Hannah believes that the impact of mechanical engineering should stretch beyond the stereotypical ‘planes, cars and defense’ and into problems relevant to people living around the developing and developed world. Her current research is on the evaluation and modeling of mechanics in soft materials. Prior to her PhD, Hannah worked in the aerospace/defense industry and did a Master's degree designing a water efficient desalination unit for use in India. Outside of the lab, Hannah is particularly interested in how decisions are made to allocate STEM funding, and how geopolitical missions can be addressed through engineering. Off campus, Hannah climbs rocks, rides bikes and sews.