Alumni

Graduate Student (Ph.D. 2007)

Now: Associate Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of New Hampshire

anne.lightbody (at) unh.edu

At MIT I studied the hydrodynamics of treatment wetlands and coastal wetlands.

Graduate Student (S.M. 2006)

Now: Senior Research Engineer, Water Resources Team Lead / Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering, National Research Council Canada

enda.murphy (at) nrc-cnrc.gc.ca; murphye (at) alum.mit.edu

At MIT I used experiments and numerical simulation to understand the effects of vegetation on mass transport in aquatic systems.

Graduate Student (Ph.D. 2005)

Now: Professor, University of Western Australia

marco.ghisalberti@uwa.edu.au

Graduate Student (Ph.D. 2000)

Now: Professor, University of Iceland Reykjavik

hrund (at) hi.is

Graduate Student (Ph.D. 2000)

Now: Principal Systems Engineer at Raytheon

Linkedin

Graduate Student (Ph.D. 1999)

Now: Professor, College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin Madison

chinwu (at) engr.wisc.edu

Graduate Student

tianzhao@mit.edu

I am examining sediment transport. In my undergraduate studies, I had field experiences observing suspended cohesive sediment transport on tidal flats. In particular, my trips to coastal saltmarshes in Jiangsu, China, have set me thinking about how marsh plant species like Spartina alterniflora and Spartina anglica will interact with local sediment transport and morphodynamics, and how researchers can integrate vegetation-induced turbulence and drag into sediment transport models. To study these problems, I have started my graduate career in the Nepf Lab in Fall 2018.

Visiting Master student from ETH Zurich

kjodocy@mit.edu

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are gaining traction in coastal engineering because they can protect shorelines and provide ecological co-benefits. A prominent example is the surge in oyster-reef restoration, ranging from New York Harbor’s Billion Oyster Project to more than 70 NOAA-funded projects across 15 U.S. states. Yet we still lack a quantitative picture of how engineered reefs modify waves and currents—and whether those flow conditions remain suitable for oysters themselves. My research examines how gabion-based oyster reefs (wire cages filled with recycled shell)alter waves and currents and whether the resulting flows still meet oysters’ biological needs. I run a 2-D numerical model that I calibrated and validated against physical flume experiments to test a range of gabion configurations and flow conditions. The simulations quantify both the wave energy dissipated by the reef and the residence time of water inside the gabions, which I compare with oyster filtration rates to assess food supply and survival potential. By linking hydrodynamic behaviour with oyster biology, the project aims to provide practical guidance for selecting reef designs and restoration sites that balance coastal protection with the long-term health of oyster populations.

Administrative Assistant II
Nepf Lab, June 2011- September 2020

pepebe (at) mit.edu

Brenda has happily retired from MIT and makes her home on the South Shore. She is now enjoying time with family, friends, and her various hobbies such as genealogy, travel, and knitting.

Brenda is a proud Boston College alumnus and double eagle, having received both her Undergraduate degree and Master’s degree from the College.

NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow

hgildeh@mit.edu

Vegetation plays an important role in the natural systems, including rivers and coats. Vegetation impacts the fluid mechanics as well as sediment transport. In my research at MIT, I am interested in investigating the interaction between fluid mechanics and channel bed sediment (i.e., scour and deposition) numerically, under different vegetation scenarios. This will have significant practical engineering applications in both river and costal engineering designs, especially in nature-based solutions (NBS) designs. I am using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to predict the behavior of vegetated flows.