About
Laurel Kroo is an incoming Assistant Professor (starting Fall 2025) in Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with affiliations in the College of Engineering. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar in Mechanical Engineering at MIT.
Education:
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2022)
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2017)
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Olin College of Engineering (2014)
Her research explores non-Newtonian fluids as tools for building adaptive micro-machines and perceptive systems. Current work focuses on conformational state transitions in polymeric viscoelastic fluids for food science and manufacturing applications. She has contributed to equity-focused initiatives including the Foldscope project for accessible microscopy and COVID-19 emergency mask development.
Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on fluid-structure interactions, with recent work emphasizing biological applications of soft matter physics and robotic rheometers. Notable trends include experimental characterization of active materials and biologically inspired mechanical systems.
Awards:
- 2023 UC Berkeley Rising Star in Mechanical Engineering
- 2022 Caltech Young Investigator Lectureship
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (2016)
The Kroo Group (launching 2025) will specialize in macromolecular hydrodynamics with applications in carbon sequestration, battery development, and synthetic biology. She has taught courses at Stanford and MIT, and will lead keynote sessions at international fluid dynamics workshops in 2025.
