about
Hi, my name is Jake :)
In reverse order, prior to starting at GFDL, I held a postdoc position at WHOI from 2020-2023, and before that completed my PhD at the University of Washington (UW) in physical oceanography in 2020. At UW, my thesis work centered on the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (Seaglider and Deepglider) to explore eddy structure, evolution, and decay through the lens of mesoscale turbulence theory. As a graduate student I spent time in the field deploying/recovering instruments and in the classroom teaching undergraduates and graduates in fluid mechanics and geophysical fluid dynamics. During my time at UW I also completed a masters degree in applied mathematics. This graduate work at UW followed four years at the University of Maryland where I obtained a bachelors of science in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
I am particularly interested how people interact with the ocean and perceive its role in Earth’s climate. Prior to entering the field of physical oceanogrpahy, my studies at the University of Maryland focused on water resources (e.g. surface water hydrology, ground water hydrology, and coastal engineering). This background has shaped my relationship with physical oceanography. Because my efforts to observe the ocean arose at UW through the development and use of autonomous underwater vehicles, I often had the opportunity to share our work with students and the public. I believe that approaching oceanography and explaining measurement collection efforts in this applied manner makes engaging with others easier and more rewarding. In my continued work I think that meaningful connections can be made in the shared excitement of applying new technologies to understand the ocean’s role in our lives.
Outside of work I like running, climbing, cycling, swimming, reading, brewing (+ drinking) coffee, and xc-skiing. Recent favorite books are: Debt: The First 5000 Years (David Graeber), Children of Time (Adrian Tchaikovsky), A Manual for Cleaning Women (Lucia Berlin), Killing Commendatore (Haruki Murakami), Circe (Madeline Miller), The Power Broker (Robert Caro), Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (Liu Cixin), The Dispossessed (Ursula Le Guin) …