Purdue ME student turns early passion for cars into career path
Akul Ramasubban built his first electric cart when he was 16.
While attending a boarding school in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, he noticed older women pushing heavy vegetable loads on carts. Envisioning an easier way for them to move their goods, he retrofitted an existing cart with an electric powertrain, which made it easier for them to work.
The experience sparked his interest in engineering, and Ramasubban is going into his fourth year at Purdue University studying mechanical engineering.
“I was always interested in cars,” he said. “That was always my goal – to work in the automotive industry. Purdue stood out to me because it was so good in so many different things.”
A Bay Area resident, Ramasubban heard about the university from high school friends, and he knew the engineering college was one of the top-ranked in the nation.
The tipping point came in high school, when Ramasubban attended virtual sessions hosted by the Office of Future Engineers (OFE) and was inspired by what he heard.
“They were talking to me like I was already going to go there,” he said. “Everyone was just so helpful in a way that they wanted you to be there and wanted you to succeed.”
Though he never visited Purdue prior to enrolling, Ramasubban — also a Presidential Scholarship recipient — has immersed himself in its culture.
During his first year, he was contacted by OFE, where he began working almost immediately to promote his field of study to prospective students. The experience, he said, quickly transformed him from newcomer to Purdue pro.
“I used to give sessions to about 150 people weekly and talk about a school I barely knew myself,” said Ramasubban, who has worked in the office for two years. “Talking about it helped me get out of my shell.”
Ramasubban’s interest in cars has been gaining momentum since he was a child, when he would watch Formula 1 races with his grandfather. Enthralled with the energy, he memorized every car on the road. Then he got into riding go-karts with friends and seeing if he could beat them.
At Purdue, he is a member of Purdue Electric Racing, an organization where students build formula-style race cars every year and compete with other U.S. universities. He also is a Mathworks Student Ambassador, where he promotes engineering software programs MATLAB and Simulink and connects students with access to resources such as events and social media platforms.
This summer, Ramasubban is using his academic and practical knowledge interning for Ford in Detroit, where he is working on engine development for hybrid pickup trucks.
“It was always my goal to work in the automotive industry,” he said. “The experience (at Purdue) has just been way better than I expected.”