Jeffrey M. Davis *03

Jeff died of cancer at age 46 in Ludlow, Mass., Aug. 30, 2023.

He graduated from MIT in 1999 with a degree in chemical engineering. In 2003, he earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton. His area of expertise was fluid mechanics and mathematics.

Jeff spent 20 years on the faculty of UMass Amherst. He conducted research in the general area of physical applied mathematics, with applications primarily in fluid mechanics and transport phenomena. The focus of his research was the development and solution of mathematical models to provide a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. A significant area of his interest was microscale-fluid dynamics involving heterogeneous surfaces for which interfacial effects are important.

Of particular interest for Jeff was the dynamics of thin liquid films on heterogeneous surfaces, interfacial flows, hydrodynamic stability, and microscale flows involving the dynamic interaction of microparticles with nano-textured surfaces.

Jeff’s honors include the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award, and the UMass Amherst Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow Award.

Jeff’s survivors include his parents, Christine and Benjamin Davis; his brothers Tim and Jon; and several nieces and nephews.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.