Emilie Dressaire received her undergraduate degree in Physics and Chemical Engineering from ESPCI (France) and her master degree in Biophysics from the University of Paris. She graduated with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Harvard University in 2009. During her graduate studies, she worked on shaping fluid-fluid interfaces through capillary, elastic, and gravitational effects. She went on to become a postdoctoral research fellow at McGill University (Canada). After being a faculty member at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and a Research Scientist at CNRS (France), she joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at UCSB.

Sara Gonzalez is a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering. She received her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her undergraduate course in micro and nanoscale engineering sparked her interest in microfluidics, which Sara is excited to pursue at UCSB. In her free time, Sara enjoys reading. She is currently making her way down the list of top fantasy series.

Trinh received his undergraduate degree in Physics and Mathematics at Clark University. His undergraduate research was in the forms and locomotion of inertial magnetoelastic swimmers in granular sediments. At UCSB, he studies capillary actions in gel-coated imbibition cells and tubes. Trinh was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In his free time, He likes to take his camera around and take photos of nature and architecture. He also enjoys learning and cooking new dishes every weekend.

Sean received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His undergraduate fluid dynamics course and summer research inspired him to pursue a graduate degree. At UCSB, Sean is researching flow through arrays of flexible hairs. In his free time, he enjoys climbing and exploring Santa Barbara.

Casey graduated from UCSB in mechanical engineering, and is pursuing a Masters through the BSMS program. He is currently researching the fracture characeristics of gel when injected with a fluid. He was born in Santa Rosa, and enjoys the gym and other exercise.

Layla is a second year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. She is researching elastocapillary interactions in orb spider threads. She is interested in bio-inspired design and research in fluid mechanics. Layla is from Marlboro, New Jersey, right by the Jersey shore. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, photography, and fashion design.

Matthew is a fourth year undergraduate studying mechanical engineering. He is studying imbibition dynamics in gel coated tubes. His academic interests include fluid dynamics, controls, and materials science. He is from Buena Park, California and enjoys reading, cooking, and learning new languages in his free time.

Pearl is an undergraduate student studying biology and chemistry. She is interested in how biological structures can be applied to human engineering and design, particularly in materials science and robotics. Working in the lab has also developed Pearl’s fascination with microfluidics. In her free time, she loves to draw, play the piano, and watch short films.