Hi there! I'm Nathan, a '27 from Lynn, MA (just outside Boston). I'm majoring in Engineering Sciences modified with Studio Art—I like to understand, design, and create things. I also love writing, photography, and being outside (hence this blog). On-campus, I'm involved in the startup scene through the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as the Triathlon and Cycling Teams. Outside of class, you'll probably catch me drinking coffee somewhere or out on my bike.
I took this class to explore the Biology Department and it ended up defining my freshman Fall. I grew close with other biology-minded students and together we delved deep into cellular mechanisms and processes in a fast-paced environment. The labs were long but rewarding and everything about this class made me a better scientist—Professor Bezanilla is an amazing teacher! I would recommend this class to anyone with a passion for biology and research.
“Who do I want to be?” is a question that I frequently ask myself as an undergraduate (and I’m sure you will as well). A good place to begin answering this question, however, is “Who am I ?” Taking Investigative Memoir as my first-year seminar allowed me to explore this question via personal reflection and expressive writing—something that has helped me frame my identity at Dartmouth with the rest of my life. College can be a surreal experience, but Professor Sharlet’s introduction to the world of creative nonfiction has given me the ability to transform my own perceptions into tangible, recorded stories.
As a kid I drew a lot; I was inspired by architectural books like “Pyramid” and “Castle” and fascinated by illustrations in “The Way Things Work.” All of these books are by the author David Macaulay—and I had the opportunity to take this very class with him! I completed weekly sketchbook exercises, worked on visually communicating inventions, and was able to receive personal feedback. The theme of visual illustration as a tool in engineering resonated strongly with me, inspiring my interest in an engineering major modified with studio art. Given my long relationship with his work, this class was truly a dream come true.
SummerAmherst, Massachusetts
I interned at a running biomechanics research lab in Amherst, MA, to explore my interests in kinesiology and running shoe design! I was able to self-fund the internship through a grant from the Dartmouth Center for Professional Development (CPD). I spent the rest of my summer reading, spending time with family, and took a trip to Quebec before returning to campus.
The first of a two-part series on classical mechanics, this class made physics refreshing and enjoyable. The content came primarily through lectures given by Professor Caldwell, who was extremely clear and made each class memorable with demonstrations, jokes, or historical tangents. The lab section, which involved hands-on physics experiments, reinforced my understanding of the material in a practical sense. I took this course as an engineering requirement, and I found it to be my favorite quantitative course thus far.
I delved into the process of using digital design tools—such as the Adobe Suite, Rhino 3D, and Fusion 360—to create projects that used computer driven manufacturing methods like laser cutting and 3D printing. This class was right up my alley as the assignments required a hybrid of creative and technical thinking. My favorite projects included a making my own lamp, decorative tiles, and an architecture miniature. Overall, this class expanded my design skills and further solidified my pursuit of a Studio Art minor.
I learned about the history of New York, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles through a series of group discussions and presentations. Professor Orleck was an amazing lecturer and guided us through topics like labor reform, corruption, infrastructure, and economics across each city. The final project was an open research paper, and I chose to write about the evolution of culture in Boston's North End. Overall, this class reshaped my perspective of cities and allowed me to fulfill a SOC distributive requirement.
A classic engineering course in which I learned about rigid body statics, the behavior of deformable elastic solids, and how to build a system that can withstand load. The final group project was a truss bridge laser-cut out of wood that involved multiple rounds of simulation and computer-aided-design (CAD). In the end, it held over 20 kN, or about 4,500 pounds! I loved how this class changed the way I interacted with everyday physical objects and think about structures!
FallHanover
I took the fall quarter "off" to work on a hardware startup with two other students full-time! We lived and worked on-campus. I helped with the mechanical engineering components of the startups and designed our website. As part of the Magnuson Center’s venture studio, we had a space to work from and met with fellow startup founders every Thursday to discuss highs and lows. The culmination of the term was a break trip to Seattle and San Francisco to meet alumni working in entrepreneurship and venture capital.
An engineering course centered on understanding why materials behave the way they do. The class combined lectures with hands on lab sessions, where we used tools like a scanning electron microscope and X ray diffraction to actually see and analyze the materials we were studying. For our final group project, we investigated 3D printed metal lattice structures designed to improve performance in energy applications. I liked how the course changed the way I look at everyday objects, from the metals in a bike frame to the materials inside electronic devices, and think more carefully about what is happening beneath the surface.
I recently finished my fall off-term and came back to campus after Winterim. Being away from classes for a while made me realize how immersive the academic rhythm here really is. When you are in it, your days are structured almost without you noticing. When you step away, that structure disappears just as quickly. Coming back, though, it does not take long to fall into it again.
Now that I am a junior and have finished the prerequisite sequence, my classes feel different than they did a year ago. Earlier on, I was focused on completing core requirements and building a broad foundation. Now the material connects more directly to my interests within mechanical engineering, so it feels less like moving across separate subjects and more like pursuing an area of depth.
Distributed Systems is a required course, but it has been one of the more clarifying classes I have taken. We model mechanical, electrical, and thermal systems using the same mathematical framework, which means that a spring mass system, an RC circuit, and a thermal conduction problem can all be analyzed through similar differential equations. Seeing those parallels has made different areas of engineering feel less compartmentalized. Instead of viewing them as isolated topics, I have started to see them as variations on the same underlying structure. The class meets three times a week, and occasional in class demonstrations show how the models apply to real hardware. Watching equations map onto physical behavior makes the theory feel more grounded.
Materials Science approaches engineering from another scale entirely. We move from atomic bonding and crystal structures to macroscopic properties like strength and conductivity, constantly linking what happens at the microscopic level to what we observe in bulk materials. I have found it especially interesting to think about how small structural defects can influence how a component performs in the real world. Alongside lectures, we attend lab instruction sessions to learn how to use research equipment. Working with a scanning electron microscope and performing X-ray diffraction has been a highlight so far, partly because it shifts the experience from abstract diagrams to images and data that we generate ourselves. Having access to that level of instrumentation as an undergraduate makes the subject feel more immediate.
The lab component also feeds into a group research project that we self-selected at the start of the term. My group is studying 3D printed metal lattice structures as electrodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction, with the goal of understanding how lattice geometry influences surface area and electrochemical performance. I appreciate that the project combines design, manufacturing, and materials science in a way that mirrors how these disciplines overlap outside the classroom. It feels less like a standalone assignment and more like an introduction to research thinking.
I am also taking French 05, which I chose both to fulfill the language requirement and because I spoke French at home growing up. I wanted to strengthen my fluency in a more structured setting, and at the same time, I was curious what it would feel like to engage with the language academically rather than conversationally. Taking French alongside technical courses has created a contrast that I have come to value. In engineering, I spend most of my time modeling systems and working through quantitative problems, while in French we focus on interpretation, tone, and clarity of expression. Revisiting aspects of French culture and history, and working carefully through complex verb tenses and stylistic nuances, requires a different kind of attention. I've felt that moving between those approaches within the same week has made me more aware of how differently I think in each context.
Overall, this term feels like a transition point. I am still completing requirements, but I am also beginning to shape my education more intentionally. Dartmouth engineering allows for that progression. You build a broad foundation within a liberal arts setting, and then you gradually move toward greater depth in a specific area. This term has made that shift more visible to me.
True to the theme of a liberal arts education, Dartmouth requires students to take one or two classes each in several different subject matters, or distributives, in order to graduate.
This fall, I took INTS80.06: Multilateralism and US Leadership. The course was taught by visiting Professor DeLaurentis. We finished off the term with a trip to New York City to visit the UN and various UN Embassies.
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Sarah Getraer '26, a studio art major, showed me around her dorm room, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
