Meet Sarah Arnette, Ph.D., a Grand Challenges Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow at the Schmid College of Science and Technology!

Dr. Sarah Arnette completed her dissertation in Environmental Life Sciences from Arizona State University in June 2024. She is interested in the impact of changing environmental conditions across time scales on fish mechanics and physiology. Her current work focuses on how fishes of different shapes interact with their environment and using fish as inspiration for soft-bodied robots for various applications. She is also passionate about engaging natural history collections in her works.

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Q & A with Dr. Sarah Arnette

What is your current area of research – and why are you passionate about it?

I am a comparative biomechanist who generally uses fishes as a system; this area of research is exciting to me because fishes are such a diverse and interesting group of vertebrates.

What are you most looking forward to about GCI?

From suction cups to hemoglobin-less blood, if there is a weird thing for animals to do, there is a fish that does it. This diversity provides ample material for bio-inspired design, which is a new direction I am excited to explore as part of the Grand Challenges Initiative.

What is the best advice you’ve received in your science career?

The best advice I’ve ever received in science is not to take myself so seriously and that it is a privilege to investigate almost any question that piques my interest. I often remind myself of this and consider it my responsibility to share the curiosity and joy of scientific exploration with others.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a scientist?

That said, I do sincerely love a good spreadsheet, and I think if I weren’t a scientist I would very likely be an accountant.

How do you like your coffee?

I take my coffee black.