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SPRING/SUMMER 1999 ARCHIVE Clemson Recognized as Leader in Orthopaedic Bioengineering Clemson University Mathematics: The Next National Champion? Clemson University, Southeast Leader in Invention Income Where the Rubber Meets the Roador Off-Road Clemson Students Win NSF Awards Professor Receives National Math Award Thomas Green Clemson Academy Welcomes Three New Members Dow Chemical Pledges More Than Half-Million Dollars to Film-Related Research Catfish: Improving Environment and Economy ACES Reunion and BBQ is Coming!  |
Where the Rubber Meets the Roador Off-Road Since 1995, mechanical engineering students from Clemson University
have gotten down and dirty, competing in the "Mini-Baja"
automotive competition. Administered by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), this
event is designed to give student teams the opportunity to design,
build and compete a four-wheeled, single occupant, off-road vehicle. Expanding the focus in 1998, a student team was also formed to participate in the "Formula SAE Competition" sponsored by the Chrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. In this event, student SAE members conceive, design, fabricate and compete with small, formula-style racing cars. Both teams placed in the top 15 in national competition, with the Mini-Baja team taking 13th overall and the Formula team placing 6th, which also won them accolades as "Rookie Team of the Year." Engineering students from more than 90 colleges and universities in North America and Great Britain compete each year. Both competitions test student skills and vehicle performance in a variety of different applications and settings over a period of several days. Teams are judged on engineering design, cost analysis and vehicle performance, but they're also evaluated on their ability to present a development report on the project.
Faculty advisers were Professors Leo Gaddis, who worked with the Formula team, and Harry Law, who oversaw the efforts of the Mini-Baja team. "These competitions give Clemson engineering students real-world experience in designing and building a vehicle as part of an automotive team," said department chair Richard Figliola. "That experience will translate into additional career opportunities since the nation's top automotive companies recruit heavily from students who have participated in the competition. Their participation and success reflect very highly on Clemson's motorsports engineering program, which provided some engineering and equipment support, and on the caliber and dedication of our students and faculty," Figliola said. Participants generally find the experience invaluable because it helps put theory into practice. The competition requires students to secure their own financial backing, which helps strengthen their marketing and interpersonal skills while providing future industry contacts. |
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