By: Esther Koh, PRISE, Harvard College '22
Our next HSURV fellow is the fantastic Grace Matthews (PRISE Fellow), a rising senior in Eliot House concentrating in Bioengineering!
This summer, Grace is at the Harvard Microrobotics Lab under Prof. Robert Wood studying the bioacoustics of sperm whales to improve the way we can listen and recognize their aquatic mammalian tags. Engaging in this new project that has just started from scratch, Grace is excited to study everything in marine biology and be a part of launching this research, something undergrads don’t usually get to experience. She’s even taking a Marine Biology course through Harvard Summer School to supplement her introduction into this field!
Despite being in a dry lab for the first time, Grace still managed to surround herself with her research subject, quarantining herself with her family at Nantucket, the Whaling Capital of the World! Having a marine biologist fanatic for a roommate also seems to encourage her growing obsession. Although this may be Grace’s first deep dive into Marine Biology, it seems as if this research area was waiting for her!
When she’s not researching aquatic bioacoustics, Grace is training for a half marathon with her sister and practicing yoga. Yoga has been especially helpful to Grace during quarantine, improving her quality of sleep at night and bringing more joyful energy into her life, something her mom even pointed out! Equipped with her book on anatomy through the lens of yoga, Grace has learned to create a space to focus her energy and build her strength.
If you ever see Grace Matthews, be sure to ask her for a crash course on animal sounds or ask her to teach you a power pose!