By: Andrew Lambrecht / Clemson University
As the Clemson University & Greenville Tech Community College’s Battery Workforce Challenge team grows, the program is rapidly adding new members to its roster. One of whom is Faith Aiken, a Battery Pack Software team member and Clemson University sophomore majoring in electrical engineering.
Aiken is a member of the Army ROTC program, and she has a deep interest in electric cars. But unlike a lot of members, Aiken’s interests in batteries and electric cars developed early on.
Aiken uses her electrical engineering knowledge to focus on using software, like OpenECU — a package used in battery management, vehicle control and charging protocol standards. In other words, this software functions as the brains of an electric car’s battery pack. Software is key to having a functional electric car battery pack.
Her interest in pursuing a career in engineering started while she was in high school.
“I was inspired to pursue a career in engineering with the help of my many lovely teachers in high school, although I was not naturally good at math and science,” Aiken said. “They were willing to work with me, and I saw how my effort affected my grade and people around me.”
This interest in engineering soon translated into an interest in electric cars.
“My interest in EVs began in high school where I worked with a team to build an electric car from scratch,” she said. “From then on, my passion for learning about how to make vehicles more environmentally friendly grew.”
Electric car batteries still face some struggles when it comes to sustainability and ethics. Mining causes a great release of carbon dioxide and damage to the environment, and there are also ethical concerns when it comes to mineral sourcing. Solving these two issues is key to strengthening EV adoption and improving sustainability.
After the Battery Workforce Challenge, Aiken hopes to enter into a role where she can use her engineering knowledge, ROTC leadership experience and hands-on Battery Workforce Challenge involvement. For now, she plans on facilitating a career in the U.S. Army. Her journey shows the importance of working on a multitude of different projects in different fields.
Follow along to the Clemson University & Greenville Tech BattChallenge team’s journey by following us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
