francesca bernardi, phD
Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences
PI of the FMNST Lab
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Research
I am the PI of the FMNST Lab — Fluid Mechanics and Small-scale Transport Lab at WPI. My research interests are small scale fluid dynamics and particle transport. I am also interested in intersectional feminism, STEM education, and science, technology & society.
Throughout my education and postdoctoral training I have worked closely with undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members. Starting from my B.Eng. thesis, my fluid mechanics research projects have had analytical and experimental components.
I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with other scholars, and hope to expand my research interests to be even more interdisciplinary moving forward.
Teaching
As an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Applied Mathematics. I also get to advise students in Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs) and Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQPs).
CHANGE
OUTREACH AND SERVICE
I believe in education as a path to equity. I am invested in creating academic, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in STEM. It is crucial to systematically improve the diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity efforts of institutions and departments geared towards recruitment and retention of these populations, especially in Mathematics. I proudly volunteer for several causes, have launched new programs, and organized events around these themes.
