Nathalie Maria Vriend

Dr. Nathalie M. Vriend is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). She directs the Granular Flow Laboratory, where she combines laboratory experiments, targeted field work, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling to understand particulate flows such as sand and snow.

Dr. Vriend’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Twente (2004), a Master of Science in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology (2005), and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Geophysics from Caltech (2010). She spent twelve years at the University of Cambridge, UK, first as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow and later as a Royal Society University Research Fellow, before joining CU Boulder in 2022.

Research Interests

• Imaging, measuring, and modeling granular flows in environmental and industrial settings.
• Physics of avalanches—run-out distances, pressures, and hazard mitigation.
• Dynamics of migrating sand dunes, dune collisions, and desertification impacts.
• Seismic and acoustic phenomena in granular media, including singing dunes.
• Soft matter physics and rheology of dense granular systems.

Her current projects investigate granular rheology and avalanching, dune structure and migration, and the societal impacts of climate change on desertification and infrastructure. She has conducted field campaigns in Switzerland, Qatar, and White Sands National Park, employing techniques ranging from radar imaging to photoelasticity and MRI.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

• Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship
• Royal Society University Research Fellowship

Advising & Research Group Culture

Dr. Vriend leads a diverse and inclusive research group that currently includes two postdocs—Brandon Hayes and Krishnaroop Chaudhuri—and four graduate students: Ben McMillan, Stephanie McNamara, Ruby Gans, and Clil Phillips. She also mentors undergraduate researchers such as Cole Rutkowski and Andrew Bates. She actively promotes the “Be A JEDI” ethos—Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion—emphasizing work-life balance and personalized mentorship.

Laboratory & Facilities

The Granular Flow Laboratory (ECNW 1B90) is equipped with advanced imaging systems, photoelastic apparatus, MRI-compatible flow cells, and environmental chambers. Future plans include experiments in INSTAAR’s cold rooms to study snow and ice interactions under controlled sub-zero conditions.