« Women’s Soccer 2009

Sophia Merrifield

School
Yale University
Position
Defender
Major
Physics and Mechanical Engineering
G
0
A
0
PTS
0

Classroom

Merrifield has a 3.40 GPA as a double major in physics and mechanical engineering. She spent the summer working in a mechanical engineering lab at Yale doing experimental fluid dynamics. Currently, Merrifield is designing an apparatus to measure 2-dimensional turbulent flows using Lagrangian particle tracking techniques. By looking at turbulent flows in a lab, she hopes to help better understand weather patterns and ocean and atmospheric dynamics governed by turbulence. She is planning to publish an article on shape dynamics in turbulence this year. She has worked three summers at the University of Hawaii as a research assistant in physical oceanography doing global sea level research and examining the efficiency of tsunami warning systems internationally. She co-authored a paper submitted to the Journal of Climate in the summer before her junior year at Yale.

Character

Merrifield’s post graduate plans are to earn a Ph.D. in either mechanical engineering or ocean/atmospheric physics then she hopes to work for the United Nations or a federal agency such as NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphereic Administration) on problems dealing with global warming and the understanding of climate and oceanic changes in the future. Her mother is currently battling her second round of breast cancer and her grandmother just beat lymphoma but now is receiving chemotheraphy for colon cancer, making living 5,000 miles away from home difficult.

Community

Merrifield has been involved with Relay For Life at Yale for the past three years and captained a team of her own this year. In Hawaii, she volunteered with Special Olympics and at a homeless shelter. She also volunteered coaching younger teams in her soccer club, the Honolulu Bulls. She is a member in a society of physics students and attends lectures and meetings throughout the year. Last year she attended a conference for women in physics.

Competition

Merrifield is the 2009 Yale captain. She has started every game of her Yale career and has been named All-Ivy in each of her first three years.. She earned first team All-Ivy recognition after her sophomore season. She was named to the SoccerBuzz All-Northeast Region second team as a sophomore. She was a first team All-New England selection as a junior. She anchors Yale’s defense.