2009 Infinium Race Crew

Steve Hechtman is the Race Manager for the 2009 Team, having graduated from the University this past May with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He has been a member of the Team since his first semester at U of M and will be returning to Australia to participate in The World Solar Challenge (WSC) for the second time. Steve was one of Continuum’s drivers during WSC 2007 and the 2008 North American Solar Challenge (NASC), and is looking forward to enjoying the trek across the continent with air conditioning and an IPod this time around. He is originally from the Washington, D.C. suburb of Vienna, Virginia, and has been interested in computers and cars since his childhood.

Alex Dowling joined the Strategy Division weeks into his college career. During his three years on the team, he has served the team the Interim Strategy Director during the 2007 WSC campaign, Head Strategist during the 2008 NASC campaign, Strategy Director for the Infinium project, and race as the Head Strategist this October in Australia. Alex is a senior in the Chemical Engineering department and plans on pursuing a PhD after graduation. Alex’s research interests include optimization techniques, controls, bioinformatics, and statistics. In his spare time, Alex conducts research with Prof. Peter Woolf developing Bayesian techniques for analyzing genotypic data. Alex also uses his practical computer skills to write simulations for the everyday needs of his teammates.

John Federspiel is the Crew Chief and Director of the Engineering Division. John was born in St. Louis, MO and has lived in the state of Michigan since he was 8 years old. He is studying Mechanical Engineering and will be graduating in the spring of 2011. John has been on the team since his first year in college and traveled to Australia for the World Solar Challenge in 2007. He helped develop the new Solar Concentrator system used for Continuum in the 2007 WSC, and was a member of the NASC 2008 Race Crew. John enjoys reading and has been known to risk his life in the name of a favorite song.

Rachel Unger recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Environment and has decided to stick around for World Solar Challenge race. Passionate about renewable energy and sustainable transportation, she joined the Solar Car Team about a year ago and has since been working with the Operations Division. Rachel is originally from a Washington, DC suburb in Maryland, and is also interested in politics and policy. Outside of the Team, she enjoys running, yoga, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Aubrey da Cunha is a member of the Strategy Division, specializing in simulation and optimization. Originally from Cottonwood, Arizona, he joined the team in September, drawn by the complex problem of energy management. Despite being a newer member of the team, Aubrey will be a valuable member of the Infinium project. When he’s not writing software for the team, Aubrey is a graduate student in mathematics studying computational complexity theory.

Josh Feldman joined the Strategy Division in his first semester at the University. He is in charge of data handling and communication between race vehicles. He is entering his third year as a Computer Science student in the College of Engineering. Originally from Long Island, New York, Josh has previously raced with the team in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. He is very enthusiastic about what the team has accomplished and looks forward to helping propel the team to the world championship.

Santosh Kumar joined the Strategy Division of the team in his junior year. Santosh was born and raised in the sunny island of Singapore; he is currently on a full scholarship to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. Santosh uses his prodigious talents in math and science to help Infinium run as fast as possible. Santosh actively contributes to the team’s Quote Wall with timeless phrases such as “I used to live in a fantasy world ... in 5th grade I thought I was a dinosaur”. Santosh likes Lego blocks, soccer, and cherry blossoms.

Chris McMeeking is new to the Strategy Division of the team this year. He works specifically in the area of meteorology and weather forecasting and is a junior majoring in Computer Science in the College of Engineering. Chris is excited to join the team on its journey to win the World Solar Challenge. When not working on Solar Car, Chris enjoys watching the Detroit Red Wings, who are on their way to another Stanley Cup Championship.

Julia Hawley joined the Solar Car Team as a member of the Business Division her sophomore year. She started out doing marketing and events for the team and was elected Business Director that January. She has found her solar car experience invaluable, describing it as the most challenging yet rewarding experience of her life. She is excited to travel with the team to Australia and hopes that Infinium will be able to bring the World Championship back to the United States after so many years. Julia is not sure what she would like to do when she “grows up,” but she hopes to run a marathon and live in Argentina or Spain at some point in her life.

Ethan Lardner joined the Operations Division of the team in the fall of his freshman year. He is a sophomore engineer from Milan, IL. Typically logging more than 900 miles a week in his personal Ford truck, he plays an integral part in Infinium’s production. His official team duties make him responsible for outfitting the support vehicle and semi trailer, operations procurement, and kangaroo wrangling. When he isn’t driving his truck for solar car purposes, Ethan enjoys boating, hunting, camping, and playing his cello.

Jeff Rogers has been on the team for about five years as a member of the Micro-Electrical Engineering Division. He is a graduate student in Computer Science Engineering and is the most senior active member of the Solar Car Team. As the lead micro-electrical engineer on the team, Jeff is doing his best to delegate work and transfer knowledge to less experienced team members. Outside of solar car, he spends his time at Toyota Technical Center working on integrated vehicle systems. In his free time he enjoys tinkering with computers, cooking meals with friends, and keeping his other teammates in check.

Jeremy Nash joined the Micro-Electrical Engineering Division of the team within his first weeks of transferring to the College of Engineering. He is a Micro Electrical engineer entering his third year of studies in Computer Engineering. In his spare time, he has managed to write a pop song that aired on the radio, act in a German film, learn Mandarin Chinese, rebuild homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and enter a jazz duel in concert with Geoffrey Keezer. He is also a biomedical device researcher at the WuMRC Laboratory in Ann Arbor, where he works on diagnosing vascular access failure in hemodialysis patients.

Sudeep Rohatgi joined the Power Electrical Division during his first semester at Michigan and is thrilled to be designing and racing Infinium. He is entering his third year of studies in Electrical Engineering. After spending a summer researching organic solar cells, Sudeep became interested in energy conversion devices and started designing Infinium’s solar array. Outside of the solar car, he enjoys playing ultimate Frisbee, being with family and friends, listening to music, and reading.

Ethan Stark joined the Power Electrical Engineering Division last fall at the first chance he got after arriving here from sunny California and has been on it ever since. Just finishing his first year here, he is very excited to go to Australia and is even more excited to win! Outside the team, Ethan is a member of Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity and is an Engineering Physics major.

Gerald Chang joined the solar car team freshman year as a member of the Mechanical Engineering Division. He is a second year mechanical engineer. Staying committed to the team, he joined the 2008 Race Crew to help the team capture Michigan’s fifth national championship. He also led the mechanical engineers during the design phase and now makes sure he does everything he can to make Infinium a world champion solar car. This fall, the 2009 World Solar Challenge will be the greatest event of his current lifetime.

Chris Hilger has been a member of the Mechanical Engineering Division of the team since the beginning of his freshman year. He is currently studying chemical engineering. As the head of sourcing for the team, Chris has the opportunity to interact with both the engineering and business aspects of the project. He will serve as a mechanical engineer once production of Infinium is complete. After graduation, he hopes to apply his knowledge to launch an alternative energy company. In his free time, Chris enjoys water sports, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Dylan Reitzell joined the Aero Engineering Division of the team during his freshman year mainly to promote an environmental message but also because of his love to create new things and in hopes of using his Aerospace Engineering knowledge. After spending the last year and half helping to design the body of the car, Dylan is very excited to be building and to race Infinium in Australia.

Eric Relson joined the Mechanical Engineering Division within his first month at the University of Michigan, and his homework has suffered ever since. Since joining the team, Eric has progressed from swallowing LEGOS to breathing carbon fiber dust. He has finished his third year as an undergraduate studying nuclear engineering. The spark that led him to engineering was his involvement in his high school’s robotics team. His work for the Solar Car Team is largely mechanical and hands-on. Eric is a native of Ann Arbor.

Steve Durbin joined the team as a member of the Business Division in the fall of his sophomore year looking for something to do with his spare time. He is entering his senior year of an Aerospace Engineering degree. After a year on the team, Steve was elected Interim Project Manager. While his fellow teammates are racing in Australia this fall, Steve will be leading the team in Ann Arbor. Steve enjoys playing sports and watching movies in his free time. He is also a devoted Detroit sports fan.

Tanya Das is on the Micro-Electrical Division of the Solar Car Team and will be serving as the Interim Engineering Director next fall while her teammates race Infinium in Australia. She joined the Team at the beginning of her sophomore year and is now a rising junior studying Electrical Engineering, with particular interest in the field of solid state electronics. Tanya is originally from Rochester Hills, MI and in her free time she enjoys reading, camping, and just building things in general.

Rachel Kramer joined the Strategy Division of the team in the fall of 2008 hoping to be an actively contributing member. She will be a sophomore next fall in the college of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Rachel is originally from Ludington, Michigan. Although she knew little about computer programming before joining the team, she quickly became interested in the optimization work of the Strategy Division. Rachel has since learned a lot about programming and the workings of the team as a whole, and will be serving as the Interim Strategy Director next fall. Outside of the Team and regular classes, Rachel is a proud member of the Michigan Squirrel Feeding Club.

Emily Tischler joined the Business Division in the winter of her junior year. She is a junior in the Ross School of Business BBA program and is currently serving the team as Interim Business Director. Emily is from Los Angeles, California, where her interest in cars began. She is interested in pursuing marketing, public relations, and advertising. She also enjoys playing basketball, writing, and art. In addition, Emily is conducting research in Organizational Psychology with Prof. Lee and Melanie Henderson. Emily hopes to go into a business career in the fashion industry.

Brian Pak is a junior in the Ross School of Business. A native of Denver, Colorado, he loves hitting the slopes during his free time to snowboard. Some of his other interests include swimming, volleyball, and tennis. Joining the team his sophomore year, he spent most of his time working on sponsorship procurement for the Business Division and is now the Interim Operations Leader. In the future, Brian hopes to work in corporate finance.