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Martha Christino
Entering Year
2023
Martha is a PhD student with the Advancing Sustainable Systems through Low-Impact Energy Technology (ASSET) Lab in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. She holds dual degrees from Penn State in Atmospheric Science/Metrology and Civil Engineering with a minor in Military Studies. Martha’s interests lay at the intersection of these fields in utilizing climate data to create resilient infrastructure. She has applied her knowledge in a variety of contexts from construction projects attempting to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to analysis of climate change impacts on military operations. Her doctoral work focuses on the impact of climate change to energy security and reliability across the United States. Outside of academics, Martha is an avid runner and enjoys hiking and traveling.
Education
B.S. with Honors in Atmospheric Science and Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University
B.S. in Civil Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
Advisor
Advisor Specialization(s)
Sustainable Systems
Research
Martha’s research experience spans a variety of topics within engineering, meteorology, and climate science. Her first research experience was in computational fluid dynamics and flow characterization with a mechanical engineering context. During her undergraduate career at Penn State, Martha worked on analyzing and predicting the Eyewall Replacement Cycle of hurricanes. Her undergraduate honors thesis is titled “Analysis of Environmental Factors Contributing to the Eyewall Replacement Cycle of Hurricanes.” While at Penn State, Martha also worked on understanding the drivers of anomalous sea surface temperatures trends in the Pacific Ocean. Now, at the University of Michigan, Martha focuses on the intersection of climate change and engineering to understand the impacts of changing weather patterns and severe events on electricity infrastructure.
Specialization