Meet Praveen Prakash

As a newer face in FacilitiesManagement, Praveen Prakash embraces curiosity as he settles into his role as director of Housing Engineering. When he’s not working in (or under) CUIMC’s residential buildings and getting to know the medical center campus, Praveen spends his downtime traveling or baking. "I’ve been praised on my carrot cake, though I generally make cookies," Praveen shares. Let's hope Praveen knows where the Facilities breakroom is!

See what else Praveen had to say when we interviewed him.

What is your favorite thing about your current role?

Working with my team has been a great opportunity! Everyone is seasoned; between their skill sets and personalities, we all work together in a seamless fashion, and I enjoy interacting with everyone. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to go to space, check it out, and see what’s up there. Then I realized how difficult it was to get there (laughs).

What brings you joy?

I have a sweet tooth and love candy and baking. I also like to implement healthy ingredients into whatever I bake. An occasional pie here and there can be expected as well! One of the best things I’ve ever made was a pecan-crusted pumpkin pie.

Besides candy and baking, I feel like I’m an easy person to please. I enjoy nature basketball, hanging out with my family and friends, and traveling. We went to Iceland in 2019 – it’s really easy to navigate. You just hop in a car and can get anywhere you want. One place we stayed when we visited was at a farmer’s house and he made fresh goat cheese and fig jam for us.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Although bad decision build character, I'd urge myself to take my time and think things through. And be more present in the moment. I was more present as a kid, but less so after college. When I was younger I was always in a rush to grow up and reach my next milestone. I wish I had spent more time enjoying the moments as they came.

What superpower would you choose for yourself?

Teleportation. I feel like I’m always late to things and this could fix things. This would help with travel as well.

What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?

I listen to a lot of hip-hop and rap. J Cole, Jay Z, Lil Baby, Tupac. I’ve seen Future and Travis Scott and J Cole in concert.