Madison, WisconsinㅡAugust 28, 2024ㅡDr. Kelly Senecal, Co-Founder and Owner of Convergent Science, was recently elected to The Combustion Institute's Board of Directors. The Combustion Institute is an international non-profit organization that promotes combustion research and technology development. Senecal was elected because of his significant contributions to the combustion community through the development of the CONVERGE computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and his advocacy for continued investment in combustion research.

"I am a strong supporter of The Combustion Institute and their mission to advance combustion science and technology," said Senecal. "It's an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Directors and have a chance to help shape the future of combustion research."

Throughout his career, Senecal has been actively involved in the field of combustion. He co-founded Convergent Science and was one of the original developers of CONVERGE, which is used worldwide to simulate reacting flows and combustion devices, along with many other applications. He is the director and co-founder of the Computational Chemistry Consortium (C3), which develops detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms to support research efforts into conventional and alternative fuels.

Senecal is an outspoken advocate for incorporating combustion technologies into future solutions for more sustainable transportation and energy sectors. He has given invited talks around the globe to educate students, engineers, and policymakers on a pragmatic and balanced approach to transportation decarbonization strategies. Senecal co-authored a book on this topic titled Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green, which won the 2022 Independent Press Award for Environment.

Senecal was elected a Fellow of The Combustion Institute earlier this year, and he is also a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He is a visiting professor at the University of Oxford and the chair of the executive committee of the ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division. Senecal was a 2023 recipient of the SAE John Johnson Diesel Engine Research Medal and the 2019 recipient of the ASME ICE Award.