Bio

Tim de Visser is a mechanical engineering undergraduate student interested in design and fluid mechanics. Tim is working on the NOAA Radar project. He is working on the structures team, where he helped design the trailer frame and layout, as well as helped lead the construction of the final project. This project is of particular importance to him, as it has given him the opportunity to work on a project that will help keep the Santa Barbara channel pristine for years to come. 

Tim has worked in Professor Pennathur’s Micro and Nanofluidics lab for over a year now, working on a project with one other undergraduate. His research is on energy conversion. He helped refine the design of a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. Oil and liquid metal droplets flow through a serpentine channel, and due to clever electrode placement and capacitive interactions between adjacent liquid metal droplets, charge is amplified and then collected from the liquid metal droplets. Tim is currently writing a paper for publication about his research. 

Tim is detail oriented and ensures that every small detail is thought over. He is consistent in getting work done before deadlines and effectively communicates any issues or questions that come up during his work. He also willingly steps into leadership roles. As a member and officer of the UCSB Triathlon Team, Tim has redesigned the team website, organized team fundraisers, helped organize travel for twenty to thirty people around the country, delegated tasks to others, and raced in the most competitive level of collegiate triathlon, while still maintaining good grades and balancing school work with training.