Dr. EeShan Bhatt (also Eesh, he/him) found oceanography to be an extension of lifelong interests: building things and feeling humbled by the outdoors. He pursued a B.S.E in mechanical engineering at Duke University; a summer at the Duke University Marine Lab under the Deborah Susan Steer Scholarship and a semester abroad at the University of Christchurch, NZ, inspired him to apply an engineering background to embedded ocean sensing.

Dr. Bhatt earned a PhD in Mechanical and Oceanographic Engineering from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program and received the George P. Panteleyev Award upon graduation. His dissertation, partially funded as a National Defense, Science, and Engineering Graduate Fellow, developed real-time ray identification to aid underwater navigation in the Beaufort Sea, a challenging under-ice and double ducted environment, capable of single-meter positioning. Eeshan applied his systems-level approach to improving student life, serving as a graduate resident advisor; starting the first ocean science applicant assistance program, JP ASK; and contributing to various institute-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He continued as a postdoctoral researcher at WHOI, in the Physical Oceanography department, drawing on hydrographic archives in the Irminger Sea to demonstrate the sensitivity of near-surface acoustic propagation to intermediate and deep water sound speed gradients.

Dr. Bhatt brings marine autonomy, algorithm and software development, and environmental data mining to AOS’ expertise in underwater acoustics and ocean technology.

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