Interviews

Both my interviews were conducted a bit late and through email. My academic interviewee was
Dr. Akihiko Kumagai, an associate professor at Sacramento State University. I chose him because he is also the advisor for the Formula SAE race car team. His work and knowledge most likely are the closest to what career I'm investigating. My other interviewee, Eric Ingraham, is the logistics manager/engineer at the race team I work for, Flying Lizard Motorsports. While not exactly the position I would choose, he is an engineer that has moved outside of design onto other engineering related areas, which is what I would like to do.

As I said before, both interviews were conducted via email. Dr. Kumagai's was a bit short, but I think that has a lot to do with the language barrier. English is definitely not his first language, but he does do a lot of reading and writing on the job. He is a professor, so that involves a lot anyway. Somewhere between 60 and 70% of his time is what he said he spent either reading or writing. Eric's answers were very similar in that respect. As far what they do read and write, Eric's time is mostly spent dealing with rules, checking the validity of press releases before the go out, budget issues, and a ton of other emails throughout the day. Dr. Kumagai said he spent most of his time working on technical papers, preparing for classes, or answering school related emails. It seems that no matter what you do now-a-days, you must be writing or responding to emails during your work day.

Career Center Visit

My visit to the career center was a nice easy going venture. I learned there are a quite a few opportunities for those in the mechanical engineering field. I found a lady by the name of Julie Collier who's there specifically to help ECS students. She's the career counselor and co-op coordinator for the department.

There was actually an ECS career day that they hosted on March 6th to provide an opportunity for current students to meet with industry members about possible employment. When I get closer to graduating, it will definitely be an event I'll look into for job opportunities. I'm sure the nice people at the career center would give me a list of the companies attending so I could prepare myself in advance.

More interesting was that they directed me to the ECS career center website. It gave a good rundown of all the things they could do for me. There is a lot. Everything from co-op and intern positions to setting up a practice interview to brush up on interview skills.

All in all, it was a very pleasureable and reassuring experience.

What CSUS major department, professor, and courses are linked to the profession.

CSUS has a mechanical engineering department, so the link is pretty self explanatory.

As far as professors are concerned in the department, there are many. I'll list the ones who research interests that pertain to my field.

Dr. Bandy, Rabindranath: Ph.D., Metallurgical Science
University of Manitoba
Corrosion, Fracture Mechanics, Metallurgy material science, Biomaterials

Dr. Bergquam, James B.: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Berkeley, CA
Heat Transfer, Solar energy, HVAC

Dr. Eke, Estelle M.: Ph.D., Aero/Astronautics
Rice University, Houston, TX
Controls, Optimization, Modeling of Dynamic Systems

Dr. Granda, Jose. J: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Davis, CA
Computer-Aided Design, System Dynamics, Finite-Element Analysis

Harralson, Joseph: M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Loyola Mary mount, L.A., CA
Internal Combustion Engines, Machine Design Using FEA

Dr. Kumagai, Akihiko: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Mechanism Design, Intelligent Controls for Manufacturing

Dr. Marbach, Timothy: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Thermodynamics, Combustion and Energy System

Dr. Noren, Dan: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Davis, CA

Advanced Power Systems, Thermo-Economic Simulation, Energy Storage Technology


Courses offered:

ME175 - Computer Applications in Mechanical Engineering

ME171 - Computer Modeling and Design of Dynamic Systems

ME126 - Heat Transfer

ME143 - Vehicle Design

ME182 - Introduction to Composite Materials

ME155 - Gas Dynamics

ME153 - Thermodynamics of Combustion Engines

ME173 - Applications of Finite Element Analysis

What do I already know about the profession?

I've spent the past five years working for automotive racing team involved in one of the highest levels of sports car racing competition. While I have done little to no engineering myself, I have been exposed to the process. There are a few things that I have gathered from my experience. One, the time commitment for a track side engineer is immense. You're at least working over 300 days out of the year. Races happen during the weekend, so more often than not, you can go weeks without a day off. Two, the pressure to perform is extremely high. If you can't get the car to perform the way the driver wants, your usually looking for a job in short order. Three, the design process is lengthy and time consuming. The following year's car is usually under development before the current car has even stepped foot on the race track for the beginning of the season. Four, without communication between the design and development (track side) engineers, getting the car to cooperate for the driver can be extremely time consuming and frustrating. Five, planning is key. Having a plan of action for test days and time leading up to a race is essential for putting the car on pace to win.

There are many more things to list, but they are on a much smaller scope of what engineers do in the field.

How is my major linked to my profession.

Well, in the racing world, they're merely called engineers. At school, the major is mechanical engineering. The direct connection goes beyond just the name though. Many, many things automotive (at least for the time being) are mechanical. Engines, suspensions, interior components, HVAC, etc... all fall under that 'mechanical' umbrella.

In the next ten years things are going to change drastically though. The need for 'green' vehicles will eventually phase out the internal combustion engine. Racing is already being effected by shift to the need for electrical engineers in engine development. Fortunately, automobiles in racing will always need suspension systems and a chassis.

Why am I interested in mechanical engineering in the automotive racing world

In one word, exciting. There are so many new advances every year it's mind boggling. Now, more than ever, racing has a chance to truly impact the real world and the cars we drive. With the 'green' movement becoming more and more prevalent every day, racing series are taking efforts to be at the front of the curve. By doing so, race engineers are forced to come up with innovative ideas to make cars more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly without sacrificing outright speed. Getting involved at a time like this gives me an opportunity to make a real difference in the world while doing something I'm passionate about.