Spencer Smith

he/him

  • Associate Professor of Physics
  • On Sabbatical 2024-2025
Spencer Smith, Faculty

Spencer Smith's work seeks to characterize the complexity inherent in chaotic fluid motion by uncovering dynamically relevant and topologically robust fluid structures. He investigates how these ideas are pertinent from micro-fluidic chips at the small scale to pollution tracking and prediction in oceanic flows on a much larger scale and touch on some of the deep questions in fluid dynamics, such as the nature of turbulence.

Spencer is also very interested in the intersection of art and physics, and he curated a show at the MHC Art Museum in fall 2017 on the science photographs of Berenice Abbott. 

Areas of Expertise

physics (fluid dynamics); math (dynamic systems theory & topology); computer science (finite elements, data structures, algorithm development, and numerical methods)

Education

  • Ph.D., M.S., Tufts University
  • B.A., Dartmouth College

Happening at Mount Holyoke

Recent Campus News

For the second year in a row, Mount Holyoke College has received the 2025 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.

Nearly 1,000 handwritten letters penned by missionary and scientist David Crockett Graham will be digitally scanned, archived and preserved by a Mount Holyoke College history major and the Archives and Special Collections office.

Mount Holyoke College President Danielle R. Holley spoke to both New England Public Media and the podcast “The Harvard Plan” about how higher education is not the enemy, as well as supporting students going forward.

Recent Publications

Smith, S.A., Gong, R. (2022). Braiding dynamics in active nematics. Frontiers in Physics, 10.

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