The UA’s formula race car is built for Society of Automotive Engineers competitions, just like the Baja racecar.
The UA’s Baja racecar goes airborne during a test run.
Getting your hands dirty is one of the best – and most fun – ways to learn engineering.
In fact, it can be downright addictive, as many students have discovered once they start working on the racecar projects at The University of Arizona.
Although students don’t receive course credit for building these cars, some team members end up practically living in the shop where the cars are designed and built. And it can become more time consuming than a full-time job.
Although most students start working on the cars for fun, many car project alumni say the time they spent was career-enriching, as well. Many rate it the most valuable learning experience of their undergraduate years.
In addition, the cars and students’ enthusiasm make a great recruiting tool for the UA’s engineering programs, says Parviz E. Nikravesh, an aerospace and mechanical engineering professor.
The students periodically visit grade schools, middle schools and high schools to talk about engineering as a career opportunity, he noted.
“They take the car with them, rev the engine and drive it in the parking lot. The kids go crazy about this," said Nikravesh, who is also faculty advisor to UA's Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE, chapter.
He is also faculty supervisor for both car projects – the Baja racing car and the formula car, which are both built for SAE competitions.
"They want to come to the UA to study engineering. It’s a great recruiting tool," Nikravesh said.
Although there still is no course credit for the projects, the students are now eligible for scholarships that, in some cases go, a long way toward paying tuition and, in other cases, the cost of books and supplies.
Ryan Kanto Starts Scholarship Program
The scholarships are the brainchild of Ryan Kanto, a former team leader for the UA Formula Car team who graduated with degrees in chemical engineering and engineering management in 2007.
When Kanto was preparing to graduate, he talked with Nikravesh about the need for supporting students who might otherwise put all those lab hours into a paying job.
“Eventually, Ryan provided the funds himself, and this year we are awarding scholarships to three students on the formula team and one scholarship to a student working on the Baja vehicle,” Nikravesh said.
Kanto, who now works for EnCana Oil & Gas in Dallas, is funding the three formula car scholarships. The Baja car scholarship is being funded by an anonymous donor.
“My intent in setting up the scholarship was two-fold,” Kanto said. “I wanted to help current team members deal with the stress of attending school and having a ‘full time job’ in the lab, and to give Formula SAE alumni an opportunity to contribute back to the program that gave them so much.”
A Fun and Good Career Move
“In every interview for a job or internship I've had — even those completely unrelated to Formula SAE — my experience with this program was an ace up my sleeve,” Kanto said. “Now that the scholarship is set up and successful, I'd definitely like to expand it more with help from local businesses and other alumni.”
The scholarships are important because they support dedicated team members, who are vital to making the teams successful, Nikravesh said.
Until about seven years ago, the cars were built as senior projects, with a group of students starting from scratch each year. Sometimes there would be a lapse of a year or more before another car was started.
“We never had a good product because there wasn’t enough time to gain the experience to design, build and test a competitive car,” Nikravesh said. “But for the past seven years or so we’ve had several good team leaders who managed the program on a continuous basis, recruiting students during their freshman year, if possible, and building a continuous, year-to-year program in which all the experience wasn’t lost when the seniors graduated.”
The formula car awards are named for Ryan Kanto’s grandfathers, W.J. Mayshar and W.J. Kanto. The Kanto award is for senior members, who have worked on the car for a number of semesters, while the Mayshar award is for newer members of the program.
Winners Named for 2008-2009 Year
No Mayshar Awards were given for the 2008-2009 academic year but three Kanto Scholarships were given: $3,000 to Joel Rhode, $3,000 to Carlos Murphy and $2,500 to Corey Hass. All three are juniors in mechanical engineering.
A $1,000 Baja racecar scholarship was awarded to Josh Spivey, a mechanical engineering freshman.
“These car projects are entirely student run,” Nikravesh said. “The students do everything themselves, including fund raising. These cars aren’t inexpensive to build and the students work hard to fund the cars. So we’re now trying to get some additional funding to support the students themselves.”
Nikravesh said he will be talking with various corporate sponsors this summer in an effort to raise more money for the scholarship programs so more students can benefit.
Related Web sites:
Parviz E. Nikravesh
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
520-621-4966