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Quantum W

- Research Program Mentor

PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expertise

mechanical engineering (thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluids). entrepreneurship (cleantech, social enterprise).

Bio

I am a thermal-fluids engineer by training. I spent my PhD developing a more affordable and sustainable water desalination technology. I am also passionate about science/technology policy and effective communication. I have co-founded a cleantech start-up (harmony desal) and a food security non-profit (project restore us). My hobbies include creative writing, music, and art. I also enjoy cooking, playing sports, and watching movies. I've driven across the country twice and am planning a third trip.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Building a resilient water supply for the future

The vast majority of our water supply is reliant on rainfall. as freshwater consumption increases and rainfall becomes more uncertain, more people and places will face extreme drought. How can we utilize alternative sources of water (desalination, water recycling) to build a resilient water supply? You might pick a city of interest and predict how often it will face drought given different water supply portfolios and under various patterns of rainfall and water consumption.

Impacts of widespread desalination use

Water desalination allows us to turn the oceans and underground aquifers into freshwater sources. There are fears that widespread use of water desalination will irreparably alter local ecosystems and deplete aquifers. Which of these fears are unfounded and which should policy makers be cognizant of? This problem might be approach from two ends. Using mass balance models, calculate how much desalination would be needed to significantly alter the salt content within a particular region. This number can then be compared to projected freshwater use within the same region.

Coding skills

MATLAB

Teaching experience

I have extensive experience (10+ years) as a tutor, teacher, teaching assistant, research mentor, and resident tutor. My humanities concentration during college was Education. I have taught a range of subjects (physics, math, english, biology, computer science, thermal-fluids engineering) to all ages (pre-K to adult).

Credentials

Work experience

harmony desalting (2020 - Current)
founder
project restore us (2020 - Current)
co-founder, director

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BS Bachelor of Science (2015)
mechanical engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS Master of Science (2017)
mechanical engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
mechanical engineering

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