Where water meets math

“My life has always been intertwined with water in one way or another,” realized Lizz Webb, who recently completed her master’s degree in applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo. As the captain of the swim team in high school, Webb has always loved swimming and lifeguarding, but she never expected to build a career at the intersection of mathematics and ocean sciences.

As an undergraduate mathematics student at McMaster University, Webb first dipped her toes in the study of fluids when she applied numerical analysis to tsunami modelling for her senior thesis. During her time at McMaster, she attended a lecture delivered by Dr. Francis Poulin, who would go on to become her master’s supervisor in the Fluid Mechanics lab at Waterloo Math. “Dr. Poulin delivered a presentation on ocean circulation that captured my interest,” remembered Webb. “When he mentioned an opening on his research team, I turned in my application to Waterloo.”

Learn more about Webb's research.