Executive Profiles

Kristen Wahl

Argonne National Laboratory

Kristen Wahl is the director of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) program at Argonne National Laboratory, where she has organized more than 23 competitions since 1996. Previously, Kristen served as public outreach manager and interim assistant director for public education and media for the Alternative Fuels Research and Education Division of the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC). Kristen was first introduced to the AVTC program when the TRC sponsored the 1997 Propane Vehicle Challenge. The experience had a profound impact on her and led her to the AVTC organizing team at Argonne in August 1997, where she continues today. Kristen has been at the forefront of defining, executing, and growing the AVTC program for over 20 years. She leads all day-to-day activities, is responsible for establishing and managing the program’s multi-million dollar sponsorship and fundraising efforts and is the chair of the Executive Steering Committee and Faculty Advisory Board.

Connie Bezanson

U.S. Department of Energy

Connie Bezanson manages the Education and Outreach activities within the Vehicle Technologies Program in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In addition to managing the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) activity, she manages the Graduate Automotive Technology Education, and a portfolio to support the transition to advanced electric transportation systems. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Catholic University of America.

John Haraf

General Motors

John Haraf is currently the director of Electrification Control System Integration at General Motors. In this position, he is responsible for hybrid/electric control system integration/calibration development for all of GM’s hybrid, extended range electric and electric vehicles. John began his career with GM as an engine calibration engineer and has held a wide range of leadership positions including: Premium V Engine Calibration manager, Diesel/Big Block Truck Engine Integration manager, executive technical assistant for Powertrain Engineering, director of Engine Management System hardware design/release, director of Engine Development, Calibration and Verification for all of GM’s North American gas engine vehicle applications and director of Electrification Vehicle Performance, Controls and Calibration. John has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. John is a licensed Professional Engineer and a member of SAE.

Bill Venner

General Motors

Bill joined GM in 1999 as a Noise and Vibration Engineer. He has held many different positions including Vehicle Development for Noise and Vibration and Ride and Handling, Design Release for Steering Systems and Plant Quality Engineer. Prior to his current role as Chief Enggineer - Advance Programs, he held the position of Director of Chassis Engineering for Steering, Suspension and Structure components, as well as the role of Managing Director GM Korea Vehicle Performance, Proving Ground and Test Labs (2011-14). Bill holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Lauren Tabolinksy

MathWorks

Lauren Tabolinsky joined MathWorks in 2008. Before joining MathWorks, Lauren was an Education Product Manager at Harvard Business School Publishing. Lauren currently manages Academic Programs at MathWorks including the student competition program and student ambassador program.  Lauren holds a degree in business administration and marketing from Monmouth University and a Master’s degree in Marketing Communications form Emerson College.

Steven Boyd

U.S. Department of Energy

Steven Boyd is a technology manager for the Vehicle Technologies Office in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Steven manages projects to develop improved components and systems for electric drive vehicles with national laboratories and industry partners. He received both his Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and has participated in Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTCs) as either a student or organizer for more than 15 years.

Kimberly DeClark

Argonne National Laboratory

Kimberly DeClark is the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) communications and logistics manager at Argonne National Laboratory. In that role, she is responsible for communications and logistics for the EcoCAR 3 competition, which includes managing the communications program, as well as overseeing the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program. DeClark has a diverse background in public relations, media relations and public affairs which include positions at General Motors, the White House National Advance team and White House Press Corps, and agency experience. Previously, DeClark was manager for Government, Policy and Technology Communications at General Motors, where she managed and facilitated public policy issue communications between government relations and corporate communications functions. Kimberly acted as spokesperson on all GM public policy issues including health care, trade, tax, safety, energy, environment and advanced technology vehicles. She coordinated with third-party organizations and other external audiences including elected officials, community leaders, policy makers, associations and advocacy groups to support public policy initiatives. DeClark has a Master of Arts in Organizational Communications and Public Relations, and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Speech Communications, both from Wayne State University.

Jesse Alley

Argonne National Laboratory

Jesse Alley is the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) Technical Project Manager at Argonne National Laboratory. Originally from Kingsport, TN and he has a Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, graduating in 2010 and 2012 respectively. While at Virginia Tech, he participated in EcoCAR: the NeXt Challenge and was the team leader for the first year of EcoCAR 2. His role at Argonne is to manage the structural waiver process, the energy storage system design process, and the safety and technical inspection process. He is also the owner of the Non-Year-Specific Rules document.

Ashley Kronsell

Argonne National Laboratory

Ashley Kronsell is the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) Communications Specialist at Argonne National Laboratory. In this role, Ashley is responsible for assisting in the development of program communication strategies and executing internal and external communication activities across many venues and formats. Additionally, Ashley assists in coordinating and executing AVTC special events such as workshops, conferences and competitions, which include logistical management and the development of program content. Ashley received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Communication and graduated magna cum laude in 2013 from Indiana State University. She continued her education at Indiana State University where she received a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Communication in 2015. She is an AVTC alumna and served as the Communication Manager for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology during the duration of EcoCAR 2.

Amanda McAlpin

Argonne National Laboratory

Amanda McAlpin serves as the Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program Coordinator at Argonne National Laboratory, where she assists in providing clean transportation knowledge and experience to university students to prepare them for roles in the energy industry. Amanda is an alumna of Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC), having served as outreach coordinator for the Mississippi State University team during Challenge X and has been involved with AVTCs for over ten years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations from Mississippi State University. Amanda previously worked for New West Technologies in Washington, DC, where she led a team that provided research and communication expertise in the area of energy and transportation for the federal government.

Jessica Britt

Argonne National Laboratory

Jessica Britt serves as the Controls and Simulation Engineer for the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) at Argonne National Laboratory. She is responsible for managing competition activities related to modeling, simulation testing, controls, and systems safety. Jessica attended Georgia Tech and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering with Highest Honors in 2017; in 2018, she earned her Master's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on Control Systems. While at Georgia Tech, Jessica participated in all four years of the EcoCAR 3 competition. Over the course of the competition, Jessica served in many leadership roles including: Modeling, Simulation, and Controls (CSMS) Team Lead, Systems Safety Manager, and Project Management Team Lead; she was also a team member of the electrical subteam and communications subteam. Jessica participated in the beginning stages of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge by serving in an advisory role to new team leads at Georgia Tech.

Trevor Crain

Argonne National Laboratory

Trevor Crain serves as the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) Vehicle Testing and Controls Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory. During EcoCAR 3, he will serve as the Emissions and Energy Consumption event captain, while managing the Controls and Innovation competition activities. Trevor completed his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington in 2011, where he helped found the school’s advanced vehicle research laboratory and form their EcoCAR 2 team. He spent the next three years of graduate school as the University of Washington EcoCAR 2 team leader, completing his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2014 with a focus on hybrid vehicle supervisory controls and plant model simulation.

Lucas Shoults

Argonne National Laboratory

Lucas Shoults is a Vehicle Systems Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory. Originally from Irvine, CA and he has a Bachelor and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, graduating in 2013 and 2016 respectively. While at Virginia Tech, he participated in EcoCAR 2 as a Mechanical subteam member and Project Manager, then Team Leader for the first two years of EcoCAR 3. His role at Argonne is to manage the mechanical swimlane, innovation swimlane, structural waiver process, the energy storage system design process, and the safety and technical inspection process.

Katherine Bovee

General Motors

Katherine Bovee is an Electrification Controls System Engineer at General Motors. In this role, Katherine is responsible for designing the control systems in future electric and hybrid vehicle applications. Katherine joined GM in 2016 after completing her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research. Her dissertation was on the optimal control of electrified powertrains with the use of drive quality criteria. Katherine also holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. During her time at Ohio State, Katherine participated in both the EcoCAR 1 and EcoCAR 2 competitions as a student on the controls, modeling and engine teams. Katherine currently serves as General Motors Co-Technical Lead for the EcoCAR 3 competition.

Evan Graves

General Motors

Evan Graves is an Active Safety Feature Integration Engineer at General Motors.  In this role, Evan is responsible for pushing the limits of current driver assistance technologies and providing robust performance for impact mitigation features focused on predicting and preventing collisions in many GM vehicles. Evan joined GM in 2016 after completing his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at The University of Alabama.  He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Alabama.  During his graduate program, Evan participated in EcoCAR 3 as a member of the electrical, controls, modeling and simulation, and innovation teams for UA. Evan currently serves as General Motors Co-Technical Lead for the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge.

Dillon Carden

General Motors

Dillon Carden is the Project Manager of EcoCAR at General Motors. In this role, Dillon is responsible for strategic planning; resource identification/allocation; and documentation, communication, and maintenance of the overall competition plan from a GM perspective. Dillon joined GM in 2015 after completing his Master of Business Administration at West Virginia University. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University. During his graduate program, Dillon participated in EcoCAR 3 as Project Manager for WVU.

Sayra Hernandez

General Motors

Sayra Hernandez is a Controls Plant Modeling and Hardware-in-the-Loop Integration Engineer at General Motors. Sayra currently develops subsystem component dynamic and behavioral models for Autonomous Vehicle controllers. She has prior experience developing and validating HIL models for battery controller applications for hybrid, extended range electric and electric vehicles, since having joined General Motors in 2015. Sayra was a member for the Arizona State EcoCAR 3 team. During her time at Arizona State, she worked as a member of both the controls and modeling and simulation teams. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State. Sayra is joining the EcoCAR 3 Organizing team for Year 4 as the General Motors Logistics Co-Lead.

Swarooph Seshadri

MathWorks

Swarooph Seshadri is the Technical Evangelist for Automotive Student Competitions at the MathWorks and is the full time MathWorks technical lead for EcoCAR. He will serve as the first point of contact for any MathWorks related matters and provide guidance for the CSMS and the CAVs swim lanes. Swarooph graduated with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M university in 2011 with a focus on system modeling and energy optimization of HVAC systems. He has been at the MathWorks ever since helping customers adopt model-based design through technical support and training in the areas of automotive, mechatronics, robotics and automated driving systems.