Hi there! I'm Nathan, a '27 from Lynn, MA (just outside Boston). I'm an intended Engineering Sciences Major and Studio Art Minor—I like to understand, design, and create things. I also love reading about history, writing, and photography (hence this blog). On-campus, I'm involved in the Triathlon Team, French Living Learning Community (LLC), and Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship. Explore my posts for an inside perspective of everything Dartmouth has to offer!
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.
Alongside my coursework this term, I've been able to continue working on my startup from TuckLab—which you can read abouthere. After participating in a "mentor mixer" program last spring term (which paired student-led startups with alumni), my co-founders and I were invited to become a part of the Magnuson Center's"Venture Studio." The program consisted of weekly meetings where founders could share a meal, report on progress or difficulties, and brainstorm ideas to keep moving forward. Oftentimes, there were reflection questions sent out to the entire cohort to prompt group discussions. There were both upperclassmen and graduate students participating in the program and the range of startups present was broad—everything from robotics to software companies. My conversations with more experienced student founders have been helpful in finding the right balance with academics, understanding how to develop a product, and ultimately learning what it takes to scale an idea into a business.
Venture Studio also has its own official space next to the Dartmouth Engineering. While the Magnuson Center is located in the Engineering and Computer Science Center, Venture Studios is in Murdough, a building attached to theIrving Institute for Energy and Society. It's a sleek, modern workspace outfitted with monitors, a fridge stocked with refreshments, and a coffee machine. The dedicated space offers a change of environment from most study locations and makes working on startups exciting—with the added benefit of bumping into other founders while utilizing the space.
Venture Studio during off hours.
The view of the Irving Institute's atrium from Venture Studio.
Beyond the program's community-building sessions, we also had two guest speaker events.
The first featured a Dartmouth alumnus with a wealth of knowledge in scaling Business-to-Business (B2B) "Software as a Service" (SaaS) companies. She was kind enough to drive hours from Massachusetts to come talk to us in person! After telling us how she ended up at Dartmouth, she recounted her first attempts at building a hair care product and subsequent positions helping startups grow.
The second guest speaker event featured a panel of lawyers who manage the legal affairs of predominantly startups. This was incredibly helpful in aiding us students in understanding the intricacies of the incorporation process. They explained the context and purpose of different forms of business entities and provided quick tips on required annual legal documentation. This session was particularly helpful because I was also able to ask about branding and trademarks, as my co-founders and I wished to explore how we'd go about navigating our intellectual property.
At the conclusion of the program, our cohort had a final debrief and shared feedback on how the experience could be improved. We also all gave two-minute elevator pitches on our concepts and progress—with the stakes being a free grant determined by a group vote! Fortunately, my startup tied with another for first, and we'll be splitting the grant in half! My co-founders and I have made a plan to keep meeting over Winterim (the break between the Fall and Winter terms) and continue our progress!
Overall, it's been an amazing experience working on the startup this term, and I can't wait to see what is next!
Dartmouth changed my life. A large part of that change comes from the support I have received from professors. Learn more here about some mentor-mentee relationships I have made!
In Solid Mechanics, we designed and constructed a bridge that held 10kN, around 1000kg! The process, from SOLIDWORKS design to laser cutting to gluing parts together, took us weeks, but it was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever done.
