Colorado School of Mines & Arapahoe Community College
About
The Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.) is partnering with Arapahoe Community College (Littleton, Colo.) as one of 12 teams in the Battery Workforce Challenge's three-year competition. As part of the competition, teams will design, build, test and integrate an advanced EV battery into a RAM ProMaster EV provided by competition co-sponsor Stellantis. The PackMules team consists of nine automotive technicians and 35 engineers drawn from diverse backgrounds, including award-winning faculty excited to push their technical and leadership limits.
Mission
Our mission is to establish the Colorado School of Mines and Arapahoe Community College as premier automotive engineering institutions and inspire passion in modern energy solutions to create a more prosperous future for all.
Our team will utilize hands-on experience and the expertise of our partners to educate and diversify the workforce in
EV technology.
Goals
The Colorado School of Mines & Arapahoe Community College's Battery Workforce Challenge team's goals include:
- Integrate lessons learned to deliver outstanding work and innovative solutions that will elevate the PackMules team to the top of the ranks in year two of the competition's standings.
- Partner with a diverse network of stakeholders across the Rocky Mountain region to foster collaboration and generate high-quality solutions to global challenges.
- Shape the future of the automotive industry by empowering a diverse workforce through the promotion of inclusivity in both the people we work with and the practices and technologies we develop.
Team Members
Max Barragy
Vehicle Systems Integration Lead
Colorado School of Mines
Dorian Cauwe
Battery Pack Software Lead and BattScholar
Colorado School of Mines
Peyton Crenshaw
BattScholar — University Liaison
Arapahoe Community College
Gaboric Decker
BattScholar
Colorado School of Mines
Adam Duran
Executive Director
Argonne National Labratory
Trevor Heise
Engineering Manager
Colorado School of Mines
Parker Hewett
Battery Pack Hardware Lead and BattScholar
Colorado School of Mines
Viviana Nelson
BattScholar — Vocational Liaison and Communications Lead
Colorado School of Mines
Barb O’Kane
Faculty Advisor and Safety Coordinator
Colorado School of Mines
Diego Palacios
BattScholar
Arapahoe Community College
Polina Ringler
Co-Lead Faculty Advisor
Colorado School of Mines
Wesley Swieter
Project Manager
Colorado School of Mines
Jake Tipsword
Vocational Faculty Advisor
Arapahoe Community College
Cameron Zimmer
BattScholar — Vocational Deputy
Arapahoe Community College
Get Involved
Ways to Get Involved or Volunteer:
- Join one of our active swimlanes
- Attend events hosted by the team
- Follow us on social media
- Participate in our co-mentorship program across disciplines in the team
Available Team Positions:
The PackMules team is currently seeking enthusiastic students to join the following swimlanes:
- Vehicle Systems Integration team
- Battery Power Systems team
- Battery Hardware Systems team
- Project Management team
For more information on how to join the PackMules team or to learn more about available positions, contact [email protected].
Meeting Information:
The PackMules team holds a variety of meetings throughout the week depending on the swimlane. For exact meeting schedules and room numbers, reach out to [email protected].
