
Nick Cruz (He/Him) is a first-year graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State.
Growing up in Spokane, WA, Nick came to OSU not just because of the location, but to pursue his undergraduate degree in the Honors College as well. “A beautiful campus, great engineering program, and the right balance between being too close to home to feel like a change and being too far from home to visit over a long weekend. The Honors College was also a large draw and I’m glad I stuck with it to complete my Honors thesis.” While this is Nick’s first year at OSU, he is also part of the accelerated master’s program which he began his senior year of his undergrad.
Nick is a graduate research assistant, working in a research lab. The position covers tuition in addition to a monthly stipend, which Nick intends to use to help fund his studies. After graduating, Nick hopes to enter the automotive engineering industry, specifically in the area of vehicle development.
Although Nick hasn’t gotten too far into his research yet, he’s begun working with his major advisors toward a focus of study. “I will be working with my advisor, Dr. Piacenza, another professor researching coastal engineering, Dr. Yim, and a Ph.D. student in his lab at the Hinsdale Wave Lab to design and test a wave-energy-conversion (WEC) device to be used in conditions similar to the Oregon Coast.” Nick was excited to work with Dr. Piacenza for his thesis, not only because he was able to work with him for his honors thesis, but also due to his experience as technical lead for Global Formula Racing at OSU.
One of the biggest challenges that Nick has faced so far has been in deciding his research topic and the time frame to complete the research. “The freedom and flexibility of grad school is great in that it allows you to tailor it to your interests, but it can be daunting to be faced with so many choices. I’m excited, though, to see where it takes me and what I can achieve.”