Kyle Stark is a PhD student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department, is advised by Prof. Padmini Rangamani, and mentored by Prof. Samuel Ward through the Interfaces program. He is currently using mathematical and computational modeling to develop a quantitative understanding of how cytoskeletal proteins and cell membranes change their material stiffness moduli to optimize force and velocity requirements. This extends into his broader thesis of how constitutive relations contribute to cell and tissue developmental processes. In his spare time, he is often found going for runs, eating brunch or skiing.