Research Experience

  1. Graduate Research Assistant

    University of Wisconsin - Madison
    • Retrieved and isolated microplasitcs from beach sediments on western Lake Superior to investigate the trends in microplastic beach deposition.
    • Developed simple beaching model (1D) for buoyant marine debris with wave flume experimental validation.
    • Developed expanded beaching model (2D) for buoyant marine debris with wave basin experimental validation (in progress).
    • Exploring a novel regime for buoyant debris dispersion in the swash zone and the implications for particle transport and fate (in progress).

  2. Transatlantic Research Partnership - Casimir Study

    IRPHE, Marseille, France
    • Set up preliminary experiemnts to study the Casimir effect on buoyant marine debris in surface wave turbulence.

  3. Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology REU

    Brown University, Providence, RI
    • Developed structural model of the crust and upper mantle beneath Alaska using Rayleigh wave attenuation.

Education

  1. PhD Civil and Environmental Engineering (In Progress)

    University of Wisconsin - Madison

    Investigating the physical beaching process of buoyant marine debris in coastal environments through field work, wave flume experiments, wave basin experiments, and computational modeling.

    Minor: Mechanical Engineering

    Certificate: Delta Certificate in Research, Teaching, and Learning (completed August 2024)

  2. BA Physics

    Luther College

    GPA: 3.920/4.0

    Minors: Mathematics and Environmental Studies

    Senior Thesis: “Shear Wave Velocity Structure Beneath Alaska from Rayleigh Wave Amplification and Phase Velocity.”

Skills & Hobbies
Research
Experimental Research
Image Processing
Data Acquisition Systems
Particle Image Velocimetry
Design and Fabrication
3D Printing
3D Modeling
Engineering Design
Microcontrollers
Hobbies
Biking
Skiing
Crafting
Baking
Awards
Becker Travel Awards
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering ∙ June 2024
Received the Becker Travel Award from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to attend APS-DFD in 2022, IAGLR Annual Meeting in 2023, and YCSECA in 2024.
Student Research Grants Competition
University of Wisconsin - Madison ∙ February 2024
Twice received the Student Research Grants Competition Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2023, an award of $1,500 was received to conduct debris beaching experiments at the Queen's University wave basin in Kingston, Ontario. In 2024, an award of $1,500 was received to travel to and present at the AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting.
Anna Grant Birge Scholarship
University of Wisconsin - Madison ∙ May 2021
Received a research funding scholarship of $1,500 for microplastic analysis and laboratory microplastic beaching experiments.
YCSEC-A - Student Presentation Award
YCSEC-A ∙ October 2021
Received the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award at the Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference - Americas 2021.
Phi Beta Kappa
Luther College ∙ May 2020
Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, academic honor society.