Rate My Professor David Newport

Professor David Newport serves as the Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Limerick, part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Appointed to this leadership role in September 2025, he succeeds Professor Ronan O’Higgins. With over 25 years of academic experience as a mechanical engineer, Newport joined the University of Limerick in 2004. He has held positions as Course Director for multiple engineering programmes and Assistant Dean for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Internationalisation within the Faculty. As Assistant Dean, he led strategic initiatives in EDI and internationalisation, contributing significantly to the School’s academic direction. Newport is also affiliated with the Bernal Institute as a Professor.

Newport completed his PhD on thermal management for electronic systems, developing novel measurement techniques and conducting research at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. His research interests encompass fluid mechanics, heat transfer, optical measurement, electronics cooling, microfluidics, and micro Total Analysis Systems. His work has extended to aerospace thermal management and fluidic miniaturisation, funded by European research grants such as innovation actions and doctoral training networks. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, including highly cited papers like “A review of optical interferometry techniques for VOC detection” (2020), “Gas detection using portable deep-UV absorption spectrophotometry: A review” (2019), “Micro photoionization detectors” (2019), “Natural convection experiments on a heated horizontal cylinder in a differentially heated square cavity” (2013), and “The in vitro inertial positions and viability of cells in suspension under different in vivo flow conditions” (2020). Additionally, recent publications include “Characterization of primary human leptomeningeal cells in 2D culture” (2024) and “Performance Assessment of CO2-Hydrocarbon Zeotropic Refrigerant Mixture for High-Temperature Heat Pumps” (2025). Newport holds a patent in microfluidics and has supervised over 30 Master’s, PhD researchers, and postdoctoral fellows.