Braden Cote ('20, Mechanical Engineering) had no idea how much a professor's invitation to work in a lab would guide his career path. Now a graduate student at Montana State University, Braden credits his experiences in faculty-led research with shaping his academic and professional path.
"Working in Dr. Harman Khare's Tribology Research Lab for a summer was honestly an awesome opportunity,getting some valuable real-world experience in that lab setting," he says. "It hadn't crossed my mind that research was a viable career option for me!"
In Braden's junior year, he met Dr. Khare and learned about the vision for this new lab. Under Dr. Khare's guidance, Braden began designing and manufacturing test apparatus to meet tribology's unique needs.
"I had a lot of opportunities since the lab was just starting to develop. By designing instruments, I got both research and a traditional mechanical engineering experience -- designing tools, iterating and testing, making sure that they would work for our needs,” he says.
Balancing Research and Academics
Braden credits his time in the research lab with making him a better student.
"It contributed to being excited about the theory I was learning in lectures; it helped to apply it to something real. It was like having project-based learning the entire semester, and I found that to be extremely helpful," he says.
Balancing an 18-credit course load with research responsibilities brought its challenges, and Braden developed valuable time management and prioritization skills. "Even though my day-to-day got a lot busier, it helped me to prioritize my schedule better," he says.
Research as an Industry Career Path
The hands-on experience and exposure to the research process inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in research. Although his undergrad experience was in tribology, he picked a different area of mechanical engineering for graduate work.
"Being from Seattle, I'd always been interested in working in aerospace and robotics in some way," he says. "I did find Dr. Khare's research interesting, and I loved that work. It was fun to learn that field, but I knew if I was going to grad school, I should follow the engineering topics I like the most."
Braden's interest in bio-inspired dynamics led him to Montana State University. His studies of insect flight mechanics can inform both biologists and engineers, exploring how their capabilities could transfer to micro robots or other man-made machines.
After earning his Ph.D., Braden plans to pursue a career in the industry side of research.
Advice for Current Undergraduates
Braden's top advice for current undergraduates is to keep an open mind about research opportunities.
"Don't shy away from it just because it's not the traditional internship route," he says. Research experience can be highly appealing to employers and provide unique skills that are valuable in various career paths.
"Senior year, when I was job searching, I did get a lot of interviews and they all wanted me to talk quite a bit about that summer research experience," he says. "I could easily see someone doing research for any of the mechanical engineering professors and it translating into skills that can be used for industry."
Braden is enthusiastic about 杏吧原创's efforts to promote undergraduate research through programs like GRO-MECS. It's a message he's emphasized on every visit back to campus, and he's hopeful that donations to the GRO-MECS fund will guide even more students for years to come.