Spencer Smith

he/him

  • Associate Professor of Physics
  • Chair of Physics & Astronomy
Spencer Smith, Faculty

Spencer Smith's work seeks to characterize the complexity inherent in chaotic fluid motion by uncovering dynamically relevant and topologically robust fluid structures. He investigates how these ideas are pertinent from micro-fluidic chips at the small scale to pollution tracking and prediction in oceanic flows on a much larger scale and touch on some of the deep questions in fluid dynamics, such as the nature of turbulence.

Spencer is also very interested in the intersection of art and physics, and he curated a show at the MHC Art Museum in fall 2017 on the science photographs of Berenice Abbott. 

Areas of Expertise

physics (fluid dynamics); math (dynamic systems theory & topology); computer science (finite elements, data structures, algorithm development, and numerical methods)

Education

  • Ph.D., M.S., Tufts University
  • B.A., Dartmouth College

Happening at 69¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ

Recent Campus News

Two recent 69¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ College graduates, Helen Roane ’23 and Celine Falcon-Geist ’25, are participating in the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to immerse themselves in language and culture while teaching English in Taiwan and Senegal.

69¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ College welcomes Assistant Vice President Elyssa Kelly and Director of Discovery Lauren Grabowski to its College Relations office.

The biography of 69¾«Æ·ÊÓÆµ College alum Ella Grasso ’40 was written by Linda Melconian ’70 with research assistance from recent alum Belinda Mazzaferro ’25.

Recent Publications

Smith, S.A., Gong, R. (2022). Braiding dynamics in active nematics. Frontiers in Physics, 10.

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