Stefano joined WRL as a PhD student in 2021 as part of the Discovery Project on "Quantifying the impact of infiltration on dune erosion under waves and surges". 

The interaction between waves, water levels and sediment transport is an open research question. Stefano will try and advance the knowledge in the discipline by performing a physical experiment in the wave flume measuring the levels of infiltration and pore pressure in the dune face under the attack of waves and tides.

A world first, measuring infiltration rates and pore pressure is hypothesized to shed light on the key missing physical process behind dune erosion. Once the experiments have been conducted, Stefano's research will focus on creating state-of-the-art mathematical models to simulate the physics behind dune erosion. 

Stefano holds a Bachelor degree in Materials Engineering at the University of Exeter in the UK and a Master of Mechanical Engineering at UNSW. Throughout his studies, he focused extensively on fluid dynamics and numerical modelling - delving into the coastal engineering world every time he had a chance to pick a research topic. One of his most notable pieces of work was his Bachelor Thesis on "Simulating 2D wave run-up and overtopping on a sloped bottom", which won him the prize as best dissertation in his year.

Supervisors: Dr Kristen Splinter and Professor Ian Turner