Feature Stories 2026: Ryan Masoud '26: Built to do more

Mechanical engineering major Ryan Masoud '26 is a natural builder, the kind of student who would rather pick up a set of tools and get to work than sit still.  

"I’ve done total automotive restorations, made a custom mouthpiece for my saxophone, and built an aluminum cane for a family member who suffered an injury," Masoud said.  As a first-generation student more at home in a workshop than in a lecture hall, college wasn't always an obvious path.  

"I left college after my sophomore year and wasn’t planning on coming back.  Engineering isn’t easy, and I wasn’t sure it was for me. For a year, I worked full-time making valve components for power plants, but I wanted more for my life.  

"I returned to UMass Dartmouth, and it paid off. This summer after graduation, I’ll be starting my dream job." 

With months to go before graduation, Masoud has already secured a position as a mechanical designer at Raytheon in Portsmouth, RI. But he says there's still one big goal looming on the horizon: the Baja SAE Competition. 

All in on Baja 

"I've been living and breathing this project, working around the clock to get us ready for competition," Masoud said. As president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Masoud leads the team of students building the Baja car: a one-seat offroad buggy that will race in the international competition held in Palmyra, NY this June.  

"In 1994, the UMass Dartmouth Baja team won 1st place for top speed. I keep that award on display in the shop as a reminder of what we can do," he said. Masoud joined ASME to work on the Baja car, but never expected it would turn him into the leader he is today. "Working with the ASME club and helping to build the club back up to what it ought to be is one of my proudest achievements. I've made great friends and connections through ASME, and I've seen the same thing happen for other people in the organization, too." 

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Going the distance 

UMass Dartmouth also helped Masoud take on another role he never expected: researcher. Masoud did undergraduate research with Professor Vijay Chalivendra and Professor Alex Fowler. In the lab, he applied the same skills that had always served him in the shop: curiosity, problem-solving, and a willingness to dive in even though it pushed him outside his comfort zone. And once again, it paid off. 

"I wasn't the best student, but Dr. Chalivendra liked my ideas, supported me, and took me under his wing. Dr. Fowler taught me to work really hard; he had high expectations and pushed me to do my best.  

“I learned that whatever your goal is, it's a disservice to yourself if you don't give one hundred percent."