EJ Rainville

Graduate Research Assistant, Applied Physics Lab & Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

 I am a graduate student working with the Environmental Fluid Mechanics group. I have a passion for the ocean and understanding the mechanisms that drive the motion of the ocean with a specific emphasis on the nearshore environment. I am particularly interested in the dynamics of breaking water waves and the hydrodynamic effects of breaking waves.

At UW, I am co-advised by Jim Thomson, Melissa Moulton and Morteza Derakhti. Prior to being a graduate student at UW, I studied mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University – SLO. While at Cal Poly, I started my research career working with Ryan Walter studying estuarine hydrodynamics and nearshore internal bores.

When not trying to learn about the Earth, you can find me outside trying to experience the Earth while skiing, biking, swimming and wandering around. I love burritos and I am always up for a cup of coffee with a friend or friend to be.