Biographical Info

Maddie is currently working on her Ph.D. in the Bioinspired Science and Engineering lab at the University of Utah. In her research, she looks to mimic the structures of things found in nature (i.e., bone, shark scales) to replicate their unique properties in other materials via a process called freeze casting. Using magnetic fields to manipulate the contents of freeze-cast scaffolds to control the properties further is of particular interest. Before beginning her Ph.D., she got a Bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. Outside of the lab, she enjoys teaching kids about her research, in particular young girls and other groups underrepresented in STEM fields, to create positive experiences surrounding science in hopes of creating a more welcoming environment for all. In her free time, she enjoys being active with her friends through traveling, skiing, climbing, hiking, and playing pickleball, amongst other sports.

In her STEMCAP workshop, she presented on the eight natural structural design elements found in nature. For each structural design, students guessed the structural design based on clues about where that design element is found in nature. After reviewing all the design elements, she showed how her lab looks to mimic specific design elements in her work. To enhance their knowledge and make her work more understandable, she brought props demonstrating various processes. Her favorite of these props is a magnet and a container of ferrofluid. Using the magnet, students were able to control the ferrofluid and gain an understanding of how magnetic manipulation is utilized in Maddie’s work.