Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 2008
  • M.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 2004
  • B.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, 2002
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Mechanical, California, #36339
  • Fire Investigation 1A (Cause and Origin), California Office of State Fire Marshal
Professional Honors
  • Sigma Gamma Tau Outstanding Aerospace Engineering Graduate, 2002
  • Louis T. Rader Chairperson's Award, 2001, 2002
Professional Affiliations
  • Society of Petroleum Engineers (Board Member of New York New England Section 2017-2019)
  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

Dr. Owens is a mechanical and aerospace engineer who specializes in performing failure analysis and providing design support for problems involving flow and thermal processes.  This expertise has been applied to solving problems involving oil and gas, pipelines, drilling, flow assurance, refinery equipment, aircraft, satellites, turbines, consumer electronics, batteries, medical devices, appliances, construction practices, HVAC systems, power plant equipment, power lines and wildland fires.  Dr. Owens' work often arises in the context of performing failure analysis for an industrial accident, but he also works proactively with industry to solve problems associated with new product or technology development.  Dr. Owens has served as a designated expert and provided testimony on various commercial litigation matters.

Dr. Owens leads multidisciplinary teams leveraging both analytical modeling techniques as well as experimental methods.  He has two decades of expertise in developing and using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and has applied this tool to a wide breadth of problems.  He has specialized expertise in investigating detonations, explosions and overpressure events.  This includes containment design for high pressure pneumatic and hydraulic testing.  Dr. Owens also has extensive experience evaluating gas and liquid flows in piping systems.  This includes evaluating failure mechanisms in these systems that may involve erosion, cavitation, and water hammer.  He has also worked extensively on thermal management of electronic systems and mitigation of thermal runaway in battery packs.  

Prior to Exponent Dr. Owens held research positions at Stanford University, the University of Virginia and NASA.