Meet the Race Crew
Posted on September 22, 2015 by Steph Wilson.
The first wave of the race crew arrive in Adelaide a couple of days ago. There are representatives from our aerodynamics team, electrical team, and mechanical team. We are be getting ready to head across the Outback soon. We are going all the way up to Darwin for start of the World Solar Challenge. Below you'll find all the members of our race crew and some information about each of them. We are all excited to start this race. Stay tuned for updates.
Alex Anderson
Role: Electrical team
Member Since: Fall 2014
Year in school: 4th year EE
What have you been working on? Dashboard, Telemetry
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? Lots of Programming, Embedded software, Python etc Altium, general EE knowledge.
Alex Knoll
Role: Electrical team
Member Since: January 2015
Year in school: 5th year EE/Physics
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I think I have learned what it means to be truly dedicated to something. The team is completely extra-curricular, yet I am amazed by the amount of time and work people on this team are willing to invest in the project.
Why did you join the team? I joined the Solar Vehicle Project because I wanted to be a part of the solution to climate change. I recognize the urgency behind moving our transportation system away from fossil fuels and I wanted to do whatever I could to help demonstrate that a carbon-free transportation future is viable.
Chris Torres
Role: Mechanical team
Member Since: January 2014
Year in school: 4th year mechanical engineering
Why did you join the team? To get hands-on experience to supplement my ME degree, to be relevant in the renewable energy conversation, and to be able to take an engineering project from concept to finished product.
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I learned how to design a part so that it is manufacturable, how to correctly create and label an engineering drawing, and how to make a welding diagram, as well as limited ANSYS experience and extensive CREO/ProE experience.
Chris Yamaguchi
Role: Aerodynamics team
Member Since: September 2014
Year in school: Senior in AEM
What have you been working on? I designed the array normalization system and am working on a design for the next cars shell.
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? CAD experience, project experience, and I learned how to park a trailer.
Erik Johnson
Role: Aerodynamics team, driver
Member Since: October 2013
Year in school: Recent aerodynamics alumnus
What have you been working on? Composite work and analysis and fairings.
What are you looking forward to on the race? Seeing other peoples strategies and cars as well as visit Australia.
Garrett PeloquiN
Role: Aerodynamics team
Member Since: September 2014
Year in school: Undeclared sophomore
Why did you join the team? To be apart of an engineering project and experience real life application of the engineering field.
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I learned to work with people from several different fields of expertise and how to work in a large group project.
Jake Herbers
Role: Mechanical team, lead navigator
Member Since: September 2012
Year in school: Recent mechanical alumnus
What have you been working on? I designed and built the structural chassis for Eos.
What is something else interesting about you? I overcame 2 collapsed lungs to make it to Australia for the 2013 World Solar Challenge.
John Theisen
Role: Mechanical team
Member Since: September 2013
Year in school: Senior mechanical engineering
What are you looking forward to on the race? I am greatly anticipating the sense of adventure that can only accompany the soul crushing solitude of a competitive team event under immaculate star lit nights.
Anything else? Go gophers!
Kory Soukup
Role: Aerodynamics team, driver
Member Since: November 2013
Year in school: Junior in aerospace engineering
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I have learned that what happens in theory does not always happen in reality. When designing a system, not only is its functionality important but so too is its ability to be manufactured and assembled.
Why did you join the team? I joined the Solar Vehicle Project because I am interested in renewable energies and I wanted to gain some hands-on engineering experience.
Levi Wolterstorff
Role: Mechanical team co-lead, driver
Member Since: February 2015
Year in school: Junior, Mechanical Engineering
Why did you join the team? To gain valuable experience in real world engineering, boost my resume, get involved on campus, meet and get to know my peers, travel and compete.
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? Besides learning how to apply the knowledge I have gained in class, I have learned a great deal about what it takes to complete a project of this size. I learned the level of teamwork and dedication it takes from a large number of people to make building a car from scratch.
What are you looking forward to on the race? The stars.
Mitchell Rogalsky
Role: Electrical team co-lead
Member Since: September 2012
Year in school: 4th year EE
Why did you join the team? To learn about renewable energy and gain valuable engineering experience.
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? How to manage multiple systems into a whole.
Nick Sloan
Role: Aerodynamics team, Duct wrangler
Member Since: November 2013
Year in school: Senior aero
Why did you join the team? To learn what engineering was like outside the classroom.
What are you looking forward to on the race? Meeting people from around the world and discovering what vegemite tastes like.
Paul Kohlmeyer
Role: Electrical team
Member Since: September 2014
Year in school: 4th year junior EE
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I have learned a lot about the engineering design process, as well as practical electrical related skills.
What are you looking forward to on the race? I am looking forward to seeing our car drive, as well as checking out Australia.
Rob Belau
Role: Mechanical team
Member Since: January 2015
Year in school: Senior Math, Physics, and MechE
Why did you join the team? Gain hands-on engineering experience outside the classroom.
What are you looking forward to on the race? How we place, working alongside fellow members as well as getting to know other teams from around the world.
Spencer Berglund
Role: Electrical team co-lead, Strategy team
Member Since: November 2013
Year in school: Junior in Computer Engineering
Why did you join the team? I always need some fun engineering project to work on. In the past, I've facilitated this need through Science Fair Projects and FIRST Robotics, now I have the Solar Vehicle Project.
What have you been working on? I've been mostly working on the Battery Protection and Monitoring System. I plan to improve it further for the next car, and also introduce some more functionality to the cars nervous system (more sensors) to improve our race and design strategy.
Steph Wilson
Role: Project co-lead, Electrical team
Member Since: October 2011
Year in school: 4th year Electrical engineering
What is something valuable you have learned by being on the team? I have gained a lot of hands on experience with things I would have never gotten the change to do in class. I've also learned quite a bit about managing finances.