Anthony Marino, Sustainability
Curiosity led Anthony Marino to the sciences, but his heart told him to focus on the field of Sustainability.
School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
He constantly asked how things worked as a kid, but the toughest question was one he asked himself for a while: How can I make an impact with what I discover from science?
Sustainability showed him how to leverage physics and engineering to face the threats of climate change. He switched his major “to help save the world from the biggest existential threat of my generation,” he explained.
Inside the Sustainability Lab, Marino sported an Air Force leather jacket that was his grandfather’s as he worked on a half dozen protypes of wind turbine blades he created with varying surface textures. One blade is covered in coarse sandpaper. Another is full of circular dents that mimic the pattern on a golf ball.
The sandpaper blade increased efficiency by 25 percent. The golf ball texture is proving to outperform the sandpaper. But, how?
“Wind turbines work in the same way as planes. The shape of the blade generates lift. But the problem with lift is that it generates turbulence. As air starts to pass over the blade, friction between the blade surface and the air makes the air slow down and pile up creating turbulence,” explained Marino.
He is using texture design to minimize the loss of energy from turbulence. “My research puts textures on the blades to create micro disturbances in the air to keep it moving rather than slowing down,” he said.
He participated in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Wind Institute Fellowship for two years conducting experimental research in the field of fluid dynamics. The opportunity helped him discover the field he wants to work in and enabled him to graduate debt free.
As a first-year student, Marino didn’t have it all figured out, but he was ready to put in the time and effort. “One opportunity leads to the next, and here I am. I just made sure my heart was open to trying new things and experiences, and I worked hard. I had the goal of doing something that I love, and that’s exactly what I am doing,” he said.
After graduation, Marino will be pursuing his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace and Fluid Dynamics at Stevens Institute of Technology.
He’s excited to continue studying fluid dynamics, but at a much faster speed. He will be on the research team focusing on hypersonic (faster than the speed of sound) collisions between water droplets.
“I plan to use my degree to influence an industry that has little idea of what sustainability is. Engineering tends to focus more so on industrial efficiency and not the broader picture outside of the industrial scene,” he said.
Outside of his classwork, Marino learned to love cooking. “At the beginning of sophomore year I didn’t get a meal plan on purpose so it would force me to learn how to cook. It started out with a lot of ramen,” he said.
Now he’s making smoky garlic chili pork burgers and was pleasantly surprised by the combo of lime and chocolate to flavor chicken thighs.
He will miss the people at ĢƵ, but has great memories he will take with him. “One thing about the Sustainability major here at ĢƵ is that we are more of a community than a degree. Leaving ĢƵ means leaving behind my Sustainability family. The late nights that I’ve had studying in the Sustainability Lab with my friend group dubbed ‘the energy baddies’ are some of the best nights of my life. I’ll cherish them forever,” he said.
One of the greatest challenges he faced was questioning his own abilities, but he surrounded himself with support from family, friends and professors.
“You cannot make it through this life on your own, so make sure you make great friends along the way,” he said.
