She joined Mechanical Engineering faculty in August 2011. Her research interests include the development of advanced parallel CFD algorithms, data-assimilated CFD algorithms for turbulent combustion systems, Polynomial-Chaos-Kriging uncertainty quantification methods in fluid flow computations, and the CFD-based design, analysis and optimization of aerospace propulsion systems. Dr. Gao earned her Ph.D. in Aerospace Sciences and Engineering from University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies in November 2008. Prior to joining Colorado State University, she was a postdoctoral scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory working with two groups: the Applied Numerical Algorithms Group and the Center for Computational Sciences and Engineering, from January 2009 to August 2011.