Research interests
I'm curious about turbulence, navigation, and functional morphology-- and the coupling between all of those things. In particular, I'm interested in the intermediate scales of turbulence, and the organisms that navigate flows in which they are alternately nektonic and planktonic. These animals' compromises between speed and maneuverability, and their adaptations to their unique environments, hold some of the keys to the development of efficient and effective autonomous underwater vehicles.
Current projects:
Former projects:
|
About Margaret
I received my PhD in 2015 from the University of California Berkeley, in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. There, I worked under professor Evan Variano in the Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology Group. My dissertation focused on the transport and kinematics of particles in environmental turbulence-- a hugely important topic that's related to sediment transport, marine biology and ecology, and even climate change. While at Berkeley, I spent a summer at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Labs, where I studied the biomechanics of fish swimming. I was also a fellow of the Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research (CiBER).
In 2010, I received my B.S. from Princeton University, in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. My senior thesis (under Dr. Alexander Smits, entitled "Design and Locomotion of a Robotic Manta Ray") paved the way for my subsequent interest in aquatic biomechanics and its intersection with fluid dynamics.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy travel, music, and spending time outdoors.
In 2010, I received my B.S. from Princeton University, in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. My senior thesis (under Dr. Alexander Smits, entitled "Design and Locomotion of a Robotic Manta Ray") paved the way for my subsequent interest in aquatic biomechanics and its intersection with fluid dynamics.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy travel, music, and spending time outdoors.