Last week the EcoCAR Teams, Sponsors, and Organizers gathered at the Hotel Viata in Austin, TX from February 2-4, 2023, for the EcoCAR EV Challenge Year 1 Winter Workshop!
Although the winter storms in Texas caused significant travel disruptions and power outages, the Winter Workshop moved forward after a brief delay. Teams successfully received hands-on training from industry Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the areas of engineering, communications, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The workshop provided 75 unique training sessions which covered a wide range of topics including Media Training, Personal Branding, Systems Safety, Modeling and Simulation, and many more.
Team Project Managers (PMs) also delivered their first presentation of the semester in the area of Project Management, the PM Mid-Year Status Update. Students received real-time feedback from industry judges, which will prepare these student leaders for their final presentation at competition this spring.
In addition to training, NXP hosted the Sponsor Social Networking and Recruiting Event at their headquarters in Austin. Students were able to meet with over 50 representatives from more than a dozen sponsors and learn about the latest employment and internship opportunities with these organizations. Representatives from General Motors, PACCAR, and MAGNA also offered 1-on-1 resume building, LinkedIn profile review and personal branding sessions throughout the workshop to better prepare students for the job search process.
On Friday evening, the EcoCAR Faculty members were invited to the Faculty Recognition Dinner at County Line BBQ on the Hill. This event was hosted by the EcoCAR Organizers and Headline Sponsors, and Faculty members were recognized for their tremendous efforts in kicking off this series at their respective universities.
We would like to thank all teams, faculty, and sponsors for their patience and for making the Winter Workshop the best possible experience. We look forward to gathering again at the Year 1 Competition in Orlando, FL this May.
Visit our AVTC Flickr for all images from the event.
