Select Alumni

one competition | sustained career gains

Eric Din                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Company: Hive Battery Labs
Job Title: CEO, Co-Founder
Alma Mater: Dartmouth College
FH Team Name: Dartmouth Formula Racing
Team Position: Captain

My Formula Hybrid team — at just six people — was small but mighty. Formula Hybrid was my first taste in the importance of talent, buy-in, and (only in retrospect) balance in building a team. I will always be chasing the incredible feeling of cooperation we had that year.

David Ebidia

Company: Tesla Motors
Job Title: Integration Engineer
Alma Mater: University of Waterloo
FH Team Name: Waterloo Hybrid
Team Position: Team Lead

Formula Hybrid provided a more practical side for applying engineering skills throughout my 5 year co-op program. Being part of the team provided a strong foundation for learning to apply the skills learned in class to a real-world scenario. Many companies like to see this sort of practical experience in a new graduate, as it helps convey a sense of teamwork, leadership, and a strong ability to apply engineering skills.

Nerissa Hanson

Company: Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Title: Project Engineer
Alma Mater: Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)
FH Team Name: Raider Racing
Team Position: Team Captain and Powertrain Sub-team Member

The leadership skills and technical knowledge of advanced powertrain systems that I obtained in Formula Hybrid played a large part in being hired for my current job, and in being successful in my role. I also work with a small professional race team in my spare time. Participating in a Formula project in college is somewhat of an unwritten prerequisite for working on a professional race team, so I was able to get my foot in the door faster.

Adam Hassig

Company: Eaton
Title: Project Manager
Alma Mater: Milwaukee School of Engineering
FH Team Name: MSOE Formula Hybrid
Team Position: Electrical Engineer

The two primary advantages that Formula Hybrid helped advance my career is leadership and teamwork experience. Leadership is a fundamental part of the project due to vigorous tasks and time schedule. Teamwork is the other incredible experience because of the collaboration with different types of engineers and the ability to work dynamically together.

Nicholas Hunsanger

Company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Title: PHEV Diagnostics Calibrator
Alma Mater: University of Michigan 2014
FH Team Name: MHybrid Racing
Team Position: Controls Algorithm Development

Formula Hybrid provided me with the opportunity to gain hands-on exposure to hybrid automotive technology, exposure that I would have been hard pressed to find elsewhere while in school. I was able to develop a working knowledge of hybrid controls concepts and calibration software used by engineers in industry before I graduated, which in my opinion gave my resume an edge. Taking this valuable experience to industry with me when I graduated, I had a great foundation of the skills to hit the ground running.

Kenneth Jones

Company: Ford Motor Company
Title: Steering Controls Engineer
Alma Maters: Lawrence Technological University 13′ and Kalamazoo College 11′
FH Team Name: Blue Devil Motorsports
Team Position: Suspension and Paint/Body Team Lead

The Formula Hybrid competition helped advance my career by providing me with a chance to hone my engineering, project management, and critical-thinking skills needed to excel in a professional environment. The structure of the competition allowed me to gain professional contacts within the automotive industry and also get valuable feedback from senior engineers. I believe the design, build, and validation stages I was exposed to during my 2.5 years of Formula Hybrid has given me a competitive advantage in advancing my career within the automotive industry.

Barry Mason

Company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Title: Powertrain Analysis Engineer
Alma Mater: McMaster University
FH Team Name: McMaster Formula Hybrid
Team Position: Suspension Lead, Mechanical Co-Captain

Technically, Formula Hybrid exposed me to complex and future technologies emerging in the automotive industry. This exposure and having to learn these concepts independently is knowledge and an ability I use every day in the constantly evolving automotive industry. Interpersonally, the team dynamics associated with Formula Hybrid jump-started my development of the skills required to be part of a highly productive team.

Dylan Rinker

Company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (via Trillium Technical)
Title: Design and Release Engineer (Hemi Pistons)
Alma Mater: University of Idaho (B.S. and M.S. Mechanical Engineering)
FH Team Name: Vandal Racing
Team Position: Drive train lead as a Senior, Team Captain as a graduate student

Formula Hybrid has given me skills and hands on experience that companies such as Chrysler seek. Not only did FHSAE provide me with a quality technical background, but it has opened the door to many networking opportunities that otherwise would not have been available to me. I believe my Formula Hybrid experience is a large part of the reason I have a career in the auto industry today.

Marc Soldini

Company: General Motors
Title: Compartment Integration Designing Engineer
Alma Mater: University of Vermont
FH Team Name: AERO
Team Position: President, Frame Lead, Suspension Lead

The project management skills I developed while running the team have proven to be a huge asset in conducting efficient meetings, communications, and problem solving sessions. All of these have been critical in my career as a large aspect of my role is facilitating communication between engineers to enable swift and robust solutions to packaging issues. Lastly, the overall absorbed knowledge of vehicles has proven to be extremely helpful in allowing me to quickly understand the parts that I am working with, their day to day functions, and issues that may arise with them.

Brett Stephens

Company: Ford
Title: Electrified Powertrain Engineer
Alma Mater: UC Davis
FH Team Name: FH3
Team Position: Manufacture support (year one and two). Suspension team lead (year three).

Formula hybrid allowed me to pursue my interests in hybrid and electric vehicle technology while gaining practical problem solving skills. The experience of working efficiently in a fast paced environment proved invaluable when transitioning to the professional realm.

Kara Stoltze

Company: P3 Group
Title: Management Consultant
Alma Mater: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
FH Team Name: Michigan Hybrid Racing (MHybrid)
Team Position: Team Captain

Formula hybrid gave me confidence in my leadership abilities, problem solving skills, and ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure, which helped land me the interview that led to the job I have now. My professional network is expansive thanks to FH, and is still growing as I meet other FH alums!

Ricky Willems

Company: Innovative Dynamics Incorporated
Title: Electrical Engineer and Product Designer
Alma Mater: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
FH Team Name: RPI Formula Hybrid
Team Position: Varied: Electrical Lead, Drivetrain Lead, Vice President, Electrical Supervisor

The Formula Hybrid Team project allowed me to apply what I learned in the classroom, demonstrating to me the relevance of what I was learning, and giving me valuable experience in how to apply what I’d learned. It also prompted me to study applicable subjects far beyond the normal curriculum. Employers have recognized the knowledge and experience I have gained, along with my dedication to the project, making Formula Hybrid a center point in any interview or hiring process. It has also put me in touch with many employment opportunities, including the opportunity that led to my current job.

William Voigt

Company: Bose Corporation
Title: New Product Manager
Alma Mater: Colby College, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
FH Team Name: Dartmouth Formula Racing (DFR)
Team Position: Co-Captain, Mechanical Engineer on Drivetrain and Suspension Teams

One of the most important things I gained from Formula Hybrid was perspective. This was the only academic project I worked on where I was involved in, and had control over, the entire development cycle, from concept idea and vision refinement through research, testing, and ultimately integration and optimization. Coming right out of school into the role of a New Product Manager at Bose, having this framework and experience has made it much easier for me to spool up in my role as I manage research and development projects