Diane Brancazio

MIT Sea Grant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Diane Brancazio is a leader in K-12 STEM education, specializing in the intersection of marine robotics, soft robotics, and accessible engineering curricula. Her major contributions center on adapting cutting-edge marine soft robotics technologies for classroom use, most notably through her work evolving the renowned SeaPerch program—a hands-on underwater ROV platform that has reached hundreds of thousands of students nationwide. Brancazio’s research has produced the first educational marine soft robotics STEM platform, introducing compliant, biomimetic materials to young learners and expanding the SeaPerch ecosystem with innovations like a fluidic control board for the next-generation SeaPerch II. Her most-cited paper (7 citations) presents this new iteration of the SeaPerch program, demonstrating how low-cost, hands-on curricula can effectively teach buoyancy, circuitry, and engineering design. With additional publications on adapting soft robotics for K-12 and designing accessible control systems, Brancazio bridges the gap between advanced robotics research and practical classroom implementation. Her work has been supported by the MIT Sea Grant and the Office of Naval Research, positioning her as a key figure in shaping the future of marine technology education and inspiring the next generation of ocean engineers.