Team Members

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The Ohio State EcoCAR team consists of graduate and undergraduate students at the university advised by faculty. Team member bios can be found below:

Team Leaders

Team Members

Faculty Advisors

Team Leaders

 

Katherine Bovee
Co-Team Leader

Katherine is a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering and leader of the OSU EcoCAR 2 team. Katherine received her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in December 2010 from Ohio State University and is from Morrow, OH (North of Cincinnati). Katherine first became interested in engineering when she participated in the Science Olympiad while in high school. While on the Science Olympiad team, Katherine got to build small trebuchets capable of throwing hacky sacks across a gymnasium. She enjoyed building trebuchets so much that she helped her Dad build two trebuchets capable of throwing pumpkins across a field while still in high school. Once she got to Ohio State, Katherine’s interests in engineering and environmentally friendly technologies lead her to join the OSU EcoCAR team. One of her first projects with the team was helping to design the emissions control system for the vehicle’s E85 engine. After Katherine gets her Master’s Degree in mechanical engineering in Summer 2012, she will continue her education at Ohio State by getting a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Katherine’s research for both graduate degrees is related to the EcoCAR 2 vehicle’s supervisory controller.

 

Andy Garcia
Engine Team Leader

Andy is from Westlake, Ohio and is pursuing degrees in Mechanical Engineering because of his lifelong interest in the automotive industry. He has completed his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at The Ohio State University. Throughout his undergraduate career he has had multiple internships, including two rotations at General Motors in Warren, Michigan. After graduation, Andrew plans on remaining in the automotive industry and pursuing a job for one of the big three automotive manufacturers.

 

Amanda Hyde
Fault Team Leader and Energy Storage System Team Leader

Amanda is a mechanical engineering master’s student from Lilburn, GA. She received her undergrad degree, also in mechanical engineering, from the University of Oklahoma and has held multiple internships with FMC Technologies in Houston, TX. Amanda chose OSU and EcoCAR 2 for her graduate career in order to explore her interest in cars and to learn more about the automotive industry where she intends to work after graduation. Outside of school, Amanda spends her time still pursuing her automotive interests as well as designing/fabricating personal projects of all kinds, spending time with friends, and playing or listening to a variety of music.

Sarah Jadwin
Communications Manager

Sarah is a junior majoring in Accounting and minoring in Engineering Sciences. She joined the team as a freshman and worked as the co-outreach coordinator for the final year of the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge. Sarah has loved being a part of the team and she is excited to be involved with EcoCAR 2 for all three years. In addition to the EcoCAR 2 team, Sarah is involved with the Media, Marketing and Communication Scholars program and is an officer on the Hunt Seat Equestrian Team. This summer, she will be interning with Owens Corning in Toledo and working in the Finance department as a member of the Energy team.

Matt is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student at Ohio State from Dublin, Ohio. He chose Ohio State to be able to participate in the student projects at the Center for Automotive Research. Matt was involved in year 2 of EcoCAR: The Next Challenge, and is now the Mechanical Team Lead for Ohio State’s team. Matt believes that student projects like EcoCAR 2 not only provide experience, but are the best way to learn about engineering and the automotive field. Matt recently interned with General Motors Company in Warren, MI last summer in the design studio. This summer, Matt plans on working on EcoCAR 2 and traveling the world. Matt’s favorite racetrack is the Texas Turnaround in Austin, TX and currently holds the production car lap record with a lap time of 1:01.

Andrew Palmer
Electrical Team Leader

Andrew is a fourth year student in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus in Controls and Electromagnetics. Andrew chose to get involved with EcoCAR during his junior year to gain valuable hands on experience in automotive engineering. His interest in electronics and their applications caused him to choose Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ohio State. Last summer, Andrew interned with the U.S. Navy Maritime Electronic Warfare Systems group in Crane, IN. Andrew plans to graduate Autumn Semester 2012 and pursue a career in either the automotive or defense industry. His dream car is a 2013 BMW M5.

 

                                 Matt Yard
Co-Team Leader

Matt is a first-year graduate student in Mechanical Engineering at The Ohio State University.  He graduated with his Bachelors in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a minor in Business in June 2012.  Matt is from Frederick, MD and attended Tuscarora High School.  Matt has been on the OSU EcoCAR team since the first year of EcoCAR 1 and will continue through the entire EcoCAR 2 competition. Matt has interned two summers at General Motors Powertrain in Pontiac, MI in Advanced Hybrid Engineering and in Hybrid Power Electronics. Matt is heading up the controls integration in the vehicle along with managing the vehicle’s CAN networks.  Previously, Matt has been electrical team leader on OSU EcoCAR and has worked on a wide variety of projects ranging from high voltage wiring to controls design and implementation.  When not working on the EcoCAR 2 project, Matt enjoys snowboarding and playing soccer.

 

Sarah Vasey
Business Team Leader

Sarah joined the team in the spring of last year as the Business Manager. She is from Chagrin Falls, Ohio and she is a senior majoring in Operations Management. Sarah enjoys running and traveling in her free time. On EcoCAR 2, she focuses on financial management, sponsorship efforts, and project management. Her favorite memory on the team is the Year 1 Final Competition and she is excited for what is to come this year!

Team Members

Alex Bergman

Alex Bergman is originally from the small town of New Bremen, Ohio. At Ohio State Alex is studying Mechanical Engineering as well as pursuing a minor in Entrepreneurship.  Alex has completed previous internships in the automotive, aviation, and petroleum industries. This year Alex is the Team Captain for the Grid/Solar Charging Capstone Team. The team is responsible for incorporating the charge port into the vehicle, selecting an advanced 12-volt battery and setting up a solar battery charging system.

  Tom Brown

Tom is a 2^nd year Honors Mechanical Engineering student at Ohio State from Cincinnati, OH. As a member of the mechanical team, he is designing a belt system to transfer power from the front electric motor to the input shaft of the transmission. Tom recently completed a summer internship at Belcan Corporation, which taught him about system reliability and analyzing projected life expectancy of jet engine parts.

  Phillip Dakhnovets

Phillip is a Mechanical Engineering major from Athens, Ohio. He joined the EcoCAR 2 team because he is interested in vehicle design and hybrid/electric invitations. “EcoCAR is a great way to meet people with the same interests as you have, and learn quite a bit about cars from your peers. EcoCAR will provide you with the experience and very valuable knowledge for your future tasks.” In the future, Phillip plans to graduate The Ohio State University and get a job in the automotive industry.

  Luke Debruin

Luke is a graduating senior in undergraduate Mechanical Engineering.   Luke is completing his thesis for graduation with honors distinction under the direction of Marcello Canova.  After learning about EcoCAR from fellow research students, he became interested in the project because of its push for creating energy efficient vehicles.   Luke joined the Mechanical Team and is currently helping to design the actuation system for the AMT used in OSU’s EcoCAR2 vehicle architecture.

  Eric Gallo

Eric is a fourth year engineering student majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is expected to graduate this spring and is hoping to attend graduate school at Ohio State to pursue Mechanical Engineering farther. He first became involved with the EcoCAR 2 competition through a presentation in his Engineering Scholars group. Eric joined because of his interests in hybrid vehicles and green technologies! Currently, Eric is working to package the batteries in the vehicle. They are working on designing a case, a thermal management system and an electric schematic. In his spare time, Eric enjoys bowhunting for cougars in the wilderness outside of Austin, TX.

 

  Ya Xing He

Ya Xing He is an undergraduate student pursuing mechanical engineering at the Ohio State. Ya was born in China and graduated from Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio.  Ya is a member of the mechanical team, and works on projects like: 3D model drafting and simulation, interference study, and component integration. With this experience, Ya accepted a Co-Op position with Honda at their North America Engineering Division.

  Josh Hendricks

Josh is a 5th year Mechanical Engineering student from Austintown, OH. He has interned at Emerson Network Power in Delaware, OH where he gained experience in the Power Electronics testing lab setting up and running various tests. Josh has also spent time working for CAR Technologies here in Columbus, OH. In his spare time he loves to go skiing. Josh enjoys EcoCAR because it is an excellent opportunity to take what he learns in the classroom and apply it to real world issues and projects. While working on EcoCAR he enjoys machining and fabricating the parts designed by the team.

Jon Hoge

Jon Hoge is currently a second year student from Cincinnati studying Mechanical Engineering. He is a member of the Engineering Scholars program at Ohio State as well as EcoCAR. He is very interested in improving efficiency and reducing waste in automotive and power generation applications with his degree. EcoCAR stood out to Jon as a great way to work with cars and gain experience to get an internship in the future.

  Mark Hornak

Mark is a third year student at The Ohio State University studying Materials Science and Engineering, with a specialization in electronic materials and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Mark is from Fairlawn, Ohio, just outside of Akron, and he hopes to pursue a career in hybrid or all electric vehicle energy storage. He completed an internship assignment with General Motors at their Warren Technical Center this past summer, and has accepted another position for next summer, working in PHEV Energy Storage at the Milford Proving Grounds. This year, Mark is the CAD Team Lead, and oversees most component integration and packaging projects. Mark joined the Ohio State EcoCAR team as a freshman, and plans to work with the team through his undergraduate studies, and hopefully will continue on the team while pursuing a Master’s degree.

Andrew Huster

Andrew is a third-year Electrical and Computer Engineering major from Cincinnati, Ohio. This is his second year on the team, where he is working on the electrical team. He completed an internship this summer with BerrieHill Research, where he worked on designing  and prototyping components of a radar system. He is interested in EcoCAR because of the real-world, hands-on experience that EcoCAR provides. In his spare time, Andrew tinkers with electronics and computers. His favorite car is the Caterham Seven.

Ari Leslie

 

Esther Mutua

Esther, from Machakos, Kenya, is a 4th year Chemical Engineer with a minor in Environmental Engineering. Esther chose to work in EcoCAR to learn something new about the automotive industry and to work with on a project outside of classes. The best part about being on the team has been, Esther says, “When I joined EcoCAR, I had no knowledge about hybrids but in the process got to learn more and get a hands-on experience.”

 

Sukhmeet Powar

Sukhmeet is senior in Mechanical Engineering at OSU. He joined EcoCAR in his junior year because of his passion for product design and automotive industry. In addition to EcoCAR, he is also a student research assistant in GEAR LAB at OSU. He believes EcoCAR is excellent opportunity to take what he learns in the classroom, GEAR Lab and apply it to real world issues. In his spare time, he loves to play hockey, skiing and squash.

 

Brad Shear

Brad is a third year Mechanical Engineering student from Knoxville, TN. His interest in automotive alternative energy started as a kid and has led him to become involved with the EcoCAR 2 team. He plans to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering after graduation.

 

Andrew Spiegel

Andrew is a senior at OSU majoring in mechanical engineering from Bucyrus, Ohio. This is his first year being involved with EcoCAR and he is preparing for a career in the automotive industry. Luckily for Andrew, he has had his dream car, a 1961 DeSoto, since he was 11 years old! In addition to being involved with the EcoCAR 2 team, he also plays trombone in the Ohio State Marching Band.

 

Ben Stumpf

Ben is a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Brunswick, OH and is a member of the mechanical team on the EcoCAR 2 project. He joined the EcoCAR 2 team at OSU in order to get hands-on experience with engineering and hopes to use the team’s efforts as a learning experience to both add and improve his limited knowledge of automotive engineering. Ben enjoys EcoCAR since it demonstrates a collaborative effort across multiple fields of engineering, much like a professional engineering project. After graduation, he plans to pursue a master’s degree from The Ohio State University while working on the next EcoCAR competition.

 

Justin Tuente

Justin is a Navy veteran, who recently returned from deployment in February 2011. At Ohio State, he is majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering  to expand upon his knowledge and experience in software development. He chose to join the EcoCAR team to explore embedded computing systems and how they communicate with sensors and mechanical systems.

Austin Utendorf

Austin is a second year mechanical engineering major from Woodville, Oh. He chose mechanical engineering for its broad field of applications, and chose to join EcoCAR to raise environmental awareness while gaining valuable engineering experience. When not in studying or working at the CAR, he enjoys such activities as running and playing instruments.

 

Jason Ward

Jason, a junior from Marietta, OH, is a Mechanical Engineering student on the OSU EcoCAR 2 team. After participating in EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, Jason is looking forward to the three challenging and fun years that will come with EcoCAR 2. He believes that being involved with EcoCAR will be a rewarding opportunity to work with some of Ohio State’s best and brightest and gain valuable experience with innovative technologies in the automotive field. His favorite EcoCAR memory was being able to watch as his teammates were rewarded on stage at the Library of Congress in D.C. this past June for all of their hard work and dedication with a 2^nd place overall in the final EcoCAR competition.

Brad Westlake

Brad is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering major from Columbus, OH. He enjoys being active, playing sports, singing, and working out, and he’s a member of Campus Outreach, a Christian ministry at Ohio State. He joined EcoCAR 2 to learn more about cars in general, and to fulfill requirements for his senior capstone design sequence by working on the battery team. Brad currently has no internship experience but hopes to gain valuable hands-on experience, knowledge and teamwork skills that will help him in the future.

Thomas Wiant

Thomas Wiant is studying mechanical engineering. He chose this major because it is so diverse and flexible. He is from Brimfield, Ohio and loves to learn about how things work. He got involved in EcoCar because he believed that it would allow him the ability to learn more about automotive technology.

M.J. Yatsko

M.J. is a junior in mechanical engineering from Westerville, Ohio.  This is her third year on the EcoCAR project team.  She is on the OSU EcoCAR team because of her interest in alternative energy vehicles and the opportunity to learn about automotive engineering. She has enjoyed being on the team because she has had a chance to work on controls projects as well as mechanical projects.  This year she is excited to be working on the controls team specifically with the Hardware-in-the-Loop system.

Greg Jankord
Greg Jankord is a 3rd year Honors Mechanical Engineering student who originally hails from Wadsworth, Ohio. He initially started working on designing, building, and testing mounts for the front power train, but then moved into the role of helping to manage the entire front power train. Greg says that he enjoys the competition because of the opportunities that it provides students to diversify their skills and plans to stay with the team during his undergraduate and graduate time at Ohio State.

 

Outreach team members

 

Jo Hirlinger

Jo is a freshman at OSU majoring in marketing with minors in Spanish and Chinese.  She chose to get involved with EcoCAR 2 because of her love for the Chevrolet Volt and all of the innovation that it brings to the market.  Her dream car would be the latest model of the Chevrolet Camaro and her dream job would be marketing internationally.

 

Faculty Advisors

Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni
Director, Center for Automotive Research

Dr. Rizzoni’s research activities focus on modeling, control and diagnosis of automotive systems. These activities have involved a substantial amount of experimental research on engines and vehicles. Current activities include: vehicle and powertrain diagnostics; powertrain modeling and control; and the development of alternative propulsion systems including new engine concepts, electric, hybrid-electric, and fuel cell vehicles. He has supervised approximately 50 graduate student theses (including 15 Ph.D.) at OSU and UM. His research has been funded by, among others, General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Delphi , Visteon, Dana, ArvinMeritor, Fiat, Honda, Lamborghini, Magneti Marelli, Oshkosh Truck, Cummins, IBM, Motorola, Allied Signal, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army TACOM, the National Renewable Eenrgy Laboratory, and DARPA. He is director of the US Department of Energy Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Center on Hybrid Drivetrains and Control Systems , and has contributed to the development of graduate course sequences entitled Powertrain Modeling and Control and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles offered to practicing engineers at General Motors through the General Motors Technical Education Program. Since his appointment as Director of CAR-IT, Dr. Rizzoni has been responsible for the growth of an industrial research consortium with sponsorship from 15 major automotive manufacturers, suppliers and government agencies, totaling over $3M in research funding

Dr. Shawn Midlam-Mohler
Research Scientist

Dr. Midlam-Mohler is the co-advisor of the OSU EcoCAR 2 team and a Research Scientist at the Ohio State Center for Automotive Research. His research interests are in the area of sustainable mobility and he teaches courses in the areas of automotive systems and design. He has been involved in advanced technology vehicle competitions for more than a decade as both a student and an advisor. Dr. Midlam-Mohler’s favorite animal is the Mantis Shrimp.