Mary Lou enjoys traveling, camping, tennis, and any activity that requires her to "figure things out," such as quilting and knitting. She says she wants to pursue "a career where I will be able to help solve problems important to quality of life."
While kayaking, Mary Lou was mesmerized by the swirling patterns her paddle made. She wondered whether the swirls represented lost energy, and, if so, whether paddles could be made to be more efficient.
Mary Lou built a flume made of PVC tubing, a whirlpool pump, and a butterfly valve to control the flow. She made model paddles from plastic spoons that she softened and reshaped, and then built a device to measure horizontal and vertical forces on each paddle. After testing four blade shapes and three shaft angles – taking more than 300 measurements – she concluded that a spoon-shaped blade with a bent shaft delivered the most force. She has filed a provisional patent application for the design.
