Professor Graham Pullan, Staff Fellow in Engineering and alumnus of Trinity Hall, has been elected a Fellow of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his outstanding contributions to engineering.
Fellow and alumnus recognised for advances in aerospace engineering
Posted:
13 Nov 2025
Professor Graham Pullan stood in front of a large turbine.
Professor Pullan is at the forefront of engineering innovation, focusing on aerodynamic design and the breakthrough technologies needed to achieve net zero. His research tackles some of the biggest challenges in aerospace propulsion and power generation, aiming to make these sectors cleaner and more efficient.
Speaking of his Fellowship, Professor Pullan said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the ASME. I feel very fortunate to work with the talented and inspiring members of the Whittle Laboratory. Both the Lab, and I, owe a lot to a former Vice-Master of Trinity Hall, Professor John Denton FREng FRS, former Director of the Whittle Lab (and my PhD supervisor!)”
Professor Pullan’s research accomplishments are in the aerodynamics of fluid machinery – how air flows through compressors and turbines that propel aircraft or generate power. His work focuses on new designs for the shape of the blades in these machines to improve their performance and efficiency. Professor Pullan has also developed innovative software that allows engineers to simulate the air flow both rapidly and in detail.
Mary Hockaday, Master of Trinity Hall, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Professor Pullan on this Fellowship. It is wonderful to see his work recognised as internationally significant, as ASME recognises the very practical impact of his theoretical work in helping the industry develop cleaner and more efficient aeroplanes. Trinity Hall has a strong engineering tradition, and Professor Pullan plays a very significant role in his field, in College, in Cambridge and globally.”
Graham Pullan is Professor of Computational Aerothermal Design and Co-Director of the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge – an internationally-leading laboratory that has recently expanded to house the new Bennett Innovation Laboratory and the National Centre for Propulsion and Power. He teaches an undergraduate course on engineering mathematics and a postgraduate course on turbomachinery design.
Founded in 1880, ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real-world challenges.