About Me
Hello and welcome to my site!
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, a completely ocean-deprived city. During high school, I spent my time hanging out with my dogs, taking ballet classes, and volunteering at the Cincinnati Zoo. Whether it was the occasional vacation to the Atlantic Ocean or the countless books and documentaries I consumed about marine life, I somehow cultivated a deep interest in all things ocean-related, specifically newer advancements in ocean technology. I pursued an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and marine biology at Northeastern University in Boston, where I was fortunate to participate in a variety of exciting co-ops (internships). My time there solidified my passion for using technology to explore the oceans and protect the planet’s fragile ecosystems and I knew I wanted a career in this field.
Now, I am pursuing a graduate degree in oceanography with a focus on ocean acoustics from the University of Washington in Seattle. I am looking forward to exploring life on the west coast, specifically escaping the Northeast ski conditions... While I'm not toiling away in our education system, I like to write and watercolor, rock climb, hike, ski, bake sweet treats for my roommates, and take care of foster dogs.
Feel free to browse this collection of my co-op experiences, travel adventures, and snippets of writing. Don't hesitate to reach out!
Engineering Projects and Work
Here are some of my favorite projects that I worked on throughout undergrad.
Senior Capstone: A Low-Cost Acoustic Release
During the fall of 2023, I led a team of 5 other talented engineers to build a low-cost acoustic release. An acoustic release is a device to aid in ocean research. It allows scientists to deploy sensing equipment to the bottom of the ocean for extended periods of time and recall it when data collection is complete. Using acoustic communication to retrieve the device limits the typical use of invasive ropes and buoys, which can lead to animal entanglement and litter.
Our team developed both the physical acoustic release mechanism to be deployed into the ocean and a deck box for communication between the researcher and the device. This process combined the development of acoustic signal communication through hydrophones (microphones for the ocean), digital design for a user interface, the integration of various sensors, motors, and battery management, and many more aspects of system design engineering. Below are images of our system block diagram, the deck box block diagram, and the acoustic release block diagram.
Personally, my main role was system design, build, and integration. This might sound like everything, but really what it means is bringing each side of the team together and forming a cohesive product from each of our specialties. When I wasn’t working on bringing it all together, I focused on the PCB builds, signal integrity testing, motor/mechanical design, and power management. As appointed team leader, I had the chance to practice leadership skills. I found this both challenging and rewarding, and was honored for our team to receive the 1st Place Prize for our hard work at the end of the semester. Here are some photos from our final product, our demo, and our presentation.
Carrier Board for a Harvesting Drone
At my third co-op, GreenSight, I learned how to design PCB schematics and layouts in KiCad, culminating in this carrier board project. A carrier board allows the seamless use of smaller, off-the-shelf boards into your system without the use of excessive and unreliable cabling. The purpose of this board was to use an input of 48V to power four motor control boards and a microcontroller. The board was designed for ease of use within the system, interchangeability of components, and power protection.
Autonomous Whale Observer for ships and coastlines
At my second co-op, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, I worked on a whale spotting system. Ship strikes are a leading cause of death for many whale species, right alongside rope/buoy entanglement. By implementing a watch-dog type system aboard a vessel, we can better detect and avoid whales, saving both valuable lives and expensive damage to a ship. The system consisted of an array of infrared cameras, a normal camera, all on gimballed platforms, and the associated electronics boxes to control the cameras. My main role was to design a housing for the on-ship camera system, as well as build and configure it for deployment. I used SolidWorks to design the housing, integrating the existing system architecture into my build. I built and tested the whole system and deployed it in Nova Scotia on a cruise vessel.
Autonomous Penguin Tracker for in-situ observations
As somewhat on an independent study project after my semester of marine biology courses, I lived in Monaco for a month working with the Centre Scientifique de Monaco. The penguin colony that I had worked with in Antarctica has a monitoring camera system that has been operating for over 10 years. This system stores continual footage of the entire colony, split into two views. An ongoing challenge in the lab has been how to track specific penguins from one of the two entrances of the colony to their nest. I explored this challenge using Adam Harley's open sourced PIPs code (persistent independent particles).
Adelie penguin handling
As an unexpected component of my field-work in Antarctica, I became one of the main members of the ornithology team tasked with completing important biological procedures before Adelie penguins returned to the sea for the winter. I had never worked with anything like a penguin before, the extent of my animal handling being dogs, guinea pigs, snakes, and turtles... It was a fast but necessary learning process, and I owe a lot to my mentors who were on the base with me. We also conducted a more unique procedure which required securing a specific penguin at the precise moment that they left the colony before they made it to the ocean. My skill in running through jagged ice and snow in big boots were therefore honed. Once the adult was secured, we had a short amount of time to obtain physiology measurements, attach a monitoring tag, and draw blood. The second, annual procedure required the tagging of every single new chick with an RFID tag. This is for the purpose of keeping track of this specific colony over time, the health of certain lineages, breeding success, etc. With over 200 Adelie chicks to tag, this was a huge chunk of work. I am so honored to have been trusted with this opportunity and had a fantastic time learning from the ornithologists.
Microbs: In-Situ Camera Systems for Adelie penguin observation
My main task in Antarctica was to build and deploy a series of three ethernet-connected cameras onto different buildings across the base. These cameras would be set up to observe specific areas of sea-ice with the goal of recording how fast Adelie penguins are moving to or from the colony. While the engineering aspect of this project was relatively straightforward as the system had already been designed, the science coordination piece was a hurdle. On the French base, where everyone spoke and worked in French, my barely fluent ability was really put to the test. I learned a completely new set of vocabulary and advocated for myself when someone was speaking too quickly and I didn't understand. My French quickly improved and I was able to successfully communicate everything I needed for my project, but not without a lot of hard work and frustration!
Scientific Writing
Being a part of NU Sci, Northeastern University's student-led science magazine, gave me the unique opportunity to research and publish articles on any topic I could dream up. I used this avenue to expand my focus from the ocean and explore topics in space, ecology, and social dynamics within the science field.
Additionally, as an editor from 2022 - 2024, I had the incredible chance to work with many other talented writers. This was rewarding in the interpersonal aspect of helping develop new writer's voices as well as learning about their chosen topics. Now that I've graduated from NU Sci, I hope to find a new avenues to express my excitement for science through writing.
Take a look at some of these pieces!
Our brains on psychedelics: Getting creative in the treatment of mental illnesses - Published December 1, 2023
Bill Wilson co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s. He had struggled with alcoholism since his early twenties and depression even longer. But while AA helped Wilson recover from alcoholism, he remained frustrated with available mental health treatments. So, in the ‘50s, he began collaborating with psychologist Betty Eisner and discovered the power of LSD. In [read more]
Reincarnation: Dodo or do-don’t - Published August 6, 2023
While the wooly mammoths, smilodons, and giant ground sloths starred in Disney’s “Ice Age,” do prehistoric creatures have a place on Earth today? When species go extinct, evolution fills the ecosystem gap with modern species, renewing balance and moving forward in evolutionary history. The hot-topic term “de-extinction” describes the process of using genetic engineering to [read more]
Summer campaign in the Antarctic - Published July 20, 2022
While the idea of spending three months of co-op in Antarctica sounds isolating and lonely, it is, in fact, the opposite. I discovered this while on my co-op from December 2021 to March 2022 working with the French Polar Institute to improve long-term penguin observation systems. Every day is heightened by the close community of [read more]
Time capsules blinking in the sky - Published March 7, 2021
Everyone remembers the first time they wished on a shooting star, recognized Mars by its reddish tint, or realized the glimmering, dusty sweep across the blackness was actually the Milky Way. Peering into the night sky has a certain magic that has continually drawn our gazes upwards and outwards from every corner of [read more]
Massive Martian sand waves - Published November 19, 2020
Less than 40 million miles away, Mars can be observed in the night sky by the naked eye, distinguishable by a reddish tinge to its pinprick of light. Data on Mars began to be collected almost as soon as space exploration itself began; the 1964 mission aboard NASA’s Mariner 4 was the first successful flyby [read more]
‘Women in science’ should not be oxymoronic - Published August 10, 2020
Although society has seemingly made leaps and bounds over the past century in terms of overall gender equality, the scientific field is still far from balanced. Yes, the early 1900s began with a minuscule number of recognized women in any field of science, but even now, the United Nations [read more]
Field Work and Travel Blog
Southeast Asia Trekking Trip - South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos - June/July 2024
As a post-graduation trip, I embarked on a two month long trip through Asia. With only belongings that could fit in a backpack, my friends and I trekked through South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos. We explored the countries’ unique natural wonders, cities and infrastructure, and most importantly, the FOOD!
First stop - Seoul! All of my friends who were also traveling at this time gathered together, packing 13 bodies into a teeny air bnb. One memorable day we hiked up Bukhansan to get an expansive and breathtaking view of Seoul stretched out before us. When we made it back down, we sat ourselves in the nearest eatery and pointed randomly at the menu to order. The dish that came out was sizzling, perfectly searing the mushrooms and thin slices of meat in perfect hot pot style. We ate ravenously, our lips and tongues turning red to match the spices flavoring the broth. We explored for almost two weeks, making it down to Busan (on a train, yes it was spooky and surreal), to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, and to multiple meandering turns of the Cheonggyecheon river. Traveling with so many friends required flexibility, patience, and communication but we had a fantastic time and could always find a Korean barbeque restaurant that would seat all of us together.
Next stop was the Philippines, trading skyscrapers and huge roadways for beaches and motorbikes on dirt roads. The change of pace was greatly appreciated, and we spent many days relaxing and taking in the slower tempo of life. The people were incredibly friendly and outgoing, as I luckily discovered on my first night there. I landed around 7pm at the Manila airport and got in a taxi headed to my hostel. Upon arrival at the hostel address, I was led up several flights of stairs in complete darkness, and came out onto a rooftop lounge area lit by string lights, a few people leisurely stretched out on porch furniture amidst walls filled with murals. A woman walked up to me and introduced herself as the owner, and we established that my reservation had somehow not gone through their system. She waved away my email confirmation and laughed off my apologies at the mishap. Once she showed me where I could sleep, she asked if I had eaten dinner. Not 30 minutes later, I had a steaming home-cooked meal in front of me. The rice, tofu, and lentils were amazingly comforting and I settled into the chairs to chat for hours with the owners and a few other guests at the hostel about their travels and experiences in the Philippines. A few days later I climbed Mt. Batulao against the threat of an incoming storm. Passing through a small village full to the brim with chickens and dogs, I was greeted by the locals selling bottled water and hiking snacks, wishing me a good hike. Despite the rumble of thunder in the distance and a cool breeze announcing the afternoon rain, it was an incredibly peaceful and beautiful hike. Adventures on the Cebu and Bohol Islands were full of beautiful beaches, ice blue water rushing through canyons, and new wildlife. The sunsets were incredible, sunlight playing with clouds and the floating boats to form shadows and shifting shapes on the water’s surface. We found the most fantastic live music venue - Guitar Woodhouse in Panglao. The entire restaurant was shaped like a guitar, with an outdoor seating area where the soft sounds of the musicians floated around and up into the sky around us. The food and mango shakes were delicious, but best of all, the restaurant’s dogs had recently had a litter of puppies and there were 10 chunky little muffins running around all night. We had such a good time that we went back for round two the next night.
Leaving the Philippines for Vietnam was bittersweet, but discovering Hanoi’s specialties—egg coffee and coconut coffee—quickly lifted my spirits. We gorged ourselves on bún chả and phở, the noodles providing much-needed fuel for our explorations around the city. Every hour or so, we’d stop for coffee just to escape the sweltering heat. Though bustling, Hanoi’s streets were lined with massive trees, and occasionally, we’d stumble upon a quiet, deserted road that looked like something out of a storybook. We ate bánh mì on Train Street, waiting for the huge engine to whistle past, so close it could have clipped your nose if you weren’t careful. We soon boarded a bus to Ha Long, preparing for our boat cruise into Ha Long Bay. The towering rock formations rose out of the horizon, seemingly defying gravity as they balanced on narrow bases and soared skyward, covered in blankets of lush greenery. We kayaked through these formations, paddling into stone caves to discover secluded oases, where the water was alive with jellyfish and monkeys clambered on nearby islands. From Ha Long, we took another bus to Sapa, a mountain town where the cooler temperatures were a blissful relief. We hiked through stunning rice paddies, already drenched by the chilled rain but taking the chance to plunge into a huge waterfall anyway. A few days later, I embarked on a multi-day trek of bus rides to reach Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Vietnam’s buses are both a blessing and a curse: while there’s no better way to see the country than a 24-hour bus ride, the lack of charging ports and Wi-Fi, people packed into every inch, unbearable heat, and the lingering smell of urine were far from ideal. Every six hours or so, we’d stop at rest stations for preset meals. I was alone for this part of the journey and was the only English speaker on the bus. Each meal, I sat with a new group of people and was non-verbally guided on how to eat the salted fish, rice, meat stews, and various vegetables. I never knew exactly what I was eating, but I eagerly tried everything, earning amused looks from my companions whenever I indicated that a particular dish wasn’t for me. By the end of my time in Vietnam, I had completely fallen in love with the country and can’t wait to return.
By this point in the trip, a decent amount of travel fatigue and sickness had set in. I was still loving every moment where I got to discover a new food or landscape, but I was definitely tired. We recouped with low-effort plans, tinkering around on motorbikes to explore nearby creeks and viewpoints in Luang Prabang. We watched the hot air balloons and hang gliders float gracefully against a backdrop of the karsts of central Laos. Eating mango sticky rice and delicious, warmth-filled curries, we rested and enjoyed our quiet existence in the tiny tourist town. Illness can only be ignored for so long however, and I did make my way back to the United States with a rampant kidney infection. The end of my trip was opportune in that regard, and I was happy to be back where I could safely get better. Overall, this was the trip of a lifetime and I would jump at any chance to return to these remarkably unique and ever-surprising countries.
Gokyo Lakes Region and Everest Base Camp Backpacking Trip - May 2024
This is an awesome trip. Still updating section.
Solo Backpacking Trek - West Highland Way, Scotland - August 2023
The West Highland Way is a popular 96-mile long trek extending north from Glasgow, Scotland. It passes through beautiful lochs, peaceful towns, rolling moorlands, and impressive mountains. I completed around 70 miles of the trek in 5 days, starting in Rowardennan and ending up in Fort William.
While not without challenges, I generally find solo hiking trips to be a phenomenal time. I love the opportunity to meet fellow wanderers, move at my own pace, and practice a meditative mentality while physically exercising my body. Enjoy these photos that I took while on the trek and the story snippets that accompany them.
These photos are from the first three days of my trek, the loch section. The terrain was a dense woodland right on the edge of the crystalline Loch Lomond. I crossed with many other hikers, and stopped many times to pick blackberries by the side of the trail.
These photos are from the second day of my trek, hiking out of the lochs and up into the highlands. I passed over several brooks and streams before following the old military road up into sheep territory. There was even a brief stretch through a pine forest where I was grateful for the branches to ward off some rain showers. Red fairy mushrooms littered the underbrush and everything was very quiet.
I thought things couldn't get better but then they did. I stumbled out onto Rannoch Moor after a 17 mile day to be accosted by wind and the threat of a heavy rain. As I kept walking along the military road, I gambled with the sky on when to pitch camp. My gamble paid off and no sooner had I tucked my boots under the awning of the tent than the clouds unleashed a torrent of water. I huddled inside my tent, munching on a cheese wrap and reading my book until the rain subsided. Clambering out of my tent, I was met with a full rainbow stretched over the moor. The breeze was enough to keep the bugs at bay and I happily sat in the grass, marveling at the Earth until sunset.
Hiking out of the moor, I was welcomed into the thick of the highlands with gorgeous views of mountains around every turn. Although there was more elevation in this last section, my legs and feet were used to the long days by now, and I had plenty of cheese and peanut butter wraps for fuel. Near the end, I had the choice to split my remaining mileage into a 10 and 7 mile day, or complete the trek a day early. About a mile in, I met a Scottish gentleman who hiked the trek in its entirety every month. We were on a flat stretch of trail and as he engaged in conversation, I slightly sped up to fall in step. We spoke about his family in the United States, his wife and the car buisness he was long since retired from, and what keeps him going in life. He told me stories of the two ancient women who live on a farm up in these highlands and refuse to leave. Well above 95, they are fit as fiddles and plan to stay there for many years still. What keeps them healthy I asked - raw goat's milk and no telephones was the response. Suddenly I realized that I had been pushing my pace all morning to keep up with this man and his stories of old Scotland. I was 9 miles through and it was not even lunchtime. The Scot did not stop for lunch, so we parted ways and I planned the rest of my trek. Getting to Fort William a day early allowed me to head back to Glasgow a day early as well and spend a little time in the city.
I made it back to Glasgow and cleaned up from my trek. The first shower always renders me a completely different person and this time was no different. My chosen reacclimation to society was a Glasgow pub crawl of live music venues, as it was a Saturday night, so what else could I possibly do. I started off with a pub advertising swing music and found a plethora of retirees dancing to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole tunes sung by a huge man sporting a fedora and vest combo. I befriended two women at the bar who were out on the prowl and watched them successfully pick up men for the night and leave for the drag show up the road. Life aspiration right there. Next, I happened upon a corner pub and was lured in by the dulcet tones of Tennessee Whiskey. Sadly, it was that singer's last tune, but the next band did not disappoint. They pulled out a trumpet and accordion, filling the dimly lit space with jazz funk music, reminiscent of New Orleans. I kept wandering and found a basement cafe lounge, my resting place for the night. The space was better lit than your typical pub, and full of couches and armchairs surrounding the stage. The singer had a strong voice, and she made you feel like singing along even if you didn't know the lyrics. I relaxed for the rest of their set, getting up to dance with everyone for their ending zinger, I Will Survive. The next day I made my way home to Boston, sure that this would not be the last time I visited Scotland.
Three Seas Marine Biology Semester - Friday Harbor, WA and Bocas del Toro, Panama - Fall 2022
In order to complete my minor in marine biology amidst an engineering intense courseload, I took a whole semester off to focus solely on marine bio. I joined a cohort of 12 other students and we spent two months in Nahant, MA; Friday Harbor, WA; and Bocas del Toro, Panama. Each of these places was wildly unique and had so much to offer in terms of natural beauty, ocean ecosystems, and culture.
Whale Spotting Camera System Deployment - Nova Scotia, Canada - June 2022
Camera System Deployment and Penguin Colony Field Work - Dumont d'Urville, Antarctica - Winter 2021/22
While I was in Antarctica technically for work, it was also an incredible travel adventure. Not only was I culturally immersed in a French work and social atmosphere, but I was surrounded by some of the most interesting people I had ever met. Technicians who returned to Antarctica year after year to construct buildings and do maintenance to keep the base running, chefs and bakers who had were masters of French cuisine, scientists who were much more versed in polar sciences than I, even an Anthropologist with whom I shared a name. The journey started aboard the Astrolabe, a French military ice-breaker. We spent a peaceful (unless you were a victim of sea sickness) 7 days floating from Tasmania down to the base. During the voyage, I realized how little French I actually knew and played a lot, I mean a LOT of backgammon.
As I continued practicing my French at communal dinners and social times, I made some good friends and learned a lot from the people there. Two of those good friends were Manu, a meteorologist, and Jerome, the chef. Part of Manu's job was to release these massive weather balloons each day, which relayed wind, temperature, and particulate matter information back to their station. I released one of these weather balloons with Jerome to celebrate the New Year! As is tradition at the base, we held a few polar plunges, choosing a sunny day to vault into the frigid ocean and blast our nervous systems with the shock. My closest friend Adelie and I plunged together, luxuriating in the feeling of pins and needles as our bodies adjusted to the temperature. But life at the base wasn't all play. As a small group of people living together in isolation, there were certain jobs that were required of us in order to keep everything running smoothly. Chores were given on a weekly basis to a rotation of people, known as "service base." When the kitchen needed restocking, the whole base came together to form a long line from the freezers to the main eating room. Cartons of eggs, fruits, vegetables, and pounds upon pounds of butter were passed from hand to hand until they safely reached the kitchen.
One of my favorite parts of living in Antarctica for a few months was the "Planet Earth" like environment that I was privy to. Surrounded by some of the most uniquely adapted creatures in the world, I could spend hours outside walking around and observing the skuas, petrels, and penguins. Especially as the penguin chicks began to hatch into tasty snacks for the skuas, I could watch an entire hunt from start to finish. A chick gets too independent and wanders away from the safety of the rest and a skua locks in. Circling and diving to grab at the chick with its talons, it's met by a horde of angry adult Adelies. They puff up their chests and peck at the diving skua, forming a ring around the defenseless chick. Eventually, their spunk wins out and the skua flies off. Another exciting, yet rarer encounter I witnessed was a leopard seal's attack in the nearby ocean inlet. Spy-hopping up to get a lay of the land, the leopard seal swam silently and smoothly through the bright blue water, barely rustling the surface. While most of the penguins huddle together nervously on the sea-ice, a few take their chances and dive in. Moments later, the leopard seal breaks the surface of the water, the Adelie gripped in her jaws. She slings her head from side to side, slapping the penguin's body on the surface of the water, then dives down again. The technique was clearly practiced and purposeful, and we all watched in awe throughout the entire event, until nothing remained of the penguin but a muddied spot in the bright blue water.
I cannot express how much I grew as a person and a scientist during my time in Antarctica. I loved it there and can't wait for more adventures like this.
Contact
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