North Columbus News

The College of Engineering at The Ohio State University has celebrated significant achievements with two of its motorsports teams winning national championships this spring.

The Formula Buckeyes emerged victorious in the Formula SAE Michigan competition, outperforming 107 other teams. The competition evaluated various aspects including endurance, acceleration, business acumen, and cost efficiency.

Simultaneously, the EcoCAR Electric Vehicle (EV) team, a collaboration between Ohio State and Wilberforce University, secured first place in the second year of a four-year challenge aimed at developing an energy-efficient next-generation EV that aligns with automotive industry decarbonization goals. This follows their success in the first year of the challenge.

Additionally, Ohio State's Battery Workforce Challenge team achieved second place in its inaugural national three-year competition. This contest requires teams to design, build, test, and integrate an advanced EV battery pack into an electric van.

Zach Petty, a recent graduate with a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering and member of the Formula Buckeye team, highlighted the dedication required for such accomplishments. “The time people put into this car, we’re talking 40-plus hours a week,” he said. “And a lot of us have been doing it for four years. For that to culminate with a winning car and a successful weekend was a great experience.”

Petty also emphasized the career preparation aspect of these projects. He was involved in identifying sponsors and equipment vendors for the Formula Buckeye team. “We’ve focused on new partnerships with local companies,” he noted. “We hope they’ll want to recruit our engineers or get visibility through sponsoring the team.”

Ian Campbell from the EcoCAR EV team stressed the importance of real-world practice gained through competitions held at facilities like General Motors’ proving ground in Yuma, Arizona. “You can feel how serious things are,” he said.

Suhrit Chowduri echoed Campbell’s sentiments about practical experience being crucial for future job prospects. “This is practical experience,” he said. “What we learn is used in a lot of industries.”

Collaboration plays a key role for these teams as well. The EcoCAR EV team works closely with Wilberforce University while members of the Battery Workforce Challenge team collaborate with students from Columbus State Community College.

Pranay Ketineni praised the diverse perspectives brought by new members from different institutions: “Every time we have someone new...they bring fresh ideas and fresh questions.” David DeLisle added that working with Columbus State Community College has been beneficial: "I love collaborating with the students and faculty at Columbus State."

The hands-on nature of these projects offers valuable learning experiences beyond traditional classroom settings. Petty remarked on troubleshooting challenges during competitions: "You’re at the track and you’re thinking, ‘Have we covered our bases? Have we made it work?’”

Ketineni finds mentoring younger students particularly rewarding: "Every year we have undergrads who join with no idea how a car is built," he said.

These achievements reflect not only technical skills but also teamwork and industry engagement among Ohio State’s engineering students.

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