From Capillary Jets to Life Paths: A Personal Journey Through the Constructal Law
By Michael Stockman
I thoroughly enjoyed the 15th Constructal Law Conference, held November 5–7, 2025, at Florida International University in Miami. The speakers and topics were outstanding, reflecting real progress in both the depth and breadth of the Constructal Law. I highly recommend that anyone interested in the field—whether from a highly technical or a broad conceptual perspective—attend the next conference and engage actively on the website at constructallaw.com
My remarks at the conference began with this idea: the paths our lives take are rarely straight. They branch, loop, and evolve in ways we often don’t anticipate. Looking back, I now see that this dynamic flow mirrors a central idea in physics — and in life — the Constructal Law: that flow systems evolve to provide greater and easier access to their currents. That principle, developed by my thesis advisor and lifelong friend, Professor Adrian Bejan, has not only shaped modern thermodynamics but has also, in a very personal way, described the arc of my own career.
This is both a personal and intellectual story — about how early scientific inquiry and later professional experience together illustrate the universality of the Constructal Law. It is also a tribute to the enduring influence of a mentor whose vision helped shape the theory, my life, and the lives of many others. The intellectual journey began with my MS thesis research in Mechanical Engineering, advised by a then–star rookie professor, Adrian Bejan, “The Buckling Instability of Capillary Jets” and culminating in my thesis and our co-authored paper in The Journal of Fluid Mechanics “The nonaxisymmetric (buckling) flow regime of fast capillary jets”.
On reflection, the mix of a demanding intellectual environment, genuine camaraderie, shared ambition, and the thrill of discovery made for a life-changing and rare experience. We took particular pride in doing meaningful work on a shoestring budget, relying on the inventive talents of a brilliant lab machinist who helped bring our experimental apparatus to life.
Our research group often gathered at Professor Bejan's and his wife, Mary's, home in Boulder, where he ensured his team was continuously well fed and well cared for. Many years later, Adrian and I remain close friends, and we’ve even introduced our grown children to one another.
After completing my master’s degree and thesis in 1981—and before starting my new job at an engineering consulting firm in Boston—I traveled to Galați, Romania, to visit Adrian’s family, a memorable and formative chapter in my education.
This paper reflects on that formative experience and on the continued relevance of those ideas throughout a career that ultimately flowed far beyond engineering. After earning an MBA and spending decades in finance, I’ve come to recognize patterns in markets, organizations, and risk-management decision-making that echo the same Constructal principles: that improved access ultimately leads to optimal design.
About the Author
Michael Stockman is a Managing Partner at WMD Capital Partners, LLC, a real estate private equity partnership, and has been with the firm since 2015. Michael brings over 30 years of experience from senior roles in mortgage trading, global fixed income, capital markets, and risk management at leading institutions, primarily Goldman Sachs and UBS Investment Bank. Mr. Stockman has also been actively engaged in academia and service through leadership and advisory board roles at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the University of Colorado. He holds an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Union College, Schenectady, NY.
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