Team
Luke Shepley: Co-team LeaderLuke is a senior in Electrical Engineering and has been with the group for four years. Luke has worked on many projects ranging from wiring harness design to vehicle model development. Luke’s favorite aspect of the EcoCAR 2 competition is the opportunity to work in a real world environment while still being in school. “If I would have told my freshman-self all of the things I have been able to do and be a part of because of this team, I never would have believed me. The projects we have a chance to work on are just unreal,” said Luke. You can contact Luke at lds5124@psu.edu.
Chris Golecki: Co-team Leader
Chris Golecki is the Engineering Graduate Assistant for the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team. He is a first year Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering, focusing his studies in control systems. His controls experience stems from an internship at Colgte-Palmolive and a research assistant at Penn State. He plans to apply his leadership and technical skills to help lead Penn State to a successful year in the EcoCar 2: Plugging into the Future Competition. You can contact him at cjg5130@psu.edu.
Michael Frey: Mechanical Team Member
Mike Frey is a senior in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University. His inherent interest in cars led him to follow a vehicle development based track when choosing his senior year course load, which includes classes in Finite Elements Analysis, internal combustion engines, vibrations, dynamic systems, and vehicle dynamics. He has spent three summers working in industry for Bosch Rexroth, a fluid power and automated controls manufacturer. You can contact him at mzf5062@psu.edu.
David Long: Mechanical Team Member
David Long is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. His extracurricular activities include being the Project Manager of the SAE Baja competition and being a mechanical lab assistant. These projects have given him experience with designing parts, disassembling and reassembling vehicles, milling, lathing, welding, and leadership experience. He has had 12 months of internships with Case New Holland. This gave him experience with accelerometers, load cells, pressure transducers, strain gauges, and other testing equipment and programs. You can contact him at djl5217@psu.edu.
Alex Kirsch: Mechanical Team Member
Alex is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. His mechanical experience roots back to a childhood of stock car racing. At the age of 16, with help from his father, he built a competitive Street Stock from the ground up. This construction included every piece of a working vehicle, tuned for racing application. His racing career included weekly chassis modifications, repairs, and technical improvements. You can contact him at ajk5333@psu.edu
.
Will is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. He is hoping to expand his engineering knowledge by working with the controls team to develop the vehicle control algorithm. Will’s previous experience includes internships with U.S. ThermoAmp Inc. and Mission Critical Solutions where he designed fixtures and worked on process optimization. Will can be contacted at wcf5016@psu.edu.
Nicholas Pinn: Mechanical Team Member
Nicholas is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. He has worked with the robotics team on mechanical systems and software design as well as self-replicating Rapid Prototyping (RepRap) Printers in engineering design courses at Penn State. At Smith Co Engineering group he gained professional experience in civil and mechanical engineering. As a part of Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Controls team he plans to gain knowledge on programing algorithms and using vehicle simulation software. You can contact him at nop5031@psu.edu.
Casey Dietrich is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. He will be working with the controls team where he hopes to use skills gained from his classwork to help create a functioning vehicle algorithm. This is Casey’s first year with Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. He does have prior experience in the automotive industry from internships at both Ford Motor Company and Cummins Inc. You can contact Casey at cbd5050@psu.edu.
Owen Shemro: Electrical Team Member
Owen Shemro is a senior in Mechanical Engineering and will be acting as the electrical team leader. Many of Owen’s classes will teach him the skills needed to design and build the electrical components of the vehicle in Year Two of the EcoCAR 2 competition. You can contact him at ols5009@psu.edu.
Taylor Kidd: Communications Manager
Taylor Kidd is senior majoring in public relations and economics with a minor in business. This is her third year working on Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. She is also an account executive for Penn State’s student-run public relations firm Happy Valley Communications. In the past, Taylor has interned at the Pennsylvania Senate Communications and Research Office and the Downtown State College Improvement District. You can contact her at tak5099@psu.edu.
Cheyenne Sexton: Communications Team Member
Cheyenne Sexton is a junior majoring in public relations with a minor in ethics. Cheyenne is very excited to have the opportunity to work on Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team for the first time. She is also a new account associate for Penn State’s student-run public relations firm Happy Valley Communications. Cheyenne had an internship this past summer at Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. She is looking forward to a wonderful year with the team! You can contact her at cns5129@psu.edu.
Andie Ashbaugh: Communications Team Member
Andie Ashbaugh is a freshman and and it is her first year as an Account Associate at Happy Valley Communications. In the past, she was actively involved in Student Leadership, gaining valuable experience such as planning events like Esperanza’s Annual Car Show. She looks forward gaining experience at Happy Valley Communications and hopes to expand my horizon in the Public Relations field. She’s excited to have the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team as her first client. You can contact her at aoa5424@psu.edu.
Lotus Zhou: Communications Team Member
Lotus Zhou is a junior majoring in Marketing and Economics with a minor in International business. This is her second year being involved in Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. Lotus is also the Vice-president of PSU Summer Opportunity in China and the co-marketing chair of SAP Student Interest Group. In the past summer, she did her study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and amazed by the huge potential of energy sustainability. Lotus is excited to see the joining of new members and she is looking forward to working with the team! You can contact her at hiz5052@psu.edu.
Becky Szwak: Communications Team Member
Becky is a senior double-majoring in public relations and Spanish. This is her first year working on Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. She is an Account Associate for Penn State’s student-run public relations firm Happy Valley Communications. She has also interned for the Minor League Baseball team the State College Spikes working as a part of the promotions team and the social media manager. You can contact her at rbs5097@psu.edu.
Ariana Gianakopoulos: Communications Team Member
Maria Turconi: Communications Team Member
Maria Turconi is a freshman at Penn State Univeristy. She is majoring in public relations and political science. In addition to EcoCar2 Maria is also a member of penn state’s PRSSA. Feel free to contact her at mariaturconi@gmail.com
Bree Hyland: Co-Business Manager
Brianna is a junior majoring in accounting in the Smeal College of Business. This is her first year working for Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. She is also a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and the Director of PR and Alumni Relations for the professional business fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi. Brianna has interned at Militello Realty and the Hauptman- Woodward Medical Research Institute. She is excited to be working with the team.
Jacob Hauptman: Co-Business Manager
Jacob Hauptman is a freshman majoring in Supply Chain Management and Information Systems with a minor in International Business and Spanish. This is his first year working with the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team and he is extremely excited to be a part of this awesome team. He has been extremely involved with student leadership opportunities in high school and is looking forward to continuing is leadership opportunities with the Advanced Vehicle Team. You can contact him at jzh5464@psu.edu.
Dr. Dan Haworth:
Daniel C. Haworth is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering in the College of Engineering at Penn State. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (1979) and a PhD (1986) in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. He is the director of the Vehicle Systems & Safety program at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute and has served as an advisor to Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team since 2001.Contact him at dch12@psu.edu.
Gary Neal:
Gary Neal is a Research Engineer and Department Head with the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University. As part of his duties as a mechanical engineer, Gary’s two main areas during his 12 year tenure at the Lab have been drivetrain technology and underwater weapons systems. Gary is the Department Head of the Systems Development and Engineering Department and an Adjunct Professor in the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department at Penn State. You can contact him at gln103@psu.edu.
Dr. Jeffrey Mayer:
Dr. Mayer joined Penn State in 1991. He is also affiliated with the Fluid Dynamics Department of the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State. Dr. Mayer’s research and teaching interests are in the related areas of power electronics, electric machinery, and power system dynamics. Dr. Mayer earned a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering; a M.S. from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering; and a B.S. from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering. You can contact him at jsm10@psu.edu.