539,325 in funding for his research proposal, “Harnessing Environmental Complexity in Bio-Inspired Locomotion.”
Floryan noted that his project asks a “simple but surprisingly deep question.” How do animals move so effectively through environments that are complex, unsteady, and unpredictable?
“We’re trying to understand the fluid mechanics behind that, not just to explain a beautiful biological phenomenon, but to turn those principles into better design rules for underwater and aerial vehicles,” he said. “In a sense, the project is about translating biological wisdom into technological capability.”
Research goals include aiding the design of next-generation underwater and aerial vehicles; fostering collaboration across engineering and life sciences; and engaging students in research and education at the intersection of physics, biology and robotics.
Floryan said he felt excitement, relief and gratitude after being notified that his proposal had been selected for funding. He thanked the Fluid Dynamics program at the National Science Foundation for supporting his work.
“The CAREER proposal asks you to distill your vision for research, teaching and mentorship down to 15 pages, making it more personal than any other proposal,” he said. “I feel grateful that people believed in my ideas and, really, believed in me. I’m excited to show that their belief was well placed.”
Floryan joined the faculty of the Cullen College of Engineering in 2021. In 2025, he was selected for the 2025 Young Investigator Program Award by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He earned his doctorate in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Princeton.
“I’ve had the great fortune and pleasure of having tremendous advisors and mentors throughout the years: Lex Smits, Clancy Rowley and Howard Stone at Princeton University; Mike Graham at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Andrea Prosperetti at the University of Houston. They’ve collectively had an indelible positive influence on me, and much is owed to them. I’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating with Tyler Van Buren of the University of Delaware for over a decade, and I look forward to the next decade.”
For more information about his Floryan’s lab and research, visit his group’s webpage.