Meet the team

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.

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.

Katy is a graduate student in the Materials Department and specializes in developing soft composite materials and studying their transport mechanisms. Her past research experiences explored solid-state fabrication for battery cathode materials and bulk manufacture of a superconducting thin film nickelate series, however, her work on fabricating novel porous heterogeneous catalysts led her to discover a passion for complex porous media. In her free time Katy enjoys fishing, hiking, and reading.

Ella is a graduate student in the Bioengineering Program and a T32 Quantitative Mechanobiology trainee. She received her bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering in 2023 from the University of Maryland, College Park. She currently works on engineering microgel and hydrogel based cell scaffolds and has been doing research with hydrogels since 2020. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, crocheting, and exploring California.

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.

Thanvi is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. She is researching fracture mechanics, exploring the formation and behavior of precipitates within fractures. Thanvi is from the Bay Area and in her free time she enjoys drawing, painting, and drinking a warm cup of chai.

Sakina is a master's student in the Mechanical Engineering department. She received her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and is currently researching cilium-generated viscous fluid flows. Sakina is from the Chicago suburbs, and in her free time enjoys doing taekwondo, drawing, and wandering urban spaces. 

Isabella is a third year undergraduate student pursuing her degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a certificate in technology management. She is researching Capillary Bridges between Soft Gels. Isabella is from San Diego, California and in her free time enjoys surfing, reading, and spending time outdoors. 

Dagyo is a third year undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Music, and Media Arts and Design. She currently assists with research on simulating ciliated organisms moving near free surfaces and for mucociliary transport. Dagyo is from Torrance, California and likes playing the trombone, crafting, and reading in her free time.

Kaelyn is a third year undergraduate in the biology department at UCSB and a CIRM COMPASS intern. She currently works on engineering microgel-based cell scaffolds, and she researches the effect of the 3D mechanical environment on cell migration and proliferation. Kaelyn is from Escondido, and in her free time she enjoys reading, writing, and climbing.