Latest news with #JohnRussell
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Not like your high school science fair': UNM engineering students build race cars and rockets -- and job-market skills
Jul. 20—Tucked into the southwest corner of the University of New Mexico's main campus are three labs where a specific group of advanced mechanical engineering students spend most of their time — in class, on the weekends, even at 3 a.m. some days. They describe the work they're doing as a full-time job, and more. The students are building electric vehicles, solar-powered boats and rockets from scratch, in less than two years, to compete in international competitions. UNM's School of Engineering requires students to complete a senior design program to graduate. All of these hands-on, nontraditional education courses are offered as options. "We are training engineers; therefore, the engineer must prove that he or she is an engineer, can work in a team, can design, build, test and so on, a product," said John Russell, a professor in the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering. He also runs LOBOmotorsports, a three-semester course that prepares students to compete in the international collegiate competition Formula SAE. The students are responsible for designing, building and racing a small formula-style race car. But in the bigger picture, the skill sets taught help the students immediately enter the workforce upon graduation. "It's not like your high school science fair," Russell said. Past a software lab, 3D printing and design area, and an aerodynamics facility, seven racing cars in various stages of assembly sat in a small, walled-off space at the LOBOmotorsports building on Wednesday. In the corner of the room sat a mostly red electric racing car — No. 267. It's the most recently built competition racing car, just back from F-SAE last month and awaiting the results. Recent graduates Tim Crepeau and Andrew Suplicki led the team that competed against more than 100 other teams from around the world in the electric vehicle racing car category. "It's everything-engineering," Suplicki said. Judges score the cars based on a series of technical inspections and dynamic events. This year, the battery box inspection created some challenges for the team. After dousing the car in water, the students have to prove it can still run for two minutes without short-circuiting. Russell said the team this year reached 1 minute and 45 seconds. Despite the technical troubles, the hands-on experience is the real win for the students. Crepeau credited his current internship with Sandia National Laboratories to having participated in LOBOmotorsports. An alumnus of the course who works at Sandia saw the reference on Crepeau's application. He's entering graduate school at UNM in the fall and one day wants to build his own race car. "Coming out of the program, even just knowing how to weld is huge. That's something that really gives you an advantage," Crepeau said. A building over, a small wooden trophy sat in another much smaller lab. It's awaiting a first-place plaque, a recognition that the UNM Solar Splash team designed, built and piloted the best solar-powered boat in the international competition held last month. Solar Splash is another senior design course that goes beyond the black-and-white scenarios presented in academia, said faculty adviser Peter Vorobieff. What should a student do if a part doesn't arrive on time, he asked; can they build it instead? "It is a stress test for their skills and their temperaments, which I think provides some very useful real-world experience," he said of the two-semester course. "Plus, it also gives the students a good understanding of technologies whose combination will most definitely be more prominent in the immediate future." Preparing students for rapidly advancing technologies is also a priority over at Lobo Launch, the two-semester rocket-building senior capstone option. Across University Boulevard, recent graduate Luis Quintana waited outside a bright pink building that houses a sprawling assortment of partly assembled rockets. Quintana competed on a team with seven other students in early June at this year's International Rocket Engineering Competition in Midland, Texas, formerly hosted at southern New Mexico's Spaceport America. "This is our rocket," he said inside the dimly lit lab, gesturing to a 110-inch miniature rocket in two pieces. "Unfortunately, it didn't deploy the main parachute, which is why it fell apart." But, he added with a laugh, UNM beat New Mexico State University and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. This year, UNM's rocket lab wrecked $30,000 worth of rockets — a test and trial process that's crucial to learning in the field, said rocket engineering Professor Fernando "Doc" Aguilar. He added that the equipment isn't cheap. Aguilar is currently in talks with the university seeking more funding to help professionalize Lobo Launch, including hiring a full-time program manager. He also recently secured two unpaid mentors to assist the students, starting in the fall semester. All three capstone programs rely on fundraising through private sponsors in addition to university money. All of Aguilar's rocket lab students have been hired right out of college or accepted into a master's degree program, he said. "My students, when they graduate, they hit the ground running," he said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stewart leaves Reds to join Sligo Rovers
Defender Sean Stewart has left Cliftonville to join League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers. The 22-year-old signed permanently for the Reds in the summer of 2024 from Norwich City after spending the 2023-24 season at Solitude. He made 48 appearances for Jim Magilton's side and started in the Irish Cup win against Linfield in 2024. Stewart has signed an 18-month deal with Sligo, who are ninth in the Premier Division. The full-back credited the influence of Sligo boss John Russell for persuading him to join. "John had been chasing me for a while and once I knew the clubs were happy to come to a deal and I spoke to him, I wanted to come here straight away," Stewart told the club's website. "He is hugely ambitious for the club's future and I want to be part of that. "Sligo is one of those clubs that realises the importance of giving younger players an opportunity. You only have to look at the average age of the current squad. The manager puts trust in his players; a young squad and it's paid off the last few weeks."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stewart leaves Reds to join Sligo Rovers
Defender Sean Stewart has left Cliftonville to join League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers. The 22-year-old signed permanently for the Reds in the summer of 2024 from Norwich City after spending the 2023-24 season at Solitude. He made 48 appearances for Jim Magilton's side and started in the Irish Cup win against Linfield in 2024. Stewart has signed an 18-month deal with Sligo, who are ninth in the Premier Division. The full-back credited the influence of Sligo boss John Russell for persuading him to join. "John had been chasing me for a while and once I knew the clubs were happy to come to a deal and I spoke to him, I wanted to come here straight away," Stewart told the club's website. "He is hugely ambitious for the club's future and I want to be part of that. "Sligo is one of those clubs that realises the importance of giving younger players an opportunity. You only have to look at the average age of the current squad. The manager puts trust in his players; a young squad and it's paid off the last few weeks."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Stewart leaves Reds to join Sligo Rovers
Defender Sean Stewart has left Cliftonville to join League of Ireland side Sligo 22-year-old signed permanently for the Reds in the summer of 2024 from Norwich City after spending the 2023-24 season at made 48 appearances for Jim Magilton's side and started in the Irish Cup win against Linfield in has signed an 18-month deal with Sligo, who are ninth in the Premier full-back credited the influence of Sligo boss John Russell for persuading him to join."John had been chasing me for a while and once I knew the clubs were happy to come to a deal and I spoke to him, I wanted to come here straight away," Stewart told the club's website."He is hugely ambitious for the club's future and I want to be part of that."Sligo is one of those clubs that realises the importance of giving younger players an opportunity. You only have to look at the average age of the current squad. The manager puts trust in his players; a young squad and it's paid off the last few weeks."
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Sean Stewart becomes latest player to join resurgent Sligo Rovers
Sligo Rovers have continued their recruitment drive in the July window with the signing of defender Sean Stewart from Cliftonville on an 18-month deal. The left-sided Northern Ireland underage international arrives at the Showgrounds for an undisclosed fee and is manager John Russell's fifth signing of the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old was with Norwich City before moving to Belfast side Cliftonville. He won an Irish Cup in 2024. Stewart featured in Rovers' recent friendly with Mansfield Town and has represented Northern Ireland at various levels all the way to the Under-21s. "John Russell had been chasing me for a while and once I knew the clubs were happy to come to a deal and I spoke to him, I wanted to come here straight away," Stewart said. "He is hugely ambitious for the club's future and I want to be part of that. "I've always had a big interest in the league here and followed the teams and results. It has grown enormously over the last few years and is further becoming such an attractive league to play in for young players. I couldn't turn down the chance to play here. "It has developed so many players recently and Sligo is one of those clubs that realises the importance of giving younger players an opportunity. You only have to look at the average age of the current squad. The manager puts trust in his players, a young squad and it's paid off the last few weeks when you look at the results we're starting to pick up." "I will have to work so hard to earn a place in the team and that's been obvious to me even before I arrived. We play with aggression and always try to be on the front foot and that's how I want the teams I play in to operate. I cannot wait to get started here." James McManus, Ryan O'Kane, Patrick McClean and Seb Quirk have already joined the Bit O'Red this month. Kevin Zefi also appeared as a trialist in the Mansfield game. Russell lost Reece Hutchinson to Crewe Alexandra in this window and has brought in Stewart as a replacement: "Sean is a hugely promising talent who already has a lot of experience in senior football and has represented Northern Ireland at underage level. "I have signed him as we feel his physical profile and attributes certainly match what we already have here at Rovers. "He is strong defensively and is a player who really likes to get involved in attacking phases of play, which suits our style. I have had plenty of conversations with Sean before I signed him and he's highly motivated to come here. He knows what we want from him and I feel he matches the type of player we need. "We feel he has a really high ceiling and we have done very well to get him here."
