Graduate Student Spotlight: Nishank Amin
Where is your hometown?
Mumbai, India is home. Although I was born and raised in Kuwait as my parents were working there during my years in school.
What is your area of study and what made you pursue it?
My interest in mechanical engineering was seeded in my strong love of cars as a child. I loved to collect model cars, RC cars and even played a lot of racing video games. After trying go-karting at 12 for the first time, there was no turning back.
What brought you to Ohio State?
Gearlab was the major driving force of my decision to be a part of OSU. The opportunity of being a part of the best academic laboratory in terms of gear simulation software is not something that comes around often, when it did, I grasped it with both hands.
What do you like most about the major and opportunities OSU allows?
Mechanical engineering is one of the fundamental blocks of the modern world. Every industry, regardless of their product makes use of mechanical engineering in some way or the other. OSU provides an environment where students can pursue research in a wide variety of mechanical engineering disciplines. The vast number of labs provide both focused core areas research as well as cross-functional interactions.
What is the best class you have taken so far and why?
MECHENG 5030 - Intermediate Dynamics by Dr. Satya Seetharaman. Dynamics is not a very easy thing to learn and I didn’t have the best experience with the introduction level class during my undergrad. So, when I signed up for the course, my goal was to overcome the residual apprehension that I still had towards dynamics while learning something new. Dr. Seetharaman is one of the best professor’s I have ever met. His method of teaching is impressive and he was very approachable when I had doubts regarding the material taught in the class. The contents of the course are also very useful for a graduate student planning to pursue research/work in domains that require knowledge of dynamics.
What advice would you give high school students considering pursuing engineering as a major?
For students who have an aptitude towards science and math, I would suggest considering engineering as a major. Based on my experience in class, internships and extracurricular work in SAE Baja, I can say that if you enjoy what you are doing, then it doesn’t seem like work or a task. It is easier to pursue something that you care about or are passionate about rather than something you are doing just for the sake of having a college degree/job. I would also re-iterate my point from before, almost every industry needs engineers. There is a high chance of one landing a good job that pays well as an engineer.
What is an important decision you made during your time at MAE?
I believe my decision to join MEGA (Mechanical, aerospace and nuclear Engineering Graduate student Association) was quite important. When I joined OSU in the middle of the pandemic in August 2020, it was quite difficult to meet peers and make friends in a social environment. Having experienced that, I wanted to give back to the graduate student community of the MAE department in a way that helps improve their exposure to others in academic, professional and social circumstances. We live in a world where networking is crucial and as President of MEGA during this academic year, promoting opportunities for good networking/interaction among students as well as between students and faculty has been the focus of our events.
What was your favorite activity to do as a kid?
I used to enjoy playing basketball with my school friends. Have been able to get back to it since last semester at OSU and it brings me a lot of joy.
