Michael Triantafyllou is the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Professor in Ocean Science and Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Engineering faculty at MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He currently directs the MIT Sea Grant College Program and previously directed the Center for Ocean Engineering from 2005 to 2017 and held the William I. Koch Professorship in Marine Technology from 2008 to 2017. Triantafyllou earned his Diploma in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in 1974, Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from MIT in 1977, and Doctor of Science in Ocean Engineering from MIT in 1979. His career at MIT began in 1978 as a Research Associate in the Department of Ocean Engineering, advancing through positions including Assistant Professor (1979-1983), Associate Professor (1983-1990), Professor (1990-2005), and Professor of Mechanical and Ocean Engineering (2005-2008). He has served as Associate Department Head for Mechanical Engineering (2008-2010), Director of the Towing Tank Facility since 1988, and Co-director of the Propeller Tunnel Facility since 2003.

Triantafyllou's research specializes in biomimetics, dynamics and control of marine systems, cable mechanics, experimental fluid mechanics, flow-structure interaction, dynamics and control of ocean vehicles, and biomimetic ocean robots and sensors. He pioneered the development of science-driven biomimetic robots such as RoboTuna to study mechanisms of flow control that enable the agility of fish and cetaceans, with the original RoboTuna on exhibit at the Science Museum in London since 1998 and a prototype at the MIT Museum. He has authored over 370 journal articles and refereed conference papers. Key publications include “Hydrodynamics of Fish Swimming” (Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 2000), “Fish Exploiting Vortices Use Less Muscle” (Science, 2003), and “Optimal Thrust Development in Oscillating Foils with Application to Fish Propulsion” (Journal of Fluids and Structures, 1993). Among his honors are Fellow of the American Physical Society (2014), Aurel Stodola Medal and Lecture from ETH Zurich (2014), Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation (1998), and ABS/Linnard Prize for best paper (1997).

Professional Email: mistetri@mit.edu