Nathan is a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Nathan grew up in San Diego, California, and studied mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate degree. A big part of why Nathan chose to study mechanical engineering was because of how big the field of mechanical engineering was. In addition to the fact that mechanical engineering covered a wide range of topics that Nathan could explore, he knew that engineers were paid pretty well, which was another driving factor for him going into the field.

Doing research in fluid mechanics at CalTech, Nathan was exploring flow through beds of hair. The main application for his research was filter feeders. These aquatic filter feeders have appendages that sweep through water and are able to control locally, the flow fields based on how fast they're going.

Nathans advice:

1. Don't stress too much about pre-planning your future. He says that things have a way of working out.  Do what you can to get yourself into the spot you want to be in, but do not stress out about it.

2. Keep an open mind about a lot of things that might change. Staying flexible will allow you to adapt to something different if one thing does not work out.

3. It's better to pull yourself out of something you realize wasn't meant for you rather than sticking to it because you wanted to do it once before. Doing something you are really passionate about naturally makes you work harder.

4. If you want to go into a Ph.D. program while in your undergrad years, really think about whether or not it may be worth it for you. Getting a PhD is a 4 to 5 year commitment that is not meant for everyone.