The UNLV-CSN BWC team has significantly raised recruitment efforts to bring on new members. Recently, University of Nevada Las Vegas and College of Southern Nevada conducted interviews between new and existing team members to see what the perspectives on the team are, highlighting personal involvement and experience gained from the challenge.
Meet Ryan Sewell – Engineering Manager, UNLV
Ryan has been involved with the UNLV BattChallenge team since year one, promoting from hardware lead to engineering manager at the beginning of year three. Ryan is extremely valuable to the team, as he is one of only two non-faculty members that have been on the team for all three years, and he offers the unique skill of many years of work experience in battery harness design.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about the BattChallenge?
A: The BattChallenge inspires my passion for engineering. I have worked for years as an electrical engineer, and rarely do I find the same stimulation from my day job as I do with this challenge.
Q: What have you gained from being involved in the BattChallenge?
A: Being involved in the BattChallenge has offered me valuable connections in the professional world, including a job offer from Stellantis. I am thankful to the BattChallenge for the colleagues I have met and the opportunities that have opened up for me.
Meet Sean Armstrong – Vocational Team Lead, CSN
Joining last year from the vocational side, Sean Armstrong has offered his technical prowess to the team as the only advanced manufacturing major on the team. The rest of the UNLV-CSN team is composed of mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as one physics student. Sean allows our team to have access to CSN’s unique facility offerings, such as the 50,000 pound capacity vehicle lifts and extensive additive and subtractive manufacturing equipment.
Q: What does it mean to you to be involved in the BattChallenge?
A: Being involved in the Battery Challenge means to be part of creating the battery pack. Seeing the process of engineering a car battery and organizing its fabrication is something that makes me feel very involved.
Meet Albert Carroll – Hardware Member, UNLV
Albert was brought onto the team for year three as an electrical engineer with a special interest in battery technology. His skillset of extensive simulation experience has allowed him to seamlessly integrate into the team and allowed our team to become vastly more efficient.
Q: From your time here so far, why do you think others should get involved in the BattChallenge?
A: The BattChallenge offers students extremely valuable hands-on experience with battery pack engineering, skills that are invaluable for those looking to enter any engineering field after university.
