Welcome to My Portfolio
Hi, I'm Brady Wood—a Mechanical Engineering student, MBA candidate, and problem solver. I have a passion for curiosity and leading teams to deliver exceptional results. Explore my work, experience, and projects below!
Hi, I'm Brady Wood—a Mechanical Engineering student, MBA candidate, and problem solver. I have a passion for curiosity and leading teams to deliver exceptional results. Explore my work, experience, and projects below!
As a Solar Estimating Intern at Mortenson, I directed a medium voltage (MV) cable optimization project, collaborating closely with Engineering, AI Development, and Innovation teams. Through this initiative, my team developed MV optimization software that delivered savings that improved project efficiency, lowered costs, and streamlined MV layout design. These new Python workflows decreased time spent on solar MV Layouts significantly. Beyond technical contributions, I partnered with executive leadership through a series of interviews to gather insights from both field and corporate perspectives.
Over the summer of 2025, I served as a Project Manager for a self-started project in Minneapolis, where I led a strategy consulting engagement with a small business in the area. Working closely with the owners, we developed and implemented marketing, production, and data analysis strategies which helped the client achieve a 90% profit increase over 14 weeks. This role allowed me to combine problem solving with hands on business strategy, driving measurable results for a growing company.
Accepted into Texas A&M's competitive Engineering MBA program, combining technical engineering expertise with strategic business acumen. This program bridges the gap between engineering innovation and business leadership, preparing me for varying roles in technology driven industries.
During a study abroad experience in Aix-en-Provence, I met engineering and culture by studying solid mechanics within French engineering systems and collaborating with cross-cultural teams of American and French students. We also completed a site visit to ArcelorMittal, gaining real world insight into industrial applications of the concepts we studied in class.
As an Undergraduate Researcher at the Biomechanical Environments Laboratory, I contributed to LVAD research aimed at improving surgery outcomes for 800+ patients annually. I co-led the creation of a mock circulatory flow loop replicating in-vivo heart conditions to evaluate LVAD insertion strategies. To enable particle image velocimetry (PIV), we matched the refractive indexes of 3D printing left ventricle models and blood-mimicking fluids through iterative experimentation.
I guided 15 students through a 26 mile trek on the Eagle Rock Loop in Ouachita National Forest during three days of subfreezing temperatures and freezing rain. The extreme conditions tested everyone's preparation and resilience, we woke up to frozen camping gear, hiked through icy rain at night, and made constant adjustments to keep the group safe. We all made constant sacrifices to ensure the team stayed warm and hydrated; during the last 6 miles of our trip, I found myself carrying other team member's backpacks, hauling over 100 lbs of gear and giving up clothing layers to ensure everyone finished strong. Despite the challenges, our team completed the journey together where we capped off the experience by congratulating each participant with a handmade medal to commemorate the accomplishment.
I co-led the planning and execution of a 10-year tradition designed to bring together all sophomore leadership organizations at Texas A&M through a day of friendly competition. Our leadership committee secured an organization scholarship, making the event free for all participants for the first time in its history. My committee and I worked together to referee, point track, schedule, setup, and clean up the event. This was later praised as the "best SLOLYMPICS ever thrown" by a senior executive from another leadership organization.
After returning from my transformative study abroad experience, I wanted to help other engineering students get closer to gaining the same experience. As a Global Ambassador for the Halliburton Engineering Global Programs, I became an advocate for international learning opportunities at Texas A&M. In this role, I led high-impact presentations to 200+ students, speaking on a panel alongside international business leaders to highlight the professional value of global competency. I also worked 1 on 1 with students during office hours to advise them on their future abroad experiences, helping them through the process and providing insight into what to expect.
During winter break of 2024, I brought my long standing dream to life by organizing a 4-day camping expedition to Big Bend National Park. This was an ambitious trip that ended up attracting 25 students, far exceeding the original goal of 5. The adventure included 16 hours of driving, 28 miles of hiking, 5000 feet of elevation gain, and only 15 hours of sleep across the entire trip for me and my co-leader (everyone else had plenty of sleep, don't worry). The most rewarding accomplishment was achieving 100% team participation on both a 3 a.m. summit hike up to Emory Peak (4 miles) and a 16 mile hike around the South Rim Loop, even among participants who had never been hiking before. To ensure everyone's safety and success we managed food and water, and motivated the group through every challenge. This trip marked the completion of a leadership dream I had set 8 months prior, turning a small idea into my most memorable college accomplishment.
From barely running two miles without stopping to finishing 13.1 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes, my half marathon journey was a challenge that taught me the importance of delayed gratification and discipline. After my first race attempt was canceled due to safety concerns, I committed to three months of focused training with the goal of breaking 2 hours. By race day, I not only surpassed my goal but I cut off 25 minutes from my target time.
What began as a small challenge with just three people on a 30 mile hike in Arkansas turned into the start of a dream. Over two intense days, myself and 2 friends hiked through the night, crossed freezing rivers in darkness, and walked alongside firefighters as controlled burns lit up the horizon. On the second day, we pushed through a 26 mile stretch in one go with the howls of coyotes echoing through the valley's below us. This experience tested my limits and ultimately inspired my goal of becoming a SAIL Leadership Director to plan larger expeditions which would come later.
With no prior long distance race experience and far from peak fitness, I set the bold goal of finishing top 10 in my age group for a sprint triathlon. My only bike was a 20-year old Schwinn rusted from months sitting outside. On race day I passed other racers proudly to the sound of my chain screeching across my gear shift. I finished 9th in my age group achieving my goal. The very next day I boarded a plane to France to begin a study abroad experience that would change the way I view world-wide engineering.
During the winter break of my sophomore year, I discovered a passion for woodworking and restoration. After being inspired by YouTube restoration videos, I purchased a $5 rusted axe from Facebook Marketplace and restored it to a new functional tool. This grew into building a custom side table for my apartment, a cat scratching post for my roommate's cat, and a personal storage box I use daily. Working with my hands to create and restore practical items was frustrating at times but ultimately became a therapeutic creative outlet.
