Student Profile
Diana Gamzina

Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering '10

Diana Gamzina has a lot on her plate. Though she transferred to UC Davis from a community college just two years ago, Gamzina plans to complete her double major in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science in just four years.

Inspired by a visit to some family friends in Lafayette, Gamzina made the decision to move all the way from her hometown of Siauliai, Lithuania to California alone in the summer of 2004 to begin her engineering degree. She spent her first two years in California living with a host family and attending a local community college before transferring to UC Davis in the fall of her junior year.

While she admits the transition took a lot of hard work, Gamzina says there is another element that has aided in her success. “Engineers stick together at Davis. We work together in teams to come up with new ideas and find ways to help each other out.”

As if the schoolwork for her double major wasn’t enough, Diana has also spent time outside the classroom exploring the engineering field. Originally inspired to major in engineering while working for a hydraulics company, Gamzina has also worked on campus in both the Northern California Nanotechnology Center and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Lab during her time at UC Davis. Applying her double major studies while becoming involved with the lab’s research and aiding with graduate student projects, Gamzina picks up ideas along the way for her own future after she graduates in June.

Hoping to find a job in the crane manufacture and design sector or the applied materials science field, Gamzina plans to gain a few years of work experience while she settles on a concentration for her work before returning to school for a graduate degree.