Naomi Ehrich Leonard

Naomi Ehrich Leonard is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. A 1985 alumna of Princeton, she leads interdisciplinary research bridging engineering with biological and environmental sciences.

Her research focuses on:

• Collective motion dynamics in animal groups
• Mathematical modeling of multi-agent decision systems
• Design of autonomous robotic networks for environmental exploration

Leonard directs the Adaptive Sampling and Prediction project, a five-year initiative deploying fleets of autonomous underwater vehicles in Monterey Bay, California, to study ocean dynamics and enable exploration of inaccessible environments. Her work integrates principles from control theory, ecology, and oceanography.

She actively mentors undergraduate researchers in laboratory and field settings, exemplified by collaborations with students like Spring Berman (Class of 2005). The Adaptive Sampling and Prediction project represents her primary funded research initiative.

Professor Leonard's team maintains strong interdisciplinary partnerships with ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and oceanographers. She extends her interdisciplinary approach through art-science collaborations, including the "Motion in the Ocean" glass installation for Princeton's Quark Park project.