People
Current Members
Dr. Maddie Smith
Assistant Scientist, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering
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Dr. Maddie Smith is an Assistant Scientist in the Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Motivated by the loss of sea ice in a rapidly changing climate, her research uses observations and modeling approaches to understand how sea ice interacts with the ocean. Her fieldwork has taken her to the oceans at both ends of the earth, including participation in the summer leg of the year-long MOSAiC expedition. Maddie completed her PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, exploring the role of surface waves and turbulence in the autumn Arctic Ocean. She received her B.A. in Earth & Oceanographic Studies and Environmental Science from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she first dreamed of exploring the Arctic while learning about the transpolar drift of Fridtjof Nansen. In her off time, Maddie enjoys playing outside in more temperate regions on bikes, kayaks, and running, as well as cooking and sewing.
Ian Robertson
MIT-WHOI JP PhD Student, Physical Oceanography, 2024-
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Ian is a PhD student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program studying the interactions between surface waves and sea ice in the Arctic. His research interests include surface waves, coastal physical oceanography, air-sea-ice interactions, and Arctic climate change. He received degrees in Mathematics and Music from Bates College in 2021, then worked as an Environmental Data Analyst at the Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Hawai’i for three years before entering the Joint Program. Outside of research, he is passionate about composing, recording, and playing music and enjoys getting outdoors to bike, run, hike, and ski.
Former Members
Michelle Sangillo
Former NSF Summer Student Fellow (SSF), 2023
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Michelle was a Summer Student Fellow in 2024 investigating drivers of winter waves observed by a sea floor mooring off the coast of Flaxman Island, Alaska by analyzing associated landfast sea ice and atmospheric conditions. She continued working with a similar sea floor mooring for her senior thesis advised by Maddie, integrating fundamental equations for wave generation and fetch-limited wave growth. Her interest in waves was sparked by watching how the waves broke against the hull during sailing trips with her family and her love of physics and math. Since graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in May 2024 with a B.S. in Physics, Michelle has been sailing, hiking, baking, and crocheting.