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faculty
Daniel MacDonald, PhD
Professor
SMAST / Estuarine & Ocean Sciences
Professor / Co-Chairperson
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Contact
508-910-6334
dmacdonald@umassd.edu
School for Marine Science & Technology East, New Bedford 233
Contact
508-910-6334
dmacdonald@umassd.edu
Violette Research 107B
Education
| 2003 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program | PhD in Oceanographic Engineering |
| 1996 | Cornell University | MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| 1992 | Univeristy of New Hampshire | BSCE |
Teaching
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Pollutant Transport in the Environment
- Turbulence
- Wave Mechanics
- Stratified Flows and Estuarine Dynamics
Teaching
Programs
Programs
- Civil & Environmental Engineering MS
- Civil Engineering BS, BS/MS
- Engineering and Applied Science PhD
- Environmental Resources Engineering
- Intercampus Marine Science Programs MS, PhD
- Marine Science and Technology MS
- Marine Science and Technology PhD
- University of São Paulo Dual PhD PhD
Teaching
Courses
Analytical study of the physical processes governing waves in the marine environment. Covered topics include surface gravity waves, internal gravity waves, energy flux, group velocity, long waves, linear and nonlinear shallow water waves, and atmospheric forcing. This course will be of interest to any ocean scientist or engineer interested in the physics of waves.
Analytical study of the physical processes governing waves in the marine environment. Covered topics include surface gravity waves, internal gravity waves, energy flux, group velocity, long waves, linear and nonlinear shallow water waves, and atmospheric forcing. This course will be of interest to any ocean scientist or engineer interested in the physics of waves.
Investigations of a fundamental and/or applied nature representing an original contribution to the scholarly research literature of the field. PhD dissertations are often published in refereed journals or presented at major conferences. A written dissertation must be completed in accordance with the rules of the Graduate School and the College of Engineering. Admission to the course is based on successful completion of the PhD comprehensive examination and submission of a formal proposal endorsed by the student's graduate committee and submitted to the EAS Graduate Program Director.
Supervised internships at suitable locations in industry and government. Internships must include training and supervision - both at the place of training and at the academic unit. This valuable form of professional training provides students with the opportunity to develop their engineering skills in an off-campus setting. Term paper required. Credit not be given retroactively. Prior arrangements necessary.
Research
Research activities
- Investigating the evolution of an advancing river plume front in collaboration with researchers at UMaine and UConn. Specifically, UMassD is focused on turbulence and mixing in the front, with data collected from the UMassD T-REMUS
- Development of the maximal asymmetric drag wave energy converter (MADWEC), for use in providing at-sea power for moorings, autonomous vehicles and communications.
- Drone based elevation surveys of Buzzards Bay salt marshes in collaboration with the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Project.
- Other ongoing research includes use of the UMassD turbulence microstructure equipped autonomous underwater vehicle (T-REMUS) to quantify coastal turbulence in a variety of settings.
Research
Research awards
- $ 30,000 awarded by Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program | EPA for Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems to Monitor Salt Marsh Loss from Climate Change and Other Factors, Year 3
- $ 496,876 awarded by Office of Naval Research for UMassD MUST IV: Development of a Remotely Deployable MADWEC Wave energy Conversion System for Utilization with a Sonobuoy Deployed Balloon Communication Package
- $ 33,308 awarded by Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program | EPA for Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems to Monitor Salt Marsh Loss from Climate Change and Other Factors, Year 2
- $ 373,048 awarded by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for Closing the Experience Gap
- $ 59,549 awarded by EOM OFFSHORE, LLC for Development of a Low Cost, Low Maintenance Maximal Asymmetric Drag Wave Energy Converter (MADWEC)
Research
Research interests
- Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- Turbulence and Mixing
- River Plume Dynamics
- Marine Renewable Energy
- Environmental Data Collection with Autonomous Vehicles
Select publications
- Horner-Devine, A.R., R. D. Hetland, and D. G. MacDonald (2015).
Mixing and Transport in Coastal River Plumes
Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 47, 569-594. - MacDonald, D.G., J.O. Carlson, and L. Goodman (2013).
On the heterogeneity of shear-stratified turbulence: Observations from a near-field river plume
Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 118, 6223-6237. - D.G. MacDonald and F. Chen (2012).
Enhancement of turbulence through lateral spreading in a stratified-shear flow: Development and assessment of a conceptual model.
Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 117, C05025.
At UMass Dartmouth, Dr. MacDonald leads the Coastal Engineering and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, which focuses research in a variety of areas related to coastal physics and engineering. Basic and applied research encompasses the areas of stratified hydrodynamics, turbulence and frontal dynamics—with specific emphasis on estuarine flows, river plumes, and industrial discharges. A significant research focus also lies in the area of renewable energy, including wave energy and the hydrodynamic aspects of other marine renewable technologies, and conventional hydropower. He is also actively involved in the utilization of robotic platforms for environmental data acquisition in coastal and inland aquatic environments.
Dr. MacDonald is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and American Geophysical Union.