Excited campus chatter dissolved around Nicholas DiPucchio, Ph.D., CAS ’16, while he and his mother set out on an orientation tour of Oakland University. While OU sparked a sense of promise in their group, the energy evaded Dr. DiPucchio, thinking college — whether OU or another university — wasn’t going to be a fit for him. In an attempt to shorten his stagnating university search, he made a deal with his mom that changed his career trajectory. 

“It was just the reality that I felt college didn’t suit me,” DiPucchio says. “I stuck through the first event, and then I asked her, ‘If I agree to go here, do we have to finish the rest of the orientation?’ When she said no, I was set on OU.” 

In the Fall of 2012, DiPucchio began his studies as an “undecided” major, weaving through various classes ranging in subject matter. “Even after starting classes, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he says. “I thought I may just end up dropping out of college.” In an effort to find his direction and appease his parents, he settled on declaring a major in Human Resources, a general, stable field that could ensure a comfortable future. 

However, taking an introductory European history survey course with Professor Derek Hastings, Ph.D., set a new unexpected course ablaze, flipping his lackluster college outlook to looking for more moments to learn. “I had wonderful professors my first semester, but the topics just weren’t my thing,” DiPucchio says. “But in the second semester, in this history class, I loved his lectures; I loved the discussions.” That was one of the first of many moments that “Oakland kept drawing me in,” he remembers.  

Doors began to open: He was active in class, reading in his free time and asking for more reading materials to continue. “I still felt uncertain about what exactly to do next, but I finally felt OK with that,” he explains. “Whatever happens with these history courses, I know I’m enjoying them … I figured something good has to come out of this because it was the first time I really wanted to be a good student.” From there, his schedule slowly shifted to accommodate more of his passion for history, including additional evening lectures, like History Comes Alive, and joining Phi Alpha Theta, OU’s chapter of a history honor society. 

Eventually, DiPucchio declared a major in history and continued to become more captivated by each class. Upon graduating, DiPucchio continued onto graduate history studies, eventually earning his doctorate from Saint Louis University. Meanwhile, he stayed connected with the same OU community that set him on his course in academia. 

With his foot still in the door, he continued his involvement on OU’s campus. Countless memories had molded his career and character, and he sought to continue to capture those moments. He took the opportunity to reminisce with his now wife, Katrina Dedvukaj DiPucchio, CAS ’18 and SEHS ’25, by strolling through the halls they took to class, and when they entered the classroom that started their story, he proposed. They married in the summer of 2021 and just welcomed a baby boy to their family. 

He’s since returned fully to OU but with newly defined relationships with former faculty. Working his way through the Department of History, DiPucchio has served as a departmental secretary, adjunct professor and currently as an assistant professor. “It’s really a full-circle moment,” he says. “My experience was really defined by my professors, who are now my colleagues. Even once you graduate, the faculty here will advocate for you so you succeed in your career and beyond — those relationships continue way after the classes.” 

Today, DiPucchio finds himself preparing his lectures in the same classrooms that he entered feeling so lost more than a decade ago. “I know exactly what it’s like to be a student here,” he says. “I can always go back and think about what it was like to be in their shoes.” With his parallel experience, DiPucchio considers “compassion” in his teaching, understanding the varying checkpoints students may encounter in their journeys. 

He’s also found a new role within the History Comes Alive lecture series; instead of a student spectator, he’s lead planner and lecturer for the events. Most recently, he’s shared an overview of his book, “Before Manifest Destiny: The Contested Expansion of the Early United States,” drawing on timeless human responses that have constructed history. 

Whether it’s friends, faculty or just familiar faces, DiPucchio builds on connections from years ago. He greets the regular History Comes Alive attendees, and he still goes to the same faculty-turned-peers for advice. “My experience is not unique in some regards,” he notes. “We all attach a different meaning to this place that in some way or another keeps bringing us back.” 

Oakland University remained a focal point throughout the defining moments of his adulthood. Ultimately, his philosophy still harkens back to his earliest moments of open-minded uncertainty on campus. 

“If you find something you’re truly passionate about, a clear path doesn’t have to be readily available,” DiPucchio says. “Doors will eventually open in ways you could never have imagined.”