https://www.gear.mit.edu/people daily 0.75 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1768497221514-OSD8KE5RFPOPXAA80NXB/yang_tan_retreat_26.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/96e90000-aca9-431a-9e01-cc2165f45638/jon_defense_25.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d160502f-7a6e-4fbe-8ad9-473c544c7201/ski_trip_2025.JPG People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1716932808635-R4MEJN3X8GWX7KM1XBS6/Lab-2024-Fenway-Juan-RedSoxGame.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1705607484585-TQBNGOJJ8NXGP3CXX7H2/LabFun-2023-MIT-CarolynDefense%2B%252813%2529.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695055068764-FVJORCFOE3LGIPXM11HW/PXL_20230803_201207332.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695056100966-372T42303IWHTTPL14MX/IMG_4281.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/ea17614e-adb4-4cf6-9f1e-1048f91d0de3/IMG_0408.jpeg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695056053202-84IQ7NO987T0L852F7M6/3D6645C5-9D92-4E10-9918-7555BA845557_Original.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/fbb13c36-fa90-40f1-8f39-1eaddf56bbe7/gala2022-51.jpeg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695055995222-OUN42PWMQPHD77WLI7EW/group_photo4.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695055953131-W7TYGHQCGAOV9GBOAUWF/group_photo3.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695055894864-VAWM1Z4HJKMVU1IGKOVS/group_photo2.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1695055831612-LGKJLBT11JN4QLYQWRK4/group_photo1.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3d3ede88-a107-4506-b901-0a5b3160ee46/Amos+Headshot.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586311510764-BGW0CR2RI87XH55EH5H5/susan_amrose.jpg People Susan Amrose Research scientist Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f5ff4ea1-e2c7-4774-b520-9954cd60aa32/Amanda_Stack_headshot.jpg People Amanda Stack Research engineer Global Health Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f71a532b-475f-4c80-9b0f-8b744d7a666a/Judge%2C+Benjamin+++Staff+Engineer+03.jpg People Ben Judge Staff engineer Desalination Team + wherever he can help https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1aacf2e8-c804-4389-9858-5e5bd5130968/Emily_Welsh_013_PS.jpg People - Make it stand out Emily Welsh Staff engineer / Lab manager All teams! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/22e35bee-0fff-4d77-a633-fad9321abbc7/Andy-Jordan.jpg People - Make it stand out Tzu-Ching Chen (Andy) Research engineer Drip Irrigation Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/4b02460d-4d55-4c53-b701-98cd4f88b792/rajagopalan-sai-HD.jpg People - Make it stand out Sai Vadhula Visiting Scientist Global Health Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7405473f-1de9-49d9-a102-a3a92e394abd/David2024-2.jpg People - Make it stand out David Shrier Professor of Practice, AI & Innovation, Imperial College https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7e9cf7da-2ddf-43fd-a63f-6052df5be21d/Just+Cakky+%282%29.jpg People - Make it stand out Catherine “Cakky” Forrest Administrative Assistant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/e1794094-e6d5-4511-bf91-443da2ee57f4/RoseYin.jpg People - Make it stand out Rose Yin Global Health Team (Co-advised by Prof. Ellen Roche) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d2ec0870-1e73-4369-a227-5d9efa47e805/Leonardo_P1.jpg People - Make it stand out Leonardo Capeleto de Andrade Water and Sanitation Team (Co-advised Prof. Gabriella Carolini) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/93357356-e8e0-4a72-84df-a9b8833ee27b/Portrait_CJ.jpg People - Make it stand out Chotiwat Jantarakasem Drip Irrigation & Desalination Teams (Co-advised by Dr. Greg Sixt) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6fb35b9c-4853-4a41-a80b-40d216ba5014/Mohamed+Naouri-2.jpg People - Make it stand out Mohamed Naouri Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/783d8e31-7968-4250-b7c0-e74063141563/260305_203.jpg People Nina Petelina Global Health and Energy Teams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6963aae1-91c2-4d12-a6b8-3fe2364121a4/260305_087.jpg People - Make it stand out Joël Chapuis Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631557175181-NYZD132R6GRG8GDEJMIO/Collin_Goldbach.jpg People - Make it stand out Collin Goldbach PhD Student Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/8e663864-15bd-4f0c-aa25-6c4905e7f6ad/brei_headshot_cropped.jpg People - Make it stand out Melissa Brei PhD Student Desalination Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3e612d1c-b1bf-4067-b5e6-029d6cdfb88c/trucking_crop.jpeg People ZhiYi Liang PhD Student Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6301c7e5-63f1-4d3e-9c8b-edcab581d5d7/madi_reddie_headshot.jpg People - Make it stand out Madi Reddie PhD Student Global Health Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/df4b4107-0a3c-4bbb-8eb8-90a62fa8951d/AutumnGeil.jpg People - Make it stand out Autumn Geil PhD Student Global Health Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/dc77c58b-5c45-40d4-b76c-e4c55f211008/Juan_GEAR_Profile.png People - Make it stand out Juan Romero PhD Student Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6c67ebbe-196a-4de7-868e-d763c8bf2de1/Kinjal-Ruecker.jpg People - Make it stand out Kinjal Ruecker PhD Student Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7baec92a-ee9c-44af-9916-d46279ae23cf/AndreaJones.jpg People - Make it stand out Andria Jones PhD Student Desalination/ Drip Irrigation Teams https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/0d8b506f-3a86-48b5-85ef-ac7979b724f6/Heath%2C+Samuel++SM+08.jpg People - Make it stand out Samuel Heath PhD Student Energy Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/66483a0d-0d4b-4215-bf40-9336de8c3fe4/Ellie_cropped.png People - Make it stand out Ellen Clarrissimeaux Master’s Student Global Health Team (Co-advised by Prof. Hugh Herr) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/774cc1d8-494f-4c7d-b790-b554fc4e61d6/ariel.png People - Make it stand out Ariel Mobius Master’s Student Global Health Team (Co-advised by Prof. Ellen Roche) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/609f9696-31e5-43e7-b230-e8f1e9b8e121/Haley_H_cropped.jpg People - Make it stand out Haley Higginbotham PhD Candidate Global Health Team (Co-advised by Prof. Ellen Roche) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631850229378-41TLARBHXIKFCVPFBBC2/headshot-dome.jpg People Georgia Van de Zande Research Affiliate Assistant Professor, Olin College of Engineering https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/163e2581-17cd-49f7-87b0-308c5f41fa02/Mike_Bono.jpg People - Make it stand out Mike Bono Research Affiliate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6ea96976-5f69-42ee-b6b9-75d1aff5110e/Antonia+Filingeri_new.jpg People - Make it stand out Antonia Filingeri Postdoctoral Associate "Teoria dello sviluppo dei processi chimici" Lab University of Palermo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a7f0c080-0150-42f5-a966-825db0591e64/DanWecht.jpg People - Make it stand out Dan Recht Managing Director Activate Boston https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/48c54a9f-f41b-4e85-aaef-92a54ad811bc/jamie+bio+pic.png.jpg People - Make it stand out Jamie Vinsant VP Electrodialysis EnergyX https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631556206833-CA7WDSUSNLC97QI9PJ3L/shane_pratt.jpg People Shane Pratt https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/e86fffd7-b401-425c-8eef-829eb6662da0/bryony2024.jpg People - Make it stand out Dr. Bryony DuPont https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/07ee9026-df76-4df3-be8a-aa46411859a8/MikeReedHeadshot.jpg People - Make it stand out Mike Reed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/e1778dfc-08ee-466f-80ba-dbc815a15b46/benjamin_weizer.jpg People - Make it stand out Benjamin Weizer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1599757065732-TWMFLH1J790G33TNGZ4U/jon_bessette.jpg People Jon Bessette https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587653181157-D9MBNRJFYAQPQE9I6K9M/Fiona_Grant.jpg People Fiona Grant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312269478-NSX3RKJFKDCYH4Z5A6S9/aditya_ghodgaonkar.jpg People Aditya Ghodgaonkar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/b80fbbb7-89bf-44bc-b8ae-885fa57d992b/Jeff_Costello.jpg People Jeffrey Costello https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/28511291-0cf0-4f11-a420-01fd9b9aa8ca/carolyn_sheline.jpg People Carolyn Sheline https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631850229378-41TLARBHXIKFCVPFBBC2/headshot-dome.jpg People - Make it stand out Georgia Van de Zande https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631650232479-XLQUPJMR551HLV8JF1CJ/Urvaksh_Irani.jpeg People - Make it stand out Urvaksh Irani https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631557227810-LJEV2U35G3233J6TH95D/Jimmy_Tran.jpeg People - Make it stand out Jimmy Tran https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/98a7d852-ddf9-4b52-81db-644b4ad484ae/Charlotte_Folinus.jpg People Charlotte Folinus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312034981-DFO1ZYQ47LW8Z6YU96ZY/rashed.al-rashed.jpg People Rashed Al-Rashed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587586575116-BDSXROTEZ095932G3FQT/Soraya_Honarparvar.jpg People Soraya Honarparvar https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1599777103388-XYFN408XIQQB10KMSHA9/jacob_easley.jpg People Jacob Easley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586311752490-9BD28XQLZKYGXTYGOLT3/grace_connors.jpg People Grace Connors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312081195-JSUITIE4IOA7MX22M3YH/sahil_shah.jpg People Sahil Shah https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586311474317-7RDTZ6CTIGVK8EY8WUH3/elizabeth_brownell.jpg People Elizabeth Brownell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587434550075-27JYX7ATVVIDMDCE8KK0/Heidi_Peterson.jpg People Heidi Peterson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1605500587891-VP5GACPIGUS58AW5O85O/victor_prost.jpg People Victor Prost https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585880851190-31J0ZD0LNIXO1WTLEYBK/hannah_varner.jpg People Hannah Varner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1605500152380-MCHXJ3OSVZ2GF62PW7HL/simone_gelmini.jpg People Simone Gelmini https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586311955796-BB2GQKGPKUY4IMK2LEH8/julia_sokol.jpg People Julia Sokol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585881041541-QO6DBANBAJ2VNQK4H66K/elliott_donlon.jpg People Elliott Donlon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312735273-5AQ51ZQSDK8AP26NF9DU/brett_johnson.jpg People Brett Johnson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312781541-US3NLZ882H1EXQ5RY5QG/kameron_conforti.jpg People Kameron Conforti https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312816352-P2JWUTOI7GW379S89LJO/dario_nava.jpg People Dario Nava https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312941604-BPENC2D1QFLVJIHD9UH2/guillermo_diaz.jpg People Guillermo F. Díaz Lankenau https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586312999995-RMG3SBP9ZXWLAU8IW17X/wei_he.jpg People Wei He https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313077649-7CL0O5SPIBPK1UZMT9WV/ac_lehenaff.jpg People Anne-Claire Le Hénaff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313122174-U4TVN7VBZK85RXW8IMSW/dan_dorsch.jpg People Dan Dorsch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313165609-8X5UHEH28KK25IEIJAVC/murthy_arelekatti.jpg People Murthy Arelekatti https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313203754-TKWGA6E431OT58LELHUW/jaya_narain.jpg People Jaya Narain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313236744-8VJWYGJKBRW0BFNLXE5Y/natasha_wright.jpg People Natasha Wright https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313272567-YF5N6OACVVWPYXZR2C6X/michael_buchman.jpg People Michael Buchman https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313310405-TTO0IAKA1LG3EKFWUES5/katy_olesnavage.jpg People Katy Olesnavage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313349681-00HYE9Y1CMDOLQTQ9PWB/david_bian.jpg People David Bian https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313379918-YQ0M2FHWK0FAOORUXI38/sterling_watson.jpg People Sterling Watson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313491565-4YUD4WR8E8BTKLG6M861/pulkit_shamshery.jpg People Pulkit Shamshery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313540928-W720X24TLFDZC8DZXTBC/devarajan_ramanujan.jpg People Devarajan Ramanujan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313583264-IOCO91P3OXQ5G8QV0Z8Q/ruo_wang.jpg People Ruo-Qian (Roger) Wang https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313620722-2FN9GISJU3ULOXKSFK1P/jesse_breneman.jpg People Jesse Austin-Breneman https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313659833-6RO6NA8AKUF9MFHSQYA4/josh_wiens.jpg People A. Josh Wiens https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586314071435-36T0U5S8EZ4FY97ZXM8F/pawel_zimoch.jpg People Pawel Zimoch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313722262-6X4FJZEHRK90QNRIA4PP/monica_isava.jpg People Monica Isava https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313776498-X6XG873Y41PLLHHJCNMX/sean_ricks.jpg People Sean Ricks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313811208-0XCE01HWZ0E1AU29NBWE/katie_taylor.jpg People Katie Taylor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313842963-R2F1B7HNIITZZ09318KX/ben_peters.png People Ben Peters https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313921614-BJAZOYK5N6DM5BQLED5F/yashraj_narang.jpeg People Yashraj Narang https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313953608-20YG7GQ7ZLLVJ7QHALXR/amy_banzaert.jpg People Amy Banzaert https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586313987860-UI172DPDG1UK7OYET69F/greg_tao.jpg People Greg Tao https://www.gear.mit.edu/home daily 1.0 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1705604129277-D5HCRVC5UHIN90RYPQKD/Yang%2BWinter.jpg Home MIT News: Announcing the K. Lisa Yang Global Engineering and Research Center, January 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1705605276538-WNVKWA8AX3HQ8K85MZZT/Drip-2023-Jordan-Emily-Farm%2B6%2B%252819%2529.jpg Home Drip irrigation team travels to Jordan and Morocco to gather farmers' insights on new emitter technology, November 2023 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1705604146810-M74M3C7EY10EK3S4BSN6/Precision%2BAG%2BSelects_05_3-2Ratio%2B%2528002%2529.jpg Home MIT News: "No Drop to Spare" MIT creates affordable, user-driven smart irrigation technology, October 2023 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a36b12f6-a7ae-4272-bcf8-10626d1f00e7/de+Florez+Awards-02.jpg Home Aditya, Collin, and Nina participate in the MIT de Florez competition with Aditya winning first place for Graduate Student Design https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1728667313254-48ZL4EE0R2QM3PSM2KT1/Desal-2022-BGNDRF-Jon-SkidInstall%2B%252818%2529.jpg Home MIT News: Solar-powered desalination system requires no extra batteries, October 2024 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3d3ede88-a107-4506-b901-0a5b3160ee46/Amos+Headshot.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/9f18129a-4a68-4bca-82a8-0232dbefd9be/Jonathan%2BBessette_Activate.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/861f51b9-882c-4514-b31e-95ea92dd8183/May+2025+SoE+Awards+-+Amos+Winter+-+small+format.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a46600cc-99fd-4feb-8a98-ebce42bd60c4/cover+slide.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/50716a4f-f4f6-4c77-af6d-4622d04a3240/RS6537_2024+Weizer%2C+Benjamin++SM+05+1024.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6c0bf60b-67e3-4376-b2a8-e1d2a8e03b6f/71WAuRfJxvL._SL1500_.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/feac3cdc-bdc1-4c6c-b72c-ab640ae9f823/Water.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1a2321c5-9c1f-4679-bb36-83aee3d8ac9a/hydrogentanks_crop.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/43e9f6df-4b70-4d28-b4f2-e59f6fbc0be4/AssitiveDevices.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/2047b2d6-6348-4d07-8255-b69eae06aecc/image-asset.jpg Home https://www.gear.mit.edu/overview daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585882151235-WPIOAWJR6YYK14NSMU9Z/home_desal_icon.jpg Overview Home-use desalination The objective of this work is to use parametric understanding of electrodialysis (ED) to design a high recovery ED desalination and water purification system that is competitive with existing reverse osmosis (RO) products on cost, power consumption, and production performance for domestic use in urban India. Advances in modeling of ED have allowed the GEAR Lab to rigorously analyze and compare performance across system configurations and propose a set of system designs and improvements that respond to the end user and industrial partner’s requirements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585885983808-41D171ABU8U6OOF044AK/drip_slider_1.jpg Overview Drip irrigation We are developing low-cost and low-power drip irrigation systems to impact the lives of smallholder and marginal farmers worldwide and to help protect the global supply of freshwater. With our efforts, we aim to reduce pumping power and capital costs to the point where solar-powered, off-grid drip systems become an affordable option for small and marginal farmers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585882198798-XMGE6ORY9O8PTGDSFSQR/village_slider_5.jpg Overview Village-scale desalination Due to the scarcity of fresh, potable groundwater and the unreliability of the electric grid in many parts of rural India, there is a great need for off-grid desalination systems. Current research in the GEAR Lab has been focusing on off-grid, photovoltaic-powered electrodialysis reversal (PV-EDR) desalination. Capital cost is a major barrier to the adoption of desalination technologies in India, and the power system of off-grid PV-EDR systems is the major contributor to the high capital cost of current systems. For this reason, this project is focused on designing the minimum-cost power system for EDR that can meet local water demand.The next stage of the research is building and testing a PV-EDR prototype in a village in India. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586740696812-1DCBL8244N84XLJ3Z1IS/knee_slider_1.jpg Overview Prosthetic leg The focus of this project is to create a low-cost, high-performance prosthetic leg that uses only passive mechanical elements to generate a normal walking gait. The device is being designed to meet the mobility and stability needs of above-knee amputees in developing countries and offer improved performance over locked and free-swinging joints. The project includes investigating the fundamental biomechanics of transfemoral amputees and using that insight for designing prosthetic components such as foot and knee. In our process we evaluate how changes in lower leg and foot effect the selection of prosthetic components. Our aim is to provide similar levels of performance as high-end, active-controlled legs at a fraction of the cost, and make a prosthetic technology that will be adopted in developing and developed markets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586740785312-Q5AWQ2WDSCY26P7YNPYL/AssitiveDevices.jpg Overview Prosthetic foot We are developing prosthetic foot design frameworks and metrics that provides quantitative and predictive connections between mechanical properties of prosthetic foots and their anticipated bio-mechanical performance. Using this technology, we strive to impact the lives of amputees in the developing world by designing prosthetic feet that deliver lifelike gait mechanics and durability using affordable materials. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/ca060a3d-d0c3-40d3-a7ad-5ac621555083/Truck_crop.png Overview - Make it stand out Hydrogen trucking The greater scope of this project aims to address climate change by tackling technical challenges in one of the hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors - heavy-duty trucking. In the United States alone, heavy-duty trucks are responsible for 6% of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions and yet transport 80% of domestic freight according to the EIA and the DOT. The primary project goal is to design a high-pressure hydrogen gas onboard storage apparatus that is safer, more flexible in form factor, more space efficient, and can be mass-manufactured for long-range heavy-duty trucks. By providing a better hydrogen onboard storage design, we can alleviate one of the primary technical bottlenecks for the wide-scale adoption of hydrogen fuels in the heavy-trucking industry, effectively reducing CO2 emissions contributed by this hard-to-decarbonized, yet crucial economic sector. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1585886076211-ZPKZ4XO7TYUJVIYS84TN/bullkey_slider_1.jpg Overview Small farm mechanization This project presents a novel tractor architecture to enable mechanization of bullock power in India. Existing tractors are inadequate substitutes for bullocks. Bullock's compact dimensions, high maneuverability, and low capital cost have allowed them to remain a popular choice for small and large farmers. These bullocks, however, are slow at covering ground, incompatible with modern precision tools, and have higher maintenance costs than tractors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1592247289479-5GC0WO19K2X7NSNSPJG8/sanitation_2.jpg Overview Sanitation systems We are currently assessing high-value near-term engineering innovations in Indian sanitation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586741041735-I2P62M2BS7KGEWB65ENG/turbo_slider_1.jpg Overview Single Cylinder Turbo This research is aimed at developing a novel method for turbocharging single-cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engines to create a more compact, fuel efficient and lower cost power source for small-scale farmers in India. Turbocharging uses energy from an engine’s exhaust to compress the intake air, allowing the engine to combust more fuel. Due to the pulsating nature of flow, this technology is not currently used in single cylinder engines. We have built a new style of manifold that buffers the air flow. This method has been validated through both experiments and computational models. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586741122866-4JC0AV3W2JBXWGER2GCF/Transmission.jpg Overview Hybrid Transmission Many high performance automobiles are adding electric motors for performance enhancement. The goal of this research to create a hybrid architecture that eliminates the clutch and replaces the functionality of the clutch with electric motors. We seek to maintain or improve performance of current high performance hybrids while improving efficiency. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586741268897-WTDPBPXLA4CE7MPI0W65/lfc_slider_4.jpg Overview LFC Wheelchair The Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC) is an all-terrain wheelchair designed for rural areas of developing countries. The key innovation behind the LFC is its single-speed, variable mechanical advantage drivetrain. The user propels the chair by pushing on the levers; gasping high increases torque, while grasping low increases speed. The drivetrain geometry was optimized considering human power and force capabilities, user physiology, and terrain types found in the developing world. This simple system achieves a 3:1 change in mechanical advantage, enabling LFC users to travel 80% faster and produce 50% higher peak wheel torque than they could with a conventional wheelchair. All moving parts on the LFC are made from bicycle parts found anywhere in the world, making the LFC locally repairable and comparable in price to other wheelchairs available in developing countries. The LFC is in production in India and can be purchased through Global Research Innovation and Technology (GRIT). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586741393349-295IDZJDPUAXUK5O1KJ8/roboclam_slider_1.jpg Overview RoboClam The aim of the RoboClam project is to generate low-power, compact, lightweight, and reversible sub-sea burrowing technology. Applications for this work include dynamic and reversible anchors, littoral reconnaissance, ocean sensor placement, subsea cable installation, and self-installing oil recovery equipment. RoboClam technology is based on the digging mechanisms of Atlantic razor clams, (Ensis directus), which drastically reduce burrowing drag by using motions of their shell to locally fluidize the soil. We have successfully adapted localized fluidization burrowing into engineering applications via the RoboClam robot, which has demonstrated successful digging in both granular and cohesive soils. Ongoing work on this project is focused on articulating the parametric relationships behind localized fluidization in order to create design rules for tuning RoboClam technology to many size scales, substrates, and applications. We are currently developing a new, self-contained RoboClam that will serve as the prototype for a commercial product. We are also investigating whether RoboClam technology can be used to burrow in deep soil applications (>10 m), as well as in dry substrates. https://www.gear.mit.edu/contact daily 0.75 2026-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586746179320-QWMMZN4CD5NLRVZJ11V7/map-grayscale.png Contact / Jobs https://www.gear.mit.edu/victor-prost daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1605500686982-9GC8MDYIDR6X9YRCSMD0/victor_prost.jpg Victor Prost - Victor Prost Alum Prosthetic foot team vprost@mit.edu vprost.scripts.mit.edu Research Interests After completing his undergraduate degree at Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, Victor joined the GEAR Lab to work on an affordable high-performance passive prosthetic foot for Indian amputees. He is passionate about applying his designing and building skills to make a difference in the developing world. His research interests includes machine/product design, manufacturing, structure & fluid mechanics, and control. Education M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017 M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, 2015 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, 2014 https://www.gear.mit.edu/teaching daily 0.75 2026-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586298100573-C2RGI1PU8Q44ZA8XODQN/Global_Engineering.jpg Teaching - 2.76 Global Engineering Combines rigorous engineering theory and user-centered product design to create technologies for developing and emerging markets. Covers machine design theory to parametrically analyze technologies; bottom-up/top-down design processes; engagement of stakeholders in the design process; socioeconomic factors that affect adoption of products; and developing/emerging market dynamics and their effect on business and technology. Includes guest lectures from subject matter experts in relevant fields and case studies on successful and failed technologies. Student teams apply course material to term-long projects to create new technologies, developed in collaboration with industrial partners and other stakeholders in developing/emerging markets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a120d691-2854-447b-a0a8-ab599fab2edf/PXL_20251027_190337260.jpg Teaching - 2.76 Global Engineering: Green Machines Combines rigorous engineering theory and user-centered product design to create and disseminate green technologies for global markets. Instruction focused on analyzing barriers to large-scale adoption of green technologies and utilizing engineering skills to promote greater adoption. Students engage in physics-based machine design theory and experiments to parametrically analyze green technologies, coupled with product design principles to understand policy, cultural, market-driven, and economic factors. Includes guest lectures, case studies, and a term-long project to create a techno-economic analysis on a green technology. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication provided. *A techno-economic and green technology focused course that’s offered on an alternating cycle with 2.76 Global Engineering (above). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6c3b47c9-fcb5-451b-abd6-6df74dc32f22/2007.png Teaching - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.gear.mit.edu/drip-irrigation daily 0.75 2026-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/8006077d-a719-4e0f-bf3c-4a9d4967a558/Drip+irrigation.jpg Drip Irrigation - Make it stand out Drip irrigation is a water-efficient technology but can be expensive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/acda1667-b292-4800-b491-63c6420986b3/Furrow_irrigation.jpg Drip Irrigation Furrow irrigation can waste water to runoff but is inexpensive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/db19e62e-6e11-4b5e-8ced-2dd1a2d95df9/PVDI_system_schematic_full.png Drip Irrigation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586298758625-1G75B7XTZ8XL1ZSPLRST/online_emitter.jpg Drip Irrigation On-line pressure-compensating emitter developed by MIT GEAR Lab that has an activation pressure ~7 times lower than conventional emitters https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586299254985-X9Y25E0B8J0JTGUMW6RU/field_testing.jpg Drip Irrigation Our team has conducted numerous field pilots to validate our technology in Kenya, Jordan, and Morocco. https://www.gear.mit.edu/elizabeth-brownell daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586315562633-TQ5CELZKRF2SV0TSIOTH/elizabeth_brownell.jpg Elizabeth Brownell - Elizabeth Brownell Desalination & drip irrigation teams ebrownll@mit.edu www.linkedin.com Google Scholar page Research Interests I am a mechanical engineer with a background in both physics and chemistry. I enjoy research and development work involving mechanical product design and prototype-scale fabrication, as well as analysis and modeling. My research interests include clean energy technology, water conservation, and combined heat & power (CHP), and my master's thesis focused on the optimization of thermoelectric generators to maximize power and efficiency. Education BS Physics & Chemistry, Northeastern University, 2010 MS Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, 2013 https://www.gear.mit.edu/shane-pratt daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586315915065-V1598ZFM4R73D60SB5IK/shane_pratt.jpg Shane Pratt - Shane Pratt Staff engineer All Teams srpratt@mit.edu Shane’s Google Scholar Publications Real-time Deep Neural Networks for internet-enabled arc-fault detection [] Siegel, J.E., Pratt, S., Sun, Y. Sarma, S., Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence (2018) Hobbies Diesel engines and defenders https://www.gear.mit.edu/susan-amrose daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586316990884-F5YCW6ZI6OOMO3JRC58O/susan_amrose.jpg Susan Amrose - Susan Amrose Research scientist Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams samrose@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests I am a Research Scientist interested in developing affordable and scalable water solutions for low resource settings and ultra low energy irrigation solutions for smallholder farmers. I was previously at the Gadgil Lab for Energy and Water Research at the University of California, Berkeley, where I helped develop water treatment technologies. I played an integral role in the development of ECAR technology to remove naturally occurring arsenic from drinking water, a problem affecting millions of people in South Asia. My team was awarded the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize in Water for ECAR in 2013. In 2014, I co-founded SimpleWater, Inc., a US company to commercialize ECAR technology for small water systems in the US that currently have no affordable arsenic solution. I led a research program to develop recycled materials for low-cost modular roofing for slum housing in India, which is currently being sold in Ahmedabad. At Berkeley, I taught a series of interdisciplinary graduate level courses on designing scalable technologies for low-income regions. https://www.gear.mit.edu/aditya-ghodgaonkar daily 0.75 2025-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586317352232-0TYVNZV3UFOG1EAS1M5R/aditya_ghodgaonkar.jpg Aditya Ghodgaonkar - Aditya Ghodgaonkar Alum Drip Irrigation Team Google Scholar Profile adighod@mit.edu Research Interests I've been interested in fluid and heat transfer analysis since working on engine modeling and design as a member of the Formula SAE team in college. Before joining the GEAR lab at MIT, my MS research at Purdue focused on the development of numerical tools for investigating the propagation of low-Reynolds number gravity currents for geophysical applications. Presently, I'm interested in combining my interest in fluid mechanics with device design as a member of the drip irrigation team. Education PhD Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2025 M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2019 B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, R.V College of Engineering, 2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/carolyn-sheline daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/fe5782cd-9bec-4619-8e85-9cb8bdc50f07/carolyn_sheline.jpg Carolyn Sheline - Carolyn Sheline Alum Drip irrigation team csheline@mit.edu Research Interests Carolyn wrapped up her PhD at the start of 2024 working on the drip irrigation controller project. She helped to design the affordable, precise irrigation controller to meet the needs of resource-constrained farmers. Her focus was on developing the energy- and water-efficient irrigation schedule optimization that has low-cost weather prediction capabilities with applied machine learning and minimal sensors as well as physics-based models. Education PhD Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, February 2024 S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, 2015 Torrey Pines High School https://www.gear.mit.edu/elliott-donlon daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586317607261-BHFX8JVGHFCR3SQOJ6GE/elliott_donlon.jpg Elliott Donlon - Elliott Donlon Alum Water and sanitation team edonlon@mit.edu www.donlonisland.com Research Interests Elliott followed his love for making electromechanical devices and systems thinking to Massachusetts where he attended Olin College. Since then, he has done robotic manipulation research with MIT's MCube lab as a Research Associate. He is excited to be back to large-scale systems thinking where a design is not simply based on physics and engineering but also human and socioeconomic constraints. Education M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2020 B.S. in Engineering Systems, Olin College, 2014 https://www.gear.mit.edu/fiona-grant daily 0.75 2025-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587653121483-YJ4R068SDEMJKR5GG7FS/Fiona_Grant.jpg Fiona Grant - Fiona Grant PhD student Drip Irrigation Team fionag@mit.edu Research Interests Fiona is a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering working on the drip irrigation team. Her research focuses on designing solar-powered drip irrigation systems that meet the needs of farmers in resource-constrained and water-stressed environments. Before joining the GEAR Center, Fiona earned her SB and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at MIT. She has previously conducted research on small-scale desalination for villages in India, underwater vehicle propulsion, and the effects of dust deposition on solar plant production in the Atacama Desert. Fiona’s research interests include system optimization, controls, and human-centered design, and she is excited about bringing a multi-disciplinary engineering approach to address global climate challenges. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019 S.B. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/georgia-van-de-zande daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631850164793-POZYXP0DQLX1G9Y8E74V/headshot-dome.jpg Georgia Van de Zande - Georgia Van de Zande Research Affiliate Assistant Professor, Olin College of Engineering www.gdvdz.com Olin College of Engineering Georgia Van de Zande gdvdz@mit.edu Research Interests Dr. Georgia Van de Zande is a Visting Assistant Professor at Olin College of Engineering where she teaches mechanical engineering and design. She's passionate about climate-centered and human-centered engineering design processes, creating innovative learning experiences, and exercising her design skills to have an impact on global challenges. For example, for my Ph.D. with the GEAR Lab, she designed a solar-powered, water-saving irrigation tool for farmers in Kenya, Jordan, and Morocco. Georgia is excited about the product design process, sustainable design, design team collaboration, and engineering and design education. Education PhD Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023 S.M Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015 https://www.gear.mit.edu/simone-gelmini daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1605500244880-NMCMMH3LBPOWHEF4A99Y/simone_gelmini.jpg Simone Gelmini - Simone Gelmini Desalination & Drip irrigation Team gelmini@mit.edu Google Scholar page Research Interests Simone joined GEAR Lab as a postdoctoral associate after completing his PhD at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Simone’s research focuses on the analysis and development of optimal energy management control strategies for desalination and drip irrigation. Prior to his PhD, he was a Visiting Research Assistant at the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR), Clemson University. His research interests also include control systems for automotive applications, on-board diagnostics, time series classification, and safety in personal mobility. Education PhD in Information Technology at Politecnico di Milano, 2020 MS in Automation and control engineering at Politecnico di Milano, 2015 BS in Automation and control engineering at Politecnico di Milano, 2013 https://www.gear.mit.edu/grace-connors daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586738767904-NLC8KUNVC9T23AXT64OM/grace_connors.jpg Grace Connors - Grace Connors Alum Village-scale desalination team connorsg@mit.edu Research Interests Grace is a graduate student on the desal team. As an undergraduate, she worked as a researcher in the Lienhard Lab focused on membrane distillation and reverse osmosis technologies. Then, after graduating, she worked as the Commercial Engineering Director at a startup using desalination-related technology to concentrate beer in order to reduce shipping costs. Upon returning to MIT in 2019, she is working on optimizing and commercializing the time-variant photovoltaic electrodialysis system. Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016 https://www.gear.mit.edu/hannah-varner daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586738924801-53ZAF7GN7UI6CJQLOJYU/hannah_varner.jpg Hannah Varner - Hannah Varner Alum Home-use desalination team varnerh@mit.edu Research Interests Hannah received her bachelor's from Brown University in 2014, where she spent her time on a team designing and building Brown's first satellite. After graduation, she worked for 4 years in microelectronic design and production before coming to MIT in 2018. Hannah looks forward to applying her interest in mechanical engineering to the every day problems that are relevant around the world. Education M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2020 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Brown University, 2014 https://www.gear.mit.edu/heidi-peterson daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587434728844-IH4Y1QRIWEU1HRT004H1/Heidi_Peterson.jpg Heidi Peterson - Heidi Peterson Alum Prosthetic foot team heidip@mit.edu www.heidivpeterson.com Research Interests Heidi has been passionate about designing prosthetics and medical devices since high school. After completing her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and working briefly at Verb Surgical, she returned to graduate school and joined MIT’s GEAR Lab, where she is working on developing a low-cost, high-performance prosthetic foot. Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2018 https://www.gear.mit.edu/julia-sokol daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586739324840-ZY70KDO9481P3MO825MM/julia_sokol.jpg Julia Sokol - Julia Sokol Alum Drip irrigation team sokol@mit.edu www.linkedin.com Google Scholar page Research Interests Julia hopes to make a dent in the world's water and energy problems. Prior to MIT, she worked as a sustainability consultant, helping design more energy-efficient and comfortable buildings. Her master's research developed a methodology for creating and calibrating models of building energy use at the urban scale. Her current research aims to make irrigation systems more water- and energy-efficient through component and system design. She loves to travel and has enjoyed the opportunity to work on irrigation systems in Morocco and Jordan. Education Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020 M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015 B.A. Harvard College, 2010 https://www.gear.mit.edu/nina-petelina daily 0.75 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/055e2e83-985c-44e4-bb57-09e1954d1524/260305_203.jpg Nina Petelina - Nina Petelina Research Specialist Global Health and Energy Teams petelina@mit.edu Nina’s Online Portfolio Google Scholar Page Research Interests Hello, my name is Nina, and I’ve been a graduate student in GEAR Lab since 2017, and a student at MIT since 2013. For my PhD project, I worked on designs and frameworks for passive prosthetic feet and knees. Since I defended in March 2025, I have been splitting my time between the Global Health and Energy teams, doing research and providing mentorship for graduate students. My research interests include design, manufacturing, and drawing free-body diagrams. Education PhD Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2025 S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/rashed-alrashed daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586739664272-43SWS4Q1EMB63Z11273I/rashed.al-rashed.jpg Rashed Al-Rashed - Rashed Al-Rashed Alum Village-scale desalination team alrashed@mit.edu Research Interests Rashed is a PhD student working on improving electrodialysis stack design for off-grid desalination systems. He grew up in Kuwait before earning his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. His master's research involved elastic instabilities, focusing on the buckling patterns of elastic bilayer shells. Education M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015 https://www.gear.mit.edu/sahil-shah daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586739806845-IV2Z7BIPINP5LJ1LW81E/sahil_shah.jpg Sahil Shah - Sahil Shah Alum Home-use desalination team Village-scale desalination team sahils@mit.edu www.sahilrs.com Research Interests After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, and working briefly as a CFD consultant in Houston, Sahil decided to return to graduate school to pursue his love for designing and prototyping. He is currently trying to develop a more efficient alternative to RO systems for domestic desalination in Indian cities. Education MSc Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017 BSc Mechanical Engineering - University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB, 2013) https://www.gear.mit.edu/zhiyi-liang daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/fd77efd1-3f46-427d-8539-b36e8aa51ff3/trucking_crop.jpeg ZhiYi Liang - ZhiYi Liang PhD student Energy Team zyliang@mit.edu zyliangmeche.wordpress.com Research Interests ZhiYi (Z) continues his study as a PhD student at GEAR Lab after completing his bachelor's degree at MIT. ZhiYi is passionate in working on electromechanical systems, machine design, and engineering fabrication. For his master’s research, he will be developing a low-cost, high-efficiency smart pump that integrates as part of GEAR Lab’s drip irrigation system designed for the developing market. For his PhD research, ZhiYi is investigating the deployments and applications of renewable hydrogen to tackle some of the hard-to-decarbonize sectors in the world's renewable economy. ZhiYi was born in southern China and spent 12 years living there before moving to the US, because of this experience he is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. In his free time, ZhiYi likes to work on various personal projects to hone his engineering and craftsmanship skills. Education M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019 https://www.gear.mit.edu/home-use-desalination daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d94628ad-6c92-4c39-b9cf-5b71793be401/RO_sample_system.jpg Home-use Desalination - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586829635566-CDJAFAA2XY190XEHFZRZ/home_slider_2.jpg Home-use Desalination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/0a5d7c36-a09c-429b-856c-0ff15a80fbf0/POUED_prototype.jpg Home-use Desalination https://www.gear.mit.edu/village-scale-desalination daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586830887623-IB62CDG7XZUGLHZ6VKOU/village_slider_1.jpg Village-scale Desalination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586830954580-LTTH0E2OT6G0UZTE73MX/village_slider_2.jpg Village-scale Desalination https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586830987205-C5BFTUXJRFRKHO08HT7B/village_slider_4.jpg Village-scale Desalination https://www.gear.mit.edu/small-farm-mechanization daily 0.75 2024-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586831685575-4IYRUROIMWSE3UAGLBP1/bullkey_slider_1.jpg Small Farm Mechanization https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586831751680-YDIJQJCN4CS2UG45CDXX/bullkey_slider_2.jpg Small Farm Mechanization https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7dd69f99-b10e-4dda-8b13-9730199a969d/Screenshot+2024-07-16+152527.png Small Farm Mechanization - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/cc729f5d-611c-44ed-b34e-30927cc1c064/VerticalSprayer.jpeg Small Farm Mechanization - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.gear.mit.edu/prosthetic-leg daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586915050834-IYTMKJ44EPZD92QU07YO/knee_slider_1.jpg Prosthetic Leg - Prosthetic Leg The focus of this project is to create a low-cost, high-performance prosthetic knee that uses only passive mechanical elements to generate a normal walking gait. The device is being designed to meet the mobility and stability needs of above-knee amputees in developing countries and offer improved performance over locked and free-swinging joints. The project includes investigating the fundamental bio-mechanics of trans-tibial amputees and codifying how changes in lower leg and foot mass affect desired knee torque and hip energy output throughout the gait cycle. With this insight, we are optimizing simple, passive mechanical elements, such as springs and dampers, to create the correct knee torque to induce desired gait kinematics. Our aim is to provide similar levels of performance as high-end, active-controlled knees at a fraction of the cost, and make a prosthetic technology that will be adopted in developing and developed markets. https://www.gear.mit.edu/prosthetic-foot daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586915818901-FCYE2GNRTG7RQ2SH80RN/foot_slider_5.jpg Prosthetic Foot - Prosthetic Foot Our group is developing high-performance and affordable passive prosthetic feet to impact the lives of below-knee amputees worldwide. In India alone, there are about one million people with lower limb amputations. These people are using inadequate limbs that require significantly more effort to walk, exhibit unnatural walking motions, and are subject to social stigmas preventing them from employment and independent living. There is a gap between the high performance prosthetic feet in the United States that cost thousands of dollars and the affordable prostheses used in low and middle income countries (LMIC) that lack quality, durability, and performance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586916144747-9IJO95G1Z6W17617X8HY/foot_slider_6.jpg Prosthetic Foot - We created a novel metric, the Lower Leg Trajectory Error (LLTE) to evaluate and design passive prosthetic feet that enable specific walking patterns. GEAR Lab is working with Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) to design an updated version of their Jaipur Foot, which is the most widely distributed prosthetic foot in the world. The original Jaipur Foot’s success was due to its lifelike look, flexibility, and extreme durability. We aim to create a new version of the foot that is much lighter, can be mass-manufactured, meets international testing standards, is compatible with other prosthetic equipment, and matches the durability of the current foot. We developed a novel metric called Lower Leg Trajectory Error (LLTE) that maps the mechanical design of a prosthetic foot to its biomechanical performance, meaning that we can optimize the compliance and geometry of a passive prosthesis to replicate able-bodied gait dynamics using affordable materials. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586916978917-S9OBCU97ZA91V8CW1JC1/Cosmesis+Foot+%282%29.JPG Prosthetic Foot - With these effort, we designed mass-manufacturable, and affordable energy-storage and return prostheses that are being field tested with our partners in India. We used the LLTE to design a single part foot with a life-like cosmetic cover that can be mass produced in India. We are currently conducting clinical trials with the help of the BMVSS. Subjects will use our prototype feet for all their activities of daily living over a month-long period, and their feedback will be used to further refine our design. In the future, we will apply the LLTE to other ambulatory tasks such as running and ascending stairs, to create high performance, multi-purpose, low-cost prosthetic feet that can be mass produced in India and throughout low and middle income countries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586917217343-MZP7A4TAVKKUVVXDZ80M/foot_slider_1.jpg Prosthetic Foot Our team has conducted multiple user-interviews and field pilots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586917254142-6F3U894MJQMBDL2ILWL6/foot_slider_3.jpg Prosthetic Foot Jaipur Foot prosthesis distributed by BMVSS in Jaipur, India. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586917293602-ZZDN3HQJOH68D0OKZ5X0/foot_slider_4.jpg Prosthetic Foot Single part foot prosthetic foot designed for affordability and performance using the LLTE. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1586917408230-FGSQE3SS4Z090HESH0S4/foot_slider_7.jpg Prosthetic Foot In-lab prosthetic mechanical testing to ensure our prostheses meet the safety requirements. https://www.gear.mit.edu/hybrid-transmission daily 0.75 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587228995325-KUT4WD9ARW57KA4VBMBV/transmission_slider_2.jpg Hybrid Transmission - Hybrid Transmission Our group developed a lightweight clutch-less hybrid transmission to improve performance and efficiency of hybrid cars. Many high performance automobiles are adding electric motors for performance enhancement. The goal of this research to create a hybrid architecture that eliminates the clutch and replaces the functionality of the clutch with electric motors. We seek to maintain or improve performance of current high performance hybrids while improving efficiency. https://www.gear.mit.edu/single-cylinder-turbo daily 0.75 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587229329001-JWBN2TVOD3A78FV4VV5Y/turbo_slider_1.jpg Single Cylinder Turbo - Single-Cylinder Turbo This research aimed at developing a novel method for turbocharging single-cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engines to create a more compact, fuel efficient and lower cost power source for small-scale farmers in India. Turbocharging uses energy from an engine’s exhaust to compress the intake air, allowing the engine to combust more fuel. Due to the pulsating nature of flow, this technology is not currently used in single cylinder engines. We have built a new style of manifold that buffers the air flow. This method has been validated through both experiments and computational models. https://www.gear.mit.edu/lfc-wheelchair daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587229827152-D8KWL010Y6A4KY0KS69Q/lfc_slider_4.jpg LFC Wheelchair - Leveraged Freedom Chair The Leveraged Freedom Chair (LFC) is an all-terrain wheelchair designed for rural areas of developing countries. The key innovation behind the LFC is its single-speed, variable mechanical advantage drivetrain. The user propels the chair by pushing on the levers; gasping high increases torque, while grasping low increases speed. The drivetrain geometry was optimized considering human power and force capabilities, user physiology, and terrain types found in the developing world. This simple system achieves a 3:1 change in mechanical advantage, enabling LFC users to travel 80% faster and produce 50% higher peak wheel torque than they could with a conventional wheelchair. All moving parts on the LFC are made from bicycle parts found anywhere in the world, making the LFC locally repairable and comparable in price to other wheelchairs available in developing countries. The LFC is in production in India and can be purchased through Global Research Innovation and Technology (GRIT). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587229970614-IZGNJ3GGGHHK5H84EL1E/lfc_slider_1.jpg LFC Wheelchair https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587229873003-MVD4TH6G9NC8POBAZFKM/foot_slider_1.jpg LFC Wheelchair https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587229895395-IEIYVZDYSXHOHP2IYQH8/lfc_slider_2.jpg LFC Wheelchair https://www.gear.mit.edu/roboclam daily 0.75 2020-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587230683673-JLMFUHTXGA7DUOTD94GK/roboclam_slider_3.jpg RoboClam - RoboClam The aim of the RoboClam project is to generate low-power, compact, lightweight, and reversible sub-sea burrowing technology. Applications for this work include dynamic and reversible anchors, littoral reconnaissance, ocean sensor placement, subsea cable installation, and self-installing oil recovery equipment. RoboClam technology is based on the digging mechanisms of Atlantic razor clams, (Ensis directus), which drastically reduce burrowing drag by using motions of their shell to locally fluidize the soil. We have successfully adapted localized fluidization burrowing into engineering applications via the RoboClam robot, which has demonstrated successful digging in both granular and cohesive soils. We articulated the parametric relationships behind localized fluidization in order to create design rules for tuning RoboClam technology to many size scales, substrates, and applications. We are currently developing a new, self-contained RoboClam that will serve as the prototype for a commercial product. We are also investigating whether RoboClam technology can be used to burrow in deep soil applications (>10 m), as well as in dry substrates. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587230712481-O80582GSMG2GIISPY6PW/foot_slider_1.jpg RoboClam https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587230721601-QRR31VVBECD1T533LFVH/lfc_slider_2.jpg RoboClam https://www.gear.mit.edu/journal-articles daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://www.gear.mit.edu/journal-articles-1 daily 0.75 2026-02-04 https://www.gear.mit.edu/theses daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://www.gear.mit.edu/popular-press daily 0.75 2025-06-15 https://www.gear.mit.edu/soraya-honarparvar daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1587586482382-R5IHQGJG2UL6AHGZ5ME1/Soraya_Honarparvar.jpg Soraya Honarparvar - Soraya Honarparvar Village-scale desalination team shonar@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests Soraya graduated with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University. Her long- term research goal is to develop techniques and strategies that enable sustainable water and energy supplies for everyone while preserving the environment. Her PhD studies have revolved around developing scientific approaches to address the environmental issues associated with the growing water footprint of hydraulic fracturing. She developed comprehensive thermodynamic framework for the calculation of thermophysical properties of saline waters and sound prediction of salt scale precipitation. She also investigated the electrodialysis process for partial and total desalination of brackish water and oil and gas produced water to enable the application of alternative water supplies. She has recently joined the GEAR lab at MIT as a postdoc to investigate the strategies for scale mitigation and enhancement of water recovery in a community-scale electrodialysis reversal plant. Education PhD in Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, 2019 MS in Chemical Engineering with a Minor in Environmental Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 2013 BS in Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 2010 https://www.gear.mit.edu/sanitation-systems daily 0.75 2024-05-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1592245832586-NRM1MT0WR0BMT9M3E9MK/sanitation_2.jpg Sanitation Systems Re-use of nutrient-rich, untreated waste water on an Indian farm in Gujarat. Pathogen removal and nutrient re-use are key parts of successful sanitation systems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1592245887228-OMXL58AHRBUJY65ZYDPI/sanitation_1.jpg Sanitation Systems A modification of a dual pit latrine by a mason in Gujarat. In general, dual pit latrines are a simple system capable of waste treatment and nutrient re-use in areas with suitable hydrology. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1592245960684-HKDWA00G0CSOJS37TL4F/sanitation_5.jpg Sanitation Systems Since 2014 the Central Indian government has been mass-building sanitation infrastructure to curb open defecation. This men’s urinal (that empties into a nearby ditch) is one such example in rural India. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1592246005005-V6CKS3MMKHXWO6LP80E3/sanitation_3.jpg Sanitation Systems An installation of a planted gravel bed for combined graywater and blackwater treatment designed by Hunnarshala. This system is capable of recycling the treated water for uses like flushing toilets and irrigation. One major complaint of sanitation systems is that they are unsightly or smelly. This is designed to be a multi-purpose gathering space. https://www.gear.mit.edu/charlotte-folinus daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/4ae88633-6c86-4826-8b14-13893ee3e6bd/Charlotte_Folinus.jpg Charlotte Folinus - Charlotte Folinus Alum Prosthetic foot team cfolinus@mit.edu Research Interests Charlotte is passionate about using thoughtful, technical design to create meaningful products for people. She loves using mechanical design and computation to understand tradeoffs and drive technoeconomic decisions. Stationed at the GEAR Lab, she is designing high-performance, customized prosthetic feet that can be clinically provided in the US. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020 https://www.gear.mit.edu/jon-bessette daily 0.75 2025-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1599756922720-SPKQ1VUE4XHFQMHN9RDR/jon_bessette.jpg Jon Bessette - Jon Bessette PhD student Desalination Team jbessett@mit.edu jonathanbessette.com Research Interests Jon’s passion for mechanical design and interests in the future of water in developing economies led him to the GEAR lab. Here, he is researching rapidly deployable desalination system design for applications in humanitarian aid missions and disaster relief, migrant camps, and forward operating bases. His research interests include machine design, product design, fluid mechanics, design theory and methodology, optimization, and mechatronics. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, SUNY University at Buffalo, 2020 https://www.gear.mit.edu/jacob-easley daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1599776960895-A4VLOKGU2KSN2FLGYS6M/jacob_easley.jpg Jacob Easley - Jacob Easley Alum Desalination & drip teams jeasl@mit.edu Research Interests Jacob works with the desalination and drip irrigation team in GEAR Lab. During his undergraduate career at Mississippi State University, Jacob worked in the additive manufacturing lab at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. He also completed internships with NASA and Blue Origin focused on small satellites and rocket engine testing. His research interests include entrepreneurship and implementing effective design for constrained environments, and he will focus on integrating the desalination and drip irrigation systems during his time in GEAR Lab. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 2020 https://www.gear.mit.edu/jimmy-tran daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631557061653-0A5TUD5TIWA5VNW0QHQ2/Jimmy_Tran.jpeg Jimmy Tran - Jimmy Tran Alum Desalination team jtran1@mit.edu Portfolio Research Interests Jimmy is a graduate student on the desalination team. His passions lie in product design and manufacturing. During his undergrad, he did research in the Engineering Systems lab, designing a prototype for PEARL, an autonomous floating platform that AUVs can dock at to recharge and offload data. He also worked internships at Ford and Multiply Labs. Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021 https://www.gear.mit.edu/collin-goldbach daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631557282105-I9754VUHRUQ83UCVEAP8/Collin_Goldbach.jpeg Collin Goldbach - Collin! PhD student Energy Team Cjgold@mit.edu Collin’s Online Portfolio Collin’s LinkedIn Page Research Interests Collin is a graduate student of mechanical engineering. During undergrad, he researched STEM education extensively, helping lead a large team to produce engaging classroom activities for learners of all ages and abilities, and routinely collaborating with the Minnesota Children’s Museum. Collin also applied mechatronics design in research, building computer-embedded costumes for circus performers and microgravity experiments for flight on Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle. Before starting college, Collin was an apprentice blacksmith at Black Oak Forge. His research interests include mechanical design, clean energy, and global development. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023 B.S. Mechanical Engineering - University of St. Thomas, 2020 Journeyman Blacksmith, Black Oak Forge, 2018 https://www.gear.mit.edu/urvaksh-irani daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1631650498279-9RTX22S3K92L6414BQKQ/Urvaksh_Irani.jpeg Urvaksh Irani - Urvaksh Alum Prosthetic foot team urvaksh@mit.edu Research Interests Urvaksh is passionate about design for the developing world. As an undergraduate at Georgia Tech he worked on developing a low-cost hearing aid and understanding fluid flow in Helmholtz resonators. Now, as a graduate student in the GEAR Lab, Urvaksh is working on the LMIC foot — a high-performance, affordable prosthetic foot for low and middle income countries. Education B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), 2020 https://www.gear.mit.edu/melissa-brei daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/ef925e59-faf5-4d17-9746-95d84209bfe1/brei_headshot_cropped.JPG Melissa Brei - Melissa Brei PhD student Desalination Team mbrei@mit.edu Research Interests Melissa is a mechanical engineering graduate student working on the desal team. As an undergrad at the University of Michigan, she conducted research on soft-robotic actuators in the Haptix Lab focusing on modeling their behavior. As part of the GEAR Lab, she will integrate her interests in product and mechanical design to make a positive impact in water-stressed communities. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2021 https://www.gear.mit.edu/amanda-stack daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f5ff4ea1-e2c7-4774-b520-9954cd60aa32/Amanda_Stack_headshot.jpg Amanda Stack - Amanda Stack Research engineer Global Health Team astack@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests Coming soon! Education PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, 2020 Master's in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, 2017 Honors Bachelors of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering with an Option in Biomechanics from the University of Waterloo, 2015 https://www.gear.mit.edu/jeff-costello daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a86494d7-77ee-4410-82aa-a2f642fad1af/Jeff_Costello.jpg Jeff Costello - Jeff Costello Alum Desalination Team jcostllo@mit.edu jeffcostello.weebly.com Research Interests Since graduating from Boston University, Jeff has had a multifaceted career that includes raw mechanical engineering, machining, project management, system design and integration, and teaching. He brings his passion for mechatronics and machine design to the desalination team to investigate and develop low-cost, low-energy desalination technologies. Education B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Concentration in Manufacturing Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering, 2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/hydrogen daily 0.75 2024-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/b8c4cf8b-4322-4cc0-b897-7eb87a050bac/Truck.png Hydrogen - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/8fd38fd5-1866-4de2-983c-f82a3b7a3911/hydrogentanks.png Hydrogen Heavy-duty trucks (HDVs) are the essential economic and logistical backbone of the American and the global economies. Yet, the clear path to decarbonize them remains uncertain. Currently, HDVs are hard to decarbonize using lithium drivetrain due to weight limitation of the batteries, and hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrain provides a promising alternative avenue. However, existing compressed hydrogen storage tanks used in fuel-cell trucks are bulky in shape and difficult to fit into the chassis of a vehicle. MIT GEAR Lab is working on designing a hydrogen storage architecture that can conform to the geometry of available space in the vehicle’s structural frame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f2ec76fb-bcf0-4e77-b9aa-62b69e6e563b/differenttrucks.png Hydrogen - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.gear.mit.edu/ben-judge daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f71a532b-475f-4c80-9b0f-8b744d7a666a/Judge%2C+Benjamin+++Staff+Engineer+03.jpg Ben Judge - Ben Judge Staff engineer Desalination Team + wherever he can help bjudge@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests My interests include: Collaboration with lead users and stakeholders Defining novel system requirements revealed by latent needs Engineering solutions that marry social impact with commercial scalability Education SB Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2011 MEng Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, 2012 MEng Engineering Product Development, SUTD, 2014 https://www.gear.mit.edu/mike-bono daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/553b0a8f-22c7-4d2c-8910-d2250d0f9bfd/Mike_Bono.jpeg Mike Bono - Mike Bono Research Affiliate mikebono@mit.edu Research Interests Mike Bono is a scientist and engineer with multidisciplinary expertise in the development of solutions for energy, water, agriculture, food, the environment, and global health. Mike began his research career as an undergraduate researcher at Union College, where he conducted research at Union’s Aerogel Lab and initiating an ongoing project on the development of aerogel-based catalytic converters. Mike then completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, where he developed a dielectric method to measure algal lipid content for biodiesel production. After his PhD, Mike served as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT affiliated with the Tata Center for Technology and Design. During his time at MIT, Mike focused primarily on the development of improved water quality measurement technology for use in resource-limited settings, with additional research on the development of sensors for soil nutrient and food safety analysis. Following his time as an MIT postdoc, Mike served as a senior postdoctoral associate at Boston University, where he investigated methods to fabricate hollow microneedles for sampling interstitial fluid and provided guidance on the development of a biosensor for point-of-care viral nucleic acid detection in low-resource settings. Mike then worked on the fabrication of antibiotic susceptibility tests via inkjet printing as senior research associate at Tufts University. Mike is delighted to return to MIT as a research scientist with the GEAR Lab, and he looks forward to developing effective research solutions through a combination of laboratory research, engineering analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Education PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, 2015 MS in Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, 2013 BS in Mechanical Engineering, summa cum laude, Union College, 2009 https://www.gear.mit.edu/emily-welsh daily 0.75 2026-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/64942b37-407e-49ea-8d99-b544fdc59415/0012_Emily_Welsh_012.JPG Emily Welsh - Emily Welsh Lab Manager All teams! ewelsh@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests My background is in manufacturing equipment, augmented reality and virtual reality learning applications, and digital education research. I am interested in 3D printing, design for manufacturing, and applying technology to improve people's lives. Education B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University https://www.gear.mit.edu/madi-reddie daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/ccbd38b3-7752-4d93-8982-2ea34ca42f95/IMG_3968.JPG Madi Reddie - Madi Reddie PhD student Global Health Team reddie@mit.edu Research Interests Madi joined MIT Mechanical Engineering as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in 2021. She is now working toward a PhD on the GEAR Lab Prosthetics Team. Her research has spanned human-computer interaction, assistive technology development, medical device design, human factors and ergonomics, and the translation of design research, but her current focus is on applying rigorous engineering design to problems in global health and development in low- and middle-income countries. She hopes to translate her work into sustainable, scalable ventures and products. Education MS Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2023 BS Mechanical Engineering, Penn State Schreyer Honors College, 2020 Certificate Engineering Design, Penn State, 2020 Certificate Mechanical Engineering Product Design, National University of Singapore, 2018 https://www.gear.mit.edu/ben-weizer daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/8e135010-ae67-4881-89ea-bc015a677df4/benjamin_weizer.jpg Ben Weizer - Benjamin Weizer Master’s student Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams bweizer@mit.edu Research Interests Ever since I joined GEAR Lab as an undergraduate research assistant, I have been interested in global engineering. I am inspired by how clever and constrained engineering can bring about innovative products that improve people's lives. My other interests include product design, rapid iteration, and system optimization. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2026 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2023 https://www.gear.mit.edu/autumn-geil daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/df4b4107-0a3c-4bbb-8eb8-90a62fa8951d/AutumnGeil.jpg Autumn Geil - Autumn Geil PhD candidate Global Health Team ageil@mit.edu Research Interests Autumn is passionate about accessible technology and global engineering. As an undergraduate she participated in assistive technology hackathons in India, Austria, and Saudi Arabia. Before graduate school, Autumn worked on oral drug delivery devices for two years with Yuhan Lee and Jeffrey Karp at BWH/HMS. She’s excited to apply her materials engineering background to design and model prosthetic feet in GEAR Lab. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2026 B. S. Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021 Laguna Beach High School https://www.gear.mit.edu/bryony-dupont daily 0.75 2024-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/e86fffd7-b401-425c-8eef-829eb6662da0/bryony2024.jpg Bryony DuPont - Bryony DuPont Visiting Scholar Decarbonization and Renewable Energy Systems bryony@mit.edu Bio Dr. Bryony DuPont is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University and a visiting scholar in GEAR Center. Her research focuses on the design, analysis, and simulation of renewable energy systems at both distribution and grid scales, with special interest in offshore renewable energy like offshore wind, floating offshore wind, and marine energy devices. Bryony's work in GEAR Center is to spearhead new research initiatives in Decarbonization and Renewable Energy Systems at a global scale, focusing on hardware-based solutions for low-and middle-income areas and those communities most impacted by the climate crisis. She completed her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (2013) and currently holds a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://www.gear.mit.edu/david-shrier daily 0.75 2024-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7405473f-1de9-49d9-a102-a3a92e394abd/David2024-2.jpg David Shrier - David Shrier Visiting Scholar Technology Commercialization shrier@mit.edu https://www.gear.mit.edu/michael-reed daily 0.75 2024-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/483175d1-193b-4788-a89a-1f133df8292a/MikeReedHeadshot.jpg Michael Reed - Michael Reed Research engineer Drip Irrigation Team mikereed@mit.edu Research Interests I have a background in mechatronics engineering and electronics manufacturing. During my time living in Southern China, I worked with hundreds of hardware startups to get their products to the next stage of prototyping, pilot deployment or full-scale manufacturing as well as being the cofounder of 2 companies myself. I speak mandarin and enjoy taking on multidisciplinary engineering problems with a particular love for systems design in the manufacturing space. https://www.gear.mit.edu/andy-chen daily 0.75 2026-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/22e35bee-0fff-4d77-a633-fad9321abbc7/Andy-Jordan.jpg Tzu-Ching Chen (Andy) - Tzu-Ching Chen (Andy) Research engineer Drip Irrigation Team andytc@mit.edu Research Interests I am interested in power electronics, electrical vehicles, and driverless cars. I designed the accumulator and the inverter when I was the team leader and chief engineer in an FSAE team at NTHU. I competed in FSAE Japan 2019, FS Germany 2022, and FS Alpe Adria 2022. For my master’s research, I was doing an autonomous AWD racing vehicle which ran in enclosed tracks . Before joining the GEAR Lab at MIT, I worked as a senior electrical design engineer at Delta Electronics in Taiwan, where I developed test benches for commercial EV products. Now, I am excited to join the GEAR Lab as a research engineer, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute my expertise in power electronics here. https://www.gear.mit.edu/juan-romero daily 0.75 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d6675f83-635d-446a-a6f4-0e0a302be2de/7587.jpg Juan Romero - Juan Romero PhD student Energy Team romeroja@mit.edu Research Interests From my earlier experience in robotics hardware, I’ve learned that I am enthusiastic about working at the intersection of machine design and electrical systems design. I aspire to conduct research in this technical context by seeking impactful applications in energy and sustainability. My past M.S. work at UC Berkeley focused on developing fish-inspired robotic systems for coral reef sampling and health monitoring. Currently I’m interested in leveraging my experience with electrical systems and controls for the GEAR Energy team. Education M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 2022 B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018 https://www.gear.mit.edu/gear-center-news daily 0.75 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3d3ede88-a107-4506-b901-0a5b3160ee46/Amos+Headshot.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/389e4201-c9e4-48a9-89f1-6745490e4d63/Jonathan%2BBessette_Activate.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1ae88a20-cd9f-443b-9b3d-741ae0bcb39f/May+2025+SoE+Awards+-+Amos+Winter+-+small+format.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7b521826-28c3-496b-b409-bf1ed4300eb7/cover+slide.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/50716a4f-f4f6-4c77-af6d-4622d04a3240/RS6537_2024+Weizer%2C+Benjamin++SM+05+1024.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/93d75c7b-d384-43d4-b90a-f52c9d728d31/wbur_pod_logo.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/4c9d31e4-1466-4532-9c01-7884fb483837/Episode-8-600x600.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f801303b-4ace-4098-89ef-1636b7b7301a/IDRA2025_2.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d4f5eef4-2fab-4812-8bf3-dc494e73fe0f/IDRA2025.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/036d2655-53b9-44e0-a31e-3da78bec18aa/IDRA2025_3.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/eb570912-14bc-4130-88d9-07be61c5fc27/IMG_3825.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/20f65702-e4af-4a23-ab68-43ea4d1bb33f/IMG_4548.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/20f65702-e4af-4a23-ab68-43ea4d1bb33f/IMG_4548.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a959b9c7-51aa-4ef4-a59f-27ce8d8bc2b8/IMG_2888.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3d138e10-b1e5-4dcc-86e6-114dc1b7ffe0/Rose+at+UI+meeting+Dean+Ari.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3ab085b0-1bf4-41a8-bfba-f19aa84482d8/Desal-2022-BGNDRF-Jon-SkidInstall+%2818%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/c2189caa-aedf-43bd-b9eb-57c516620a81/CollinGoldbach-India2024-Bullkey.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6c0bf60b-67e3-4376-b2a8-e1d2a8e03b6f/71WAuRfJxvL._SL1500_.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/1c28a677-aa49-4461-ad49-1241db75ce4a/Lab-2024-WashingtonDC-Autumn-IDETC+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/ab80abd2-cbfe-4064-a5ee-b264f612e70f/AmosPorsche.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a9605527-7cf0-41b2-ad6c-9893fbee887d/de+Florez+Awards-01.jpg https://www.gear.mit.edu/carolyn-sheline-1 daily 0.75 2024-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/a31236bb-ed43-408a-9a5a-f33410adb20e/Antonia+Filingeri_new.jpg Antonia Filingeri - Antonia Filingeri Postdoctoral Associate "Teoria dello sviluppo dei processi chimici" Lab of the University of Palermo antonia.filingeri@unipa.it Research Interests My background is on electro-membrane processes, including (Assisted-Reverse) Electrodialysis and Electrodialysis with bipolar membrane. I am interested in desalination process, valorization of waste and brine solutions, experimental and modelling studies of membrane process at laboratory and pilot scale. Education Degree on Chemical Engineer at University of Palermo PhD focused on electro-membrane process at University of Palermo https://www.gear.mit.edu/sai-vadhula daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/4b02460d-4d55-4c53-b701-98cd4f88b792/rajagopalan-sai-HD.jpg Sai Vadhula - Sai Vadhula Visiting Scientist Global Health Team vadhula@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Sai R. Vadhula, Senior Member IEEE, is a physician-engineer whose main interest is in delivering equitable healthspan to any global setting through cutting-edge technology. As a visiting scientist, he currently functions as a bridge between engineering and healthcare, striving to expand the center's expertise in equitable global health technologies. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University, specializing in dynamic systems and control theory(2008), and an MD from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine(2021). Most recently, he completed his postgraduate residency certification in Internal Medicine from the University of Massachusetts-Baystate(2024), continuing in hospital medicine. Previously, he worked as a staff researcher at General Motors Global R&D in Michigan (until 2016), leading research programs in advanced propulsion systems. He also has rich professional and research expertise in the applications of control theory to neural engineering, machine vision, artificial intelligence, robotics, and mechatronics with a track record of patents and publications." https://www.gear.mit.edu/jamie-vinsant daily 0.75 2024-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/48c54a9f-f41b-4e85-aaef-92a54ad811bc/jamie+bio+pic.png.jpg Jamie Vinsant - Jamie Vinsant VP Electrodialysis EnergyX jvinsant@mit.edu Biography After graduating from MIT with a BS in Chemical Engineering, I began my career in water and process separations with Ionics, focusing primarily on electrodialysis technology. At Ionics, and later at GE Water, which acquired Ionics, I developed novel applications for this technology, originally developed in MIT labs in the late 1940s. I transitioned into the business side of the technology as a product manager for electrodialysis and ion exchange membranes at GE Water, and later at SUEZ after they acquired GE Water. During this period, I collaborated with Amos and students at the MIT GEAR Center, discussing technology development and business cases for village-scale photovoltaic-powered EDR for off-grid desalination and home-scale EDR. In 2022, I moved to Austin to join EnergyX, a Series B startup focused on the battery supply chain, to develop ED, EDR, and Bipolar ED technologies from lab-scale to commercial scale. Currently, I am affiliated with the GEAR Center as an MIT research affiliate, providing additional technical support, market guidance, and startup experience for the continually developing renewable-powered off-grid EDR technology. https://www.gear.mit.edu/kinjal-ruecker daily 0.75 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/6c67ebbe-196a-4de7-868e-d763c8bf2de1/Kinjal-Ruecker.jpg Kinjal Ruecker - Kinjal Ruecker PhD student Energy Team kruecker@mit.edu http://kinjalruecker.com/ Research Interests Kinjal loves developing new propulsion concepts, no matter the application. Her industry background is in rocket engine development where she has had 8 internships at companies including JPL, NASA, and (4x) SpaceX. Recently, Kinjal’s focus has shifted to greening engines to meet climate goals. Her research at GEAR lab focuses on developing a retrofit for diesel engines to enable combustion with both compressed hydrogen and diesel fuel. She aims to translate her research into a commercially viable product. Kinjal has industry experience in engine turbomachinery, valves, combustion devices, and ignition. Education M.S. Aerospace Engineering, MIT, 2024 B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2021 https://www.gear.mit.edu/rose-yin daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/b41ada64-15aa-4896-a490-6ea310b3674c/RoseYin.jpg Rose Yin - Rose Yin Postdoctoral Associate Global Health Team rosey515@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests My interest in global health began with participating in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's decades-long service projects in Cambodia to provide electricity to locals. At GW, my PhD research focused on developing miniature bioelectronics for cardiac electrotherapy, including the world's first dissolvable pacemaker. Currently at the GEAR Center, I'm combining my interests and experiences to develop medical devices for global health. Education Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, 2021 B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/andria-jones daily 0.75 2024-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/7baec92a-ee9c-44af-9916-d46279ae23cf/AndreaJones.jpg Andria Jones - Andria Jones PhD student Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams amjones@mit.edu Research Interests Andria is originally from Whitehall, Michigan and is a mechanical engineering graduate student in the GEAR Lab at M.I.T. She is a licensed Professional Engineer and a 24-year veteran of the United States Navy. Andria has deployed all over the world and has held many roles throughout her time in the service. She served as department head onboard a forward deployed navy destroyer and most recently, she toured as a Permanent Military Instructor in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the United States Naval Academy. Having lived in Asia and the Middle East, she is passionate about innovation and loves being part of a team dedicated to making a positive impact in the world. https://www.gear.mit.edu/sam-heath daily 0.75 2025-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/9402896a-e70e-4435-b71a-20135d68ff08/Heath%2C+Samuel++SM+03.jpg Sam Heath - Samuel Heath PhD student Energy Team sheath@mit.edu Research Interests Sam has general research interest in the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus, with specific interests in advancing technology for renewable energy generation and utilization, improving water treatment and desalination technologies, and implementing novel technology, especially in the global context. During his master’s, he focused on using electrodialysis and nanofiltration as a means to selectively separate agricultural nutrients from a brackish groundwater feed stream. In the GEAR Lab, he’ll be working on developing innovative strategies for low-carbon hydrogen production. https://www.gear.mit.edu/anthony-altala daily 0.75 2025-06-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f81acacf-f767-4e41-a4f8-c91e6e95cadf/Tony+Headshot.png Anthony Altala - Anthony Altala Alum Energy Team altala@mit.edu Research Interests Tony is a thoroughbred “Gear Head”. He grew up working alongside his father in their family auto shop, which sparked a passion for engineering and entrepreneurship. Now fueled by a mission to advance technologies that move humanity toward net-zero emissions, Tony leverages his hands-on expertise and analytical strengths in his research at the Gear Center. His current focus is on developing a Bivalent Hydrogen-Diesel Internal Combustion Engine, which he believes could play a pivotal role in decarbonizing heavy industries. Education B. S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2024 https://www.gear.mit.edu/ellen-clarrissimeaux daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/d8d30fcd-4d99-4a99-a641-0aeb511301ce/Ellie+Headshot+%28small%29.jpg Ellen Clarrissimeaux - Ellen (Ellie) Clarrissimeaux Master’s Student (Co-advised by Hugh Herr) Global Health Team eclx@mit.edu Research Interests I am working with GEAR Lab to pursue a Masters in Media Arts & Sciences. With my educational pathway, I’m able to combine aspects of engineering, design, and global health to create technologies that have novelty and impact. My work is driven by a passion for creating innovative solutions that enhance mobility and improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. My experience spans research, design, clinical environments, and project leadership. My focus is on developing cost-effective, adaptable wearable devices that have a global impact – improving physical capabilities and empowering individuals and communities. Education B. Eng Mechanical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2021) https://www.gear.mit.edu/leonardo-capeleto-de-andrade daily 0.75 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/2893c5b0-e111-4f50-b1ce-0461d5f29eb4/Leonardo_P1.jpg Leonardo Capeleto de Andrade - Leonardo Capeleto de Andrade Postdoctoral Associate Water and Sanitation Team capeleto@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests I've been studying water and the environment since my undergraduate. During my master's degree, I worked with wastes, plants, and contaminated soils; during my doctorate, I worked with sediment and water pollution in a water supply lake. For three years I lived in a small city in the middle of Central Amazon, exploring technological solutions to provide treated water to riverine communities. Later, in South America's largest city, I worked on integrated water solutions for resilient cities, including Nature-Based Solutions. Presently, I'll work connecting water and sanitation solutions with urban planning at the GEAR Center. Education Postdoc, Universidade de São Paulo, 2024 D.Sc. Soil Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2018 M.Sc. Soil Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2014 B.Eng. Environmental Engineering, Universidade de Passo Fundo, 2010 https://www.gear.mit.edu/chotiwat-jantarakasem daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/420b7998-0ce7-4497-a8ab-c7bd5b912c88/Portrait_CJ.jpg Chotiwat Jantarakasem - Chotiwat Jantarakasem Postdoctoral Associate Drip Irrigation & Desalination Teams choja@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests Chotiwat is a water quality engineer dedicated to applying his expertise to help people in low-resource settings by tackling environmental challenges, particularly in improving access to safe and clean water. At MIT, he focuses on problem scoping and identifying research opportunities aimed at addressing the urgent need for clean water and sufficient food in underserved communities. Before joining the GEAR Center and J-WAFS, Chotiwat completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Michael Templeton, where he concentrated on estimating water turbidity using a smartphone camera. Additionally, he researched the ammonium removal capabilities of biological activated carbon under the guidance of Professor Ikuro Kasuga. Education PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, 2021-2024 MEng in Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2017-2019 BEng in Environmental Engineering with Highest Honors, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, 2013-2017 https://www.gear.mit.edu/give daily 0.75 2025-03-28 https://www.gear.mit.edu/mohamed-naouri daily 0.75 2026-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/c9da343d-bd80-4c73-97c6-de8a518618bd/Mohamed+Naouri-2.jpg Mohamed Naouri - Mohamed Naouri Postdoctoral Associate Desalination and Drip Irrigation Teams mnaouri@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests I’m passionate about involving farmers in the design and adaptation of irrigation technologies. My academic and professional journey has been deeply rooted in addressing water management challenges in agriculture, with a particular focus on localized irrigation technologies. My current research focuses on understanding the needs and challenges faced by farmers in the MENA region to identify innovative and techno-economically viable solutions. I am conducting a techno-economic analysis of integrated desalination and drip irrigation systems to address water scarcity and enhance agricultural sustainability for smallholders. Education Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences, ENSA, Algiers, 2019 M.Phil. in Agricultural Sciences, ENSA, Algiers, 2014 MS in Irrigation and Water control, IAV Hassan II, Rabat, 2010 MEng in Agricultural Engineering, ENSA, Algiers, 2009 https://www.gear.mit.edu/ariel-mobius daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/3f7323af-07e8-4f73-a3fe-c64cc1364971/PXL_20260114_175757654+%281%29.jpg Ariel Mobius - Ariel Mobius Master’s Student (Co-advised by Prof. Ellen Roche) Global Health Team amobius@mit.edu Ariel’s Online Portfolio Research Interests Ariel is passionate about designing novel solutions to critical global challenges. She has previously worked on technology to empower space exploration at MIT, SpaceX, and The Aerospace Corporation. In graduate school, she is currently designing medical devices for resource-constrained communities, primarily focusing on low-cost retinal imaging. Her research interests include machine design, product design, novel manufacturing methods, and optics. Education B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2024 https://www.gear.mit.edu/haley-higginbotham daily 0.75 2026-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/f7d51ba8-6b0b-4ac1-81b1-9fc47172b521/Haley_H.jpg Haley Higginbotham - Haley Higginbotham PhD Candidate (Co-advised by Prof. Ellen Roche) Global Health Team Research Interests Haley is passionate about solving real-world medical problems through innovation and engineering. Her previous research projects have involved nuclear magnetic resonance-based measurement of in-vivo hydration states, a system for fluid sampling in the brain, and neural implants for stimulating nerve repair. Currently, in collaboration with the GEAR Center and Roche Lab, she is exploring the design of accessible and reliable solutions for hemodynamic shock detection in low-resource settings. Education S.M. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2024 B.S. in Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2021 https://www.gear.mit.edu/joel-chapuis daily 0.75 2026-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e869ab707c63e7618a2a4b4/97f4308e-bc17-4069-84b0-2beb2208802a/260305_087.jpg Joël Chapuis - Joël Chapuis Postdoctoral Associate Energy Team jchapuis@mit.edu Google Scholar Page Research Interests Joël is a mechanical engineer dedicated to applying his expertise toward the decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles. At MIT, he focuses on problem scoping and identifying research opportunities to address key challenges in hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrains, with particular emphasis on the design automation and simulation of hydrogen storage vessels. Before joining the GEAR Center, Joël completed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Kristina Shea, where his research focused on incorporating active materials into additively manufactured machine components. He also investigated the simulation of shape-memory polymers and stochastic, voxelated digital materials. Education PhD in Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 2025 M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 2020 B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, ETH Zurich, 2017