diff --git a/app/api/entities/project_entity.rb b/app/api/entities/project_entity.rb
index 6a917ed29..d1f961f11 100644
--- a/app/api/entities/project_entity.rb
+++ b/app/api/entities/project_entity.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class ProjectEntity < Grape::Entity
     end
     expose :campus_id
     expose :student_name do |project, options|
-      "#{project.student.name}#{project.student.nickname.nil? ? '' : ' (' << project.student.nickname << ')'}"
+      "#{project.student.name}#{project.student.nickname.blank? ? '' : ' (' << project.student.nickname << ')'}"
     end
     expose :enrolled
     expose :target_grade