Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 2025
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 2018
Academic Appointments
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Maryland, 2023-2025

Dr. Relph's background is in mechanical engineering, with a focus on fluid dynamics and experiment design. She has expertise in the areas of bubbly flows, jets, and free-surface phenomena, and her experience includes high-speed videography, the design and testing of flow control apparatuses, and digital image processing.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Relph received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland. During her doctoral studies, she used experimental techniques to examine the role that surface disturbances upon plunging liquid jets play in creating and transporting bubbles, with the goal of benefitting the metal casting industry by informing better estimates for air inclusions in castings. In pursuit of this goal, Dr. Relph employed high-speed camera-based measurement techniques, numerical analysis, and innovative experimental design to uncover the origins of entrained air bubbles. The optical techniques she employed include particle image velocimetry, background-oriented schlieren, and edge detection, enabling the non-invasive extraction of quantitative data such as pressure, velocity, surface deformation, and bubble volume.