Dr. Nicole Xu is an engineer with an interdisciplinary background in robotics, fluid mechanics, and bioengineering. Currently, her research focuses on using 3D-printed bioinspired shark skin surfaces to improve the performance of fish-like robots and autonomous underwater vehicles as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Scholar at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, M.S. from the California Institute of Technology, and B.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania, and her work has received international press, including interviews on BBC TV and radio.