Walter Munk Scholar Award

WALTER MUNK SCHOLAR AWARD

The Walter Munk Scholar Award is jointly sponsored by the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans (WMFO) and MTS. The award is presented to a scholar currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral program and recognized outstanding contributions in areas fostered by the sponsoring organizations. Established in 2019, the award honors Walter Munk's legacy of daring exploration and discovery through ocean scientific and technology research, ocean education, and ocean conservation.

2025 RECIPIENT - ALISON B. LAFERRIERE

Alison Laferriere is an ocean acoustics researcher specializing in signal processing for sensor systems and underwater acoustic applications. She holds S.M. and E.E. degrees in Electrical and Oceanographic Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). Her doctoral research focuses on developing novel signal processing techniques for acoustic vector sensors and hydrophone arrays that incorporate knowledge of the physics of sound propagation and the ocean environment. She aims to design methods that extract meaningful information from acoustic measurements, using sound as a tool to observe, measure, and ultimately understand environmental variability, ocean processes, and biological activity.

Alongside her doctoral studies, Alison serves as a Scientist at Applied Ocean Sciences (AOS), where she designs, analyzes, and models ocean sensing systems for both research and defense applications. Her work at AOS includes the development of techniques for acoustic tomography and the design of networking protocols for distributed ocean sensors. Previously, as a Senior Scientist at Raytheon BBN, she led multiple research efforts in underwater acoustics and developed algorithms for high-precision positioning and environmental characterization using acoustic tomography.

Alison values working at the intersection of academic research and applied technology, with the goal of advancing ocean sensing capabilities and deepening our understanding of the marine environment.