Hi, I’m Andy
I’m a Ph.D. Student in Physical Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. I study ocean wave physics. I want to improve our understand of air-sea interaction to enable better weather predictions, climate modeling, and remote sensing. Coming from a mechanical engineering background, I have an eye for practical applications. This website has my CV and some info on engineering projects I’ve worked on.
Growing up, I spent much of my time exploring the beaches and tidal inlets of Cape Cod on foot and by boat. I love sailing small boats because almost everything that happens has a clear physical explanation. Every move you make has an impact, since your weight is significant compared to the other forces acting on the hull. The trick is to understand the physics of the sail, the hull, and the ocean well enough to predict what will happen and control it if you can or stay ashore if you won’t be able to stay in control. This combination of theory and practice is my favorite part of both sailing and oceanography, and it is the common thread in all my work.
Sailing small boats and exploring the beaches of Cape Cod has also given me a deep appreciation for the uncontrollable power of the ocean and its great potential to support life or to destroy it. I like sailing when small craft advisories are in effect, but a few uncomfortably close calls with rocks and hypothermia have taught me that the wind and the waves are much stronger than I am. On shore I see first-hand how the pounding surf erodes dunes by the foot every year – dunes that protect salt marshes teaming with nesting birds, fish, arthropods, and the small offspring of larger ocean creatures; dunes that protect infrastructure, roads, houses, and the people in them. Understanding, preserving, and appropriately harnessing the ocean’s resources and physical power is essential in a world with a changing climate, collapsing ecology, and extreme weather. That’s why I’m in oceanography. I am a problem solver, and I know I can contribute.
