About

Hey! I’m James. I’m a PhD Candidate at UC San Diego in the Gravish Lab. I’m a mechanical engineer interested in dynamics, nonlinear controls, and bio-inspired design. During my PhD, I’ve focused on building robotic models of flying insects to better understand the mechanisms insects use to achieve efficient and agile flight. My research seeks to uncover the “rules” of flapping flight, with applications both to functional evolution and the design of novel bio-inspired flapping wing robots.

Beyond research, I’m passionate about hands-on engineering education. I helped run the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Senior Design series (MAE 156A/B) for several years, leading mechatronics and programming workshops and designing mechatronics lab experiences that encouraged inquiry-based learning.

Collaboration

Working at the interface between engineering and biology, it helps to have strong connections with researchers outside of engineering. My research is the product of a powerful collaboration with biologists and physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Agile Systems Lab.

Awards and Honors

• GPSA Interdisciplinary Research Award (UC San Diego, 2022)
• MAE Dept. PhD TA of the Year (UC San Diego, 2021)
• MAE Dept. First Year Fellowship (UC San Diego, 2019-2020)
• Commonwealth Honors College, University of Massachusetts Amherst