Sky-bound aspirations of MIT-WHOI Joint Program student, Faith Brooks, know no boundary.
Hey there, pal!
Meet Faith Brooks, a student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, who's had one heck of a dream since she was four years old — fly a plane. You guessed it; she aims to become a pilot!
Growing up, Faith's neighbor showed her pictures of his dad landing a jet on an aircraft carrier. Wham! Instant fascination. And let's not forget her pops, a U.S. Navy vet. Aviation was clearly in her blood. Little Faith knew no obstacle could stop her from reaching the sky.
Faith explored various paths to becoming a pilot, but things changed dramatically when she chatted with her mentor, Capt. Matt Skone, USN (Ret.). He casually asked if she'd heard of the Naval Academy. Hadn't she? Well, that was all she needed to hear. The United States Naval Academy (USNA) became her top choice, and the more she learned about it, the more she knew it was her ticket to the skies.
In her senior year at the USNA, Faith was chosen to train in Pensacola, Florida, to become a naval pilot, edging ever closer to her dream. The USNA also set the stage for her journey to join the MIT-WHOI Joint Program. Her voyage began with the USNA's professional knowledge curriculum, where she stumbled upon the bio of Capt. Wendy Lawrence SM '88 — a naval aviator and astronaut.
"Reading her bio made me curious about this MIT-WHOI Joint Program — where else could you get a better education in ocean engineering?" Faith recalled.
Now, Faith's research in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program revolves around coastal pond breaching and its role in preventing and mitigating harmful algal blooms. Specifically, she's focusing on the biannual mechanical breaching of Nantucket's Sesachacha Pond. This practice aims to improve water quality and fight off those annoying harmful algal blooms, especially during the summer.
But hang on a sec! You might be wondering, "What's breaching, and why should I care?" Breaching is a method used to boost salinity in herring and shellfish environments, but now it's being employed to tackle water quality issues. The process involves making a gap in the pond, which naturally seals up within a few days due to factors like sediment movement and weather conditions. High winds and waves can accelerate sediment transport, limiting ocean water exchange and potentially increasing eutrophication, where excessive nutrients lead to dense plant growth and depletion of oxygen. Yikes!
In brackish water systems, harmful algal blooms are often fueled by elevated nitrogen levels and higher temperatures, with higher nitrogen concentrations leading to more frequent and severe blooms as temps rise.
The Nantucket Natural Resources Department has teamed up with locals to study the pond breaching process. Most data out there is anecdotal at the moment, with the NRD collecting monthly samples since 2022. Although Faith acknowledges that existing data are slim pickings, she is optimistic that her research will help evaluate the effectiveness of the breaching method in enhancing water quality at two pond sites.
When Faith isn't elbow-deep in water samples or training with her MIT Triathlon team, she seeks out opportunities to learn even more. Last year, she joined the MIT-Portugal Marine Robotics Summer School in Faial, Azores, and dove headfirst into hands-on projects and lectures on topics ranging from oceanography to marine robotics.
"I loved that the program was so interdisciplinary," Faith said. "We had a mix of engineers, marine biologists, and oceanographers, and we worked together on a project to design an underwater lander equipped with a camera. It was fantastic to collaborate with a diverse group and gain a better understanding of how to create instruments and systems that cater to the needs of marine biologists."
Faith also secured her Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft System license to operate the lab's drone with a multispectral camera for her upcoming fieldwork. Once Faith graduates from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program next September, she'll report to the Naval Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola, Florida, to dive headfirst into flight training.
Although she's going to miss Boston's good vibes and the picturesque Shining Sea Bikeway in Woods Hole, Faith can't wait to slip back into her uniform and kick off her naval career and flight school. Her time at MIT will serve her well in her upcoming adventures.
If you're thinking about a similar path, Faith advises immersing yourself in research related to your area of interest.
"The biggest lesson I've learned from doing research is that every project evolves over time," she says. "It's crucial to occasionally take a step back and consider how your work fits into the larger scheme of things. I can't recommend doing research enough; it's a fantastic opportunity to dive deeply into something that excites you, and it really is quite rewarding."
- Faith Brooks, a student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, is fascinated by aviation and aims to become a pilot, inspired by her neighbor's pictures of his dad landing a jet on an aircraft carrier and her father's military background.
- After considering various paths to becoming a pilot, Faith chose the United States Naval Academy (USNA) as her top choice, driven by Captain Matt Skone's suggestion and the Academy's professional knowledge curriculum.
- In the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, Faith is currently conducting research on coastal pond breaching and its role in preventing harmful algal blooms, focusing on the biannual mechanical breaching of Nantucket's Sesachacha Pond.
- Breaching aims to boost salinity in herring and shellfish environments and combat water quality issues, improving water quality and fighting off harmful algal blooms, particularly during the summer.
- Faith graduated from the USNA and is preparing to attend flight school at the Naval Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola, Florida, after graduating from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program next September.
- Last year, Faith expanded her knowledge by joining the MIT-Portugal Marine Robotics Summer School in Faial, Azores, where she collaborated with a diverse group of engineers, marine biologists, and oceanographers on hands-on projects and lectures on topics like oceanography and marine robotics.
- Faith advises those considering a similar path to immerse themselves in research related to their area of interest and emphasizes that every project evolves over time, making it crucial to regularly reflect on how the work fits into the larger scheme of things.
