For Jash Rana (MIE MASc 2T6), a master’s degree was more than a chance to improve his knowledge and skills — it was also a pathway to his new full-time job at Tesla.
“I wanted to ensure my graduate studies didn’t remain purely academic,” says Rana.
“Tesla is addressing hard engineering challenges in EVs and robotics. I believe it’s important to apply what I have learned in class and in my research studies to the real world and Tesla gave me that opportunity.”
Rana completed his undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he found himself drawn to the computational and simulation side of solving engineering problems. For his graduate studies, Rana joined U of T Engineering, co-supervised by Professor Ali Dolatabadi (MIE) and Professor Chandra Veer Singh (MSE).
“The collaborative aspect between these labs really drew me in,” says Rana.
“Co-supervision allowed me to be part of two different research groups and bridge my degree with a combination of computational methods and applied machine learning.”
His work focused on using finite element method (FEM) modelling, a type of computer simulation, to better understand physical processes such as cold spray deposition. This type of analysis helps predict how materials behave during impact and can be used to optimize process parameters to make stronger and more reliable coatings.
As part of both research groups, Rana found it valuable to interact with students from the labs and share knowledge from different perspectives.
“If I was stuck or needed a fresh perspective, my lab mates were great resources for help or ideas,” says Rana.
“Working with them, I was able to learn something new every week, and that constant sharing of knowledge kept my research exciting and consistently helped me find new ways to improve my own work.”
It was midway through his studies when Rana learned of an internship opportunity with Tesla through a friend who had interned there. Both of his supervisors agreed that the role was a good fit for Rana and his research pursuits and career development.
For four months, Rana worked in Palo Alto, California as a mechanical design engineer intern, where he helped optimize connector seal designs for the Cybertruck.
His involvement in the design went from initial concept all the way to prototyping — using ANSYS Explicit Dynamics, a type of simulation software — and custom multi-objective optimization. Rana’s hands-on work at Tesla mirrored his thesis and gave new insights into his research direction.
Returning to Toronto, Rana continued his research with a new perspective. After defending his thesis, Rana interviewed at Tesla and accepted a full-time position as a mechanical design engineer for the Optimus humanoid robot program.
His work is on Optimus Test Systems, which includes simulation, mechatronics, and bringing systems from prototype to production.
“I’ll be designing characterization and test equipment for Optimus hardware components, which lets me build directly on everything I developed during my grad studies and internship,” says Rana.
“Long-term, I want to stay in an environment that constantly challenges me and allows me to keep learning something new.”
