Saeed D. Foroudastan, Ph.D. Associate Dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences

1. Connecting Local Industry and the Community to Engineering Technology through Student Vehicle Projects at MTSU Saeed D. Foroudastan, Ph.D. Associate Dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences Professor of Engineering Technology Middle Tennessee State University 2006 Advancing Innovations in Engineering Technology Education Conference Tampa Florida, November 1-3

2. Introduction • Experimental Vehicles Program (EVP) founded by local student chapters of ASME and SAE in 2004 • Consolidated the vehicle programs • Improved efficiency for project development • Increased industry & community involvement with Engineering Technology

3. Recruitment and Retention • EVP promotes • diversity through secondary school showcase events • females, minorities, and disabled students realize early on that engineering is for everyone • higher quality ET education at a non-engineering school • hands-on research helps ET students remember classroom principles and apply them in their careers

4. EVP Benefits • Competitions – a unique & enthusiastic experience • Learning – real world, hands-on application of skills • Industries • sponsor teams • advertised on vehicles • Community • pride • elementary, middle, and high school students become interested in science and engineering through hosted events • EVP is asked to show vehicles in Homecoming Parade

5. Industrial Collaboration • Students collaborate with industry • use equipment when needed • gain expert advice • form professional contacts and relationships • develop a broader understanding of industry

6. EVP Organizational Hierarchy • Board of trustees • Chairman & Five Chairs (representative of five vehicles) • Executive branch • President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer • Public Relations & Human Resources Officers • usually filled by non-ET majors • business and accounting majors gain experience in their own fields by handling EVP accounts and transactions • Team Managers • Documentation Manager • Industry Liaison

7. Organizational Success • EVP organization consists of faculty advisor & members (officers and all participants) • Faculty advisor must: • monitor progress of students and projects • allow students to take charge of the projects • allow them to • use their own ideas • make their own mistakes • learn from their mistakes

8. Mentoring

10. Project Development • ET students gain a complete sense of project development • project structure – design, fabrication, and repairs • management • electrical and mechanical engineering principles • communication • teamwork • budgets – cost analysis and purchases

11. Teamwork

13. Project Effectiveness • Effectiveness • Increased recruitment in ET • More students are interested in joining an exciting program involved in national & international competitions • Increased retention levels in student learning • A combination of classroom & laboratory skills ensures learning retention • Studies have shown that most people (56.7 %) are hands-on learners

14. Hands-on Learning

16. Professional Skills • EVP develops a large range of skills required of engineers in today’s competitive job market • Project management • Computer skills • Technical skills • Writing skills • Presentation skills • Leadership skills • Oral communication • Environmental awareness • Safety conscientiousness

18. Projects and Competitions • SAE Formula Car – SAE Formula Competition • SAE Mini Baja – SAE Mini Baja Competition • Solar Vehicle – Solar Bike Rayce USA • Solar Boat – ASME Solar Splash Competition • Moonbuggy – Great Moonbuggy Race, NASA

19. Solar Vehicle • All parts are manufactured within the lab • Strengthens retention and knowledge of • Control and power systems • Instrumentations systems • Modern modeling and testing protocols

20. Solar Vehicle

22. Moonbuggy • Placed 4th nationally in 2004 • Simulates actual NASA Lunar Rover • Competition requires an oral and written presentation • Important for career preparation • Statistically, engineers spend: • 25% job-related time in writing • 23% reading technical and business material • 11% supervising the writing of others • 7% giving oral presentations

23. Moonbuggy

24. Photos

25. Photos

26. SAE Formula Car • Competition judges teams by: • Presentation • Cost analysis • Engineering design • Acceleration • Competition events include: • Skid-pad • Auto cross • Fuel economy • Endurance

27. SAE Formula Car

29. Competition requires: Technical report Technical inspections Sprint and maneuverability qualifier Slalom Endurance event Our goals: Efficiency High speed Excellent maneuverability Innovative and artistic design Solar Boat

30. Photos Solar Boat

32. Photos

33. SAE Mini Baja • Most recent addition to EVP • Competition includes: • Design • Land & water maneuverability • Cost report • Safety • Hill climbing • Top speed • Suspension and stability • Acceleration and braking • Endurance

34. Mini Baja

37. Advantage of Several Projects • Students can tailor their education to career objectives while developing additional skill that are difficult to teach in the classroom • Students with environmental interests may choose to work on the solar vehicle • Those with a strong interest in scientific endeavors may choose the NASA-sponsored Moonbuggy project • Students wishing to work in the automotive industry can choose the Formula One and Mini Baja • Many students work on more than one project and some switch from year to year

38. Overall Benefits of the Projects • Each project offers the students a unique experience, but all provide several common benefits: • Improved retention and recruiting • Enhanced educational experience • Partnership and collaboration with industry • Real world experience • Integration of classroom knowledge and real world applications • A variety of skills: • Communication, teamwork, leadership, project management, business management, safety, dealing with pertinent issues affecting the world today

39. The End