Summary
My time at the Solar Car Team has been my primary activity at the University of Virginia. I heard about the team before I came to Grounds through UVA Engineering's social media page. From there, I learned more and I became more interested and decided to get involved as soon as I arrived. I quickly became an integral part of the team, collaborating with other subteams and deepening my understanding of suspension principles.
I participated in football and baseball cleanup, an opportunity to bond with those on the team while progressing the team's goals on sustainability. Seeing how Solar Car had become an essential extracurricular during my time here at UVA, I decided to dedicate some part of the summer to go with the team to the Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP), a week-long endurance race.
During my Second Year, I became the team's suspension lead during our build year. I designed a new double-wishbone suspension system for our newest flagship car: Rivanna 3. This design was 35% lighter than previous suspension designs and it emphasized ease of maintenance.
During my Third Year, I became the new President. I onboarded 15 executive members and I quickly settled into my role. I led efforts on completing end of competition reports for grants and successfully completed this semester's recruiting cycle which welcomed 73 new members onto the team. This year, I aim to refine Rivanna 3 to be more reliable, lighter, and smarter.
