������Ƶ Esports is adding firepower to its competitive lineup with the introduction of Marvel Rivals. After overwhelming student interest, the fast-paced, team-based title is now an official part of the program — launching with three full team rosters in its inaugural season.

The decision came after ����ٳٱ�����Բ�’s&�Բ�����;Overwatch 2 team explored its competitive direction for the Spring season. While Overwatch 2 remains available for players who want to compete, the majority of the team chose to focus on Marvel Rivals — a game that has quickly gained traction in the collegiate scene. The shift resulted in the largest Esports tryout in Kettering history, with 23 students participating. As a result, Kettering is now home to three Marvel Rivals teams, each ready to take on the growing collegiate competition.

Marvel Rivals is a fast-paced 6v6 team-based player versus player (PvP) shooter featuring iconic Marvel superheroes and villains. Players engage in dynamic battles across various Marvel multiverse locations, choosing from a growing roster of characters, including Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man. The game also highlights some of Marvel’s more niche and fan-favorite characters, including Squirrel Girl and Jeff the Land Shark, giving players a wide range of play styles and personalities to choose from.

“From the moment we started talking about Marvel Rivals, the energy was different,” said Dan Nowaczyk, ������Ƶ’s Director of Esports. “Players were excited. They were engaged. It was clear that this was the game they wanted to compete in. Our program is built to give students that opportunity.”

����ٳٱ�����Բ�’s&�Բ�����;Marvel Rivals teams will make their tournament debut this month, competing in an event hosted by the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC). With collegiate interest in Marvel Rivals rapidly growing since the game’s December 2024 launch, Kettering is stepping in as an early contender in the emerging space.

This isn’t the only expansion for Kettering Esports. The program is also adding Deadlock, a tactical third-person shooter with multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) elements, and preparing a World of Warcraft Mythic+ team to compete at the highest level of play.

Since its first competitive season in 2020, Kettering Esports has grown from three game titles and 20 players to 10 titles and nearly 100 competitors. More than just a competitive program, esports at Kettering brings together students across academic terms, forging friendships, leadership skills, and a strong sense of community.

“Winning is great, but for me, Esports is about something bigger,” Nowaczyk said. “It’s about teamwork, personal growth, and giving students something they can take pride in. That’s why we have a near 99% retention and graduation rate — this program is more than competition; it’s a support system.”

Kettering Esports is always looking for new talent. If you're ready to compete, build lifelong connections, and push your skills to the next level, visit ������Ƶ Esports.

The ������Ƶ/GMI Alumni Association (KGMIAA) announced today it has awarded $30,000 in sponsorships to more than 60 Michigan high school robotics teams participating in FIRST, VEX, and FTC programs. The initiative reflects a core value that drives ������Ƶ: equipping young problem solvers with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they need to shape the future.

The sponsorships provide resources for students to build robots, compete, and deepen their STEM experience. These students are following a hands-on path that mirrors the journeys of many Kettering and GMI alumni who began their careers with an early passion for STEM.

“We are incredibly proud to support these bright, motivated students who are exploring their interests in engineering and technology through hands-on experience,” said Joe Lemieux ’85, outgoing president of the KGMIAA. “Many of us — alumni of Kettering and GMI — can trace our own careers back to the formative experiences we had in high school and early college. These sponsorships not only provide the students with the resources to excel in their robotics competitions but also encourage their growth in STEM fields as they prepare for their future careers. These efforts also allow us to raise awareness of ������Ƶ as a leading institution for STEM education and open the door for many students to consider us as the next step in their academic journey.”

KGMIAA’s sponsorships go beyond financial support. The Association also recognizes alumni who dedicate their time and expertise to mentor high school robotics teams, serving as coaches and advisors. This hands-on mentorship ensures students have guidance as they navigate competitions and plan their futures in STEM fields.

“We owe a great deal of thanks to our alumni who volunteer as coaches and mentor the next generation of robotics enthusiasts,” said Lorenzo Jones ’89, incoming president of the KGMIAA. “Their dedication to supporting their high school alma maters or their children’s teams is invaluable, and it’s inspiring to see how they continue to give back to their community. At the same time, these sponsorships introduce students to Kettering’s outstanding programs, creating opportunities for them to envision their future here with us.”

For ������Ƶ and its alumni, this initiative underscores a commitment to investing in young innovators, providing them with experiences that build confidence, technical expertise, and a passion for tackling real-world challenges.

For a complete list of robotics teams that received a 2025 KGMIAA sponsorship, visit /robotics/kgmiaa-sponsorships.

About the ������Ƶ/GMI Alumni Association
The Kettering/GMI Alumni Association (KGMIAA) unites alumni in support of ������Ƶ’s mission to advance STEM education and innovation. With a focus on fostering lifelong loyalty, promoting core values, and providing financial support, the KGMIAA serves as a key resource for University leadership and alumni engagement. Membership is automatic for all graduates of Kettering/GMI, with no membership fees required. The KGMIAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Learn more at kettering.edu/alumni.

Three ������Ƶ Esports teams won a regional championship and three divisional championships in matches Dec. 4-6, 2023.

The “Valorant” Grey team earned the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Great Lakes Regional Championship with wins against Indiana Wesleyan, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Union College in Kentucky. The “Valorant” Grey team also won the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Divisional Championship by defeating Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio and Saint Xavier University in Illinois.

The “Valorant” Blue team and “Overwatch 2” Blue team each also earned NACE Divisional Championships. The “Valorant” Blue team defeated North Central University in Minnesota and Texas A&M International University while the “Overwatch 2” Blue team defeated Nicholas College in Massachusetts and Northern Michigan College.

“Our teams worked so hard this season, and since we also took a new approach to team construction this year, I didn’t want to create any expectations,” Esports Coach Dan Nowaczyk said. “As the season went on, it started to look like the new approach worked really well since all of our rosters qualified for playoffs in at least one conference. Bringing home some championships after it’s all said and done just shows how much work these students are putting in and how much they’ve grown as players and academics this year.”

“Overwatch 2” is a multiplayer game in which teams defend their areas on a map against one another. “Valorant” is a multiplayer game in which teams play a set of agents who are assigned to either attack or defend. The attacking team tries to plant a bomb and detonate it while the defending team’s goal is to defuse the bomb if it is successfully planted. 

Because the players’ skills were similarly matched this year, Nowaczyk eliminated the traditional varsity and junior varsity system and instead created evenly matched teams based on personalities. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of everything our Esports students have accomplished over not just this season but over the last year,” Nowaczyk said. “These students do so much, not just within Esports, but all over campus, and it’s so awesome to see their work in Esports paying off.”

Aaron Spengler ’23 said it felt amazing to win the championship. Spengler, who majors in Mechanical Engineering, is the captain of the “Overwatch 2” Blue team. 

“I’ve been on the team for about two years now, and this is our first season win outside of one other small tournament win,” he said. “This is also my second-to-last season on the team, so it feels great seeing my hard work being rewarded. I’m so proud of the team and am so happy I get to be a part of this experience with them.”

Spengler co-ops at Our Next Energy (ONE) in Novi on the Battery Management Systems Mechanical team. He said participating in Esports has helped him better his teamwork skills.

“I’ve learned that I need to be flexible working around others’ strengths while applying people to what they excel at,” Spengler said. “At the same time, I’ve also learned that while I’m the leader of this team, I’m also still a player. I learned there’s a time to lead and a time to follow when in that dual-focused role.”

Robert Lim ’24 agreed that the skills he learns participating in Esports are applicable to life outside of gaming. Lim is the team captain and in-game leader for the “Valorant” Grey team. In this role, he analyzes how the competing team is playing and adjusts his team’s style accordingly. Lim will start his next Co-op as a project manager at Bosch.

“As a Management major, much of what I do in Esports is practical for my Co-op and soft skills,” Lim said. “Being the coach and overall leader for the players, I can enhance and adapt my leadership style. Coaching them in gaming has allowed me to become a better teacher. Esports also improves everyone’s soft skills in teamwork, communication, time management and, for some people, emotional intelligence.”

Ernest Reschke ’25 echoed his fellow gamers. The Computer Engineering major plays on the “Valorant” Blue team. In his role as the “initiator,” he helps create opportunities for his teammates in the game. He co-ops at Detroit Diesel.

“The skills I have learned in Esports translate greatly to the work environment through Co-ops,” he said. “Communication, planning and execution are all pivotable parts of being on an Esports team. Learning these skills through an environment that I really love helps me in my Co-op because it just feels like second nature to create a route for success, just like Esports.”

Reschke wasn’t surprised the team earned the win after they put in a lot of hard work this season, he said.

“It feels great to win the division with my team,” he said. “I have grown close to them over the years being in the program with them, so it felt awesome to take home the victory.”

The ������Ƶ Esports program started in January 2020 with teams for “Overwatch,” “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” and “League of Legends.” “Rainbow Six Siege” was added a month later, and “Rocket League” teams formed in August 2020. “Valorant” teams started in summer 2021. Nowaczyk hopes to add teams for “iRacing” and “Counter-Strike 2” in summer 2024. 

In June, the “Rainbow Six Siege” team earned the NECC National Championship. In July, two members of that team were named All-NACE at the NACE National Convention in Indianapolis.

“From the inception of the program, I thought it would be a fun extra thing for 25 to 30 students with just a few game titles,” Nowaczyk said. “Now, having over 100 students as part of the program and reaching beyond just the walls of Kettering to help K12 programs find their footing; work with those programs to host events for K12 players to get extra competition; help the community raise money for good causes; and collaborate with nonprofits to spread the word about Esports and what it offers kids from both a career perspective and educational one every day, I’m in disbelief of how far we’ve come in such a short time and the things our students have accomplished. I wouldn’t change any of it.”

The ������Ƶ varsity “Rainbow Six Siege” team can add a national championship to its list of accomplishments.

The team defeated Oklahoma Christian University 3-0 in the virtual National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) National Championship on June 14. The national championship is the University’s first since the Esports program started in January 2020.

“This has been the culmination of all the hard work our players and coaches have put in,” Esports Coach Dan Nowaczyk said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without their drive. I’m so proud of these guys and everything they have done to get to this point. I still don’t think it’s sunk in that this actually happened and we have a national title in Kettering Esports.”

“Rainbow Six Siege” is a multiplayer game in which teams defend their areas of a map from competing teams. The NECC National Championship was a culmination tournament based on a points system. Teams earned points based on their finishes in fall and spring tournaments. The top four teams with the most points earned a spot in the National Championship. Kettering defeated the University of Louisville 2-0 in the semifinals before moving on to the finals.

“During the regular season, both matches with these teams went to the full three maps, pulling out a narrow win over Louisville and losing to Oklahoma Christian,” Nowaczyk said. “To come into this against teams we struggled against in the regular season and not lose a single map is crazy. I’ve never seen our team playing at this level all season; it was like a completely different team than who was playing all season.”

Charlie Sweet ‘24 couldn’t believe what the team accomplished.

“To win after all of the challenges and obstacles throughout this season was a major relief,” he said. “It was something we had set our goals on since the start of the season, and at some points, it really seemed impossible, like it just wasn’t feasible. But after a lot of effort, work and practice, we walked into the finals and competed like we never had before. It was a refreshing sight to see all of our work suddenly come to fruition in the exact moment we needed it most.”

Sweet, who majors in Chemical Engineering, plays the flex-intel/support role for attack and as a flex anchor on defense for the team. This means he identifies and fills in various roles best for the team as needed.

Garrett Stockham ’22 previously played on the team but has moved into a coaching role since he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“It felt very good to finally have all the pieces come together and win this championship,” he said. “... Lucas [Sweet] and I knew as coaches that our players could win a championship but saw there was a bit of a disconnect in how everyone worked together during the games. After switching a few things around in the prep time before the playoffs, the players finally felt like they were having everything sync up and got the level of chemistry we all knew would win a championship. So we stuck to it, and the players did a fantastic job closing the season out on top.”

Stockham is an associate calibration engineer in braking systems at Bosch. He uses many skills he acquired on the Esports team in his career.

“‘Rainbow Six’ is based on teamwork and requires a lot of communication among the players during their games and between the players and coaches during practice time,” Stockham said. “Applying the skills used to work in high-emotion, high-stress or high-pressure situations, where there are also considerable frustrations at times, is applicable to any career.”

In addition to teamwork and communication skills, Sweet said he’s learned about perseverance.

“We have had a lot of failures on the way, but we have always had to get back up, brush the dust off and try again,” he said. “This team has competed for a little over two years now and has consistently been very close but never totally victorious until now. It’s taught me to always get back up and try again, because maybe next time, it’ll work out.”

The team finished second in the NECC fall tournament and the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) fall tournament and third in the NACE spring tournament.

The varsity roster for “Rainbow Six” includes seven students: Samuel Erman ‘26, J-D Gadd ‘26, Nolan Jones ‘24, Jason Sedluk ‘24, Charlie Sweet ‘24, Jack Tuttle ‘24 and Aaron West ‘24. 

More than 100 students are part of the University’s Esports program. In addition to “Rainbow Six,” the University has teams for “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” “Valorant” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”

������Ƶ offers Esports scholarships of up to $5,000 a year. To learn more, click here.

​The ������Ƶ AutoDrive team, Bulldog Bolt, wrapped up its second year of competition this month, finishing third in Mobility Innovation. ​

The team and its Chevy Bolt EV competed June 4-10 at MCity in Ann Arbor. The four-year competition, sponsored by SAE International and General Motors, tasks 10 teams with developing and demonstrating a completely autonomous-driving passenger vehicle. Each year, the competition builds on the next by adding more challenges.

The Mobility Innovation Award is based on two items the team submitted. The first is a report on the 0-0-0 Challenge, in which students needed to build on last year’s work by validating the power consumption of the vehicle’s sensors. 

“This is important because the power consumption of sensors impacts the vehicle range, which is a major concern to consumers,” said Dr. Diane Peters, the team’s faculty advisor. 

The Mobility Innovation Award also is based on a video the team produced that focused on finding issues with an autonomous vehicle future and how to sell solutions to lobbyists.

Although it’s the second year of the competition, it’s the first year teams worked with an actual car. During the challenge's first year, the team outfitted a large metal cart with sensors to collect data. 

“Transitioning from the cart to the car presented some challenges,” Peters said. “The perception algorithms developed on the cart could be carried over, but interfacing with the car was a significant challenge as it involved propulsion and steering, which weren’t a factor in the stationary cart. And, of course, safety was critical since we needed to ensure students were always working in a safe environment where the car wouldn’t do anything unexpected.”

Team Captain Kevin Patterson (’24, EE) agreed transitioning from the cart to the car was challenging but is pleased with the team’s results.

“Even though the Kettering AutoDrive team had a tough year, it was impressive how the team performed and how much it faced,” he said. “The biggest takeaway of the year is to keep pushing forward.”

Participating in AutoDrive helps students gain experience and network with others in various industries.

“There is plenty of work to be done, whether it’s designing different mounts for cameras and sensors, real-time project management skills for business majors, and electrical engineering to help design and develop the harness and various electrical components,” Patterson said. 

During the competition, he also met with representatives from sponsoring companies.

“I spoke with multiple companies that are very interested in not only Kettering students but AutoDrive Kettering students with the experience to do what their companies do,” Patterson said. 

The rules for the Year 3 challenge will be released in late summer or early fall. Until then, Peters said students are making a list of things it needs to improve on from this year so they’ll be prepared and ready to get to work.

​

The ������Ƶ AutoDrive team, Bulldog Bolt, wrapped up its second year of competition in June of 2023, finishing third in Mobility Innovation. 

The team and its Chevy Bolt EV competed June 4-10 at MCity in Ann Arbor. The four-year competition, sponsored by SAE International and General Motors, tasks 10 teams with developing and demonstrating a completely autonomous-driving passenger vehicle. Each year, the competition builds on the next by adding more challenges.

The Mobility Innovation Award is based on two items the team submitted. The first is a report on the 0-0-0 Challenge, in which students needed to build on last year’s work by validating the power consumption of the vehicle’s sensors. 

“This is important because the power consumption of sensors impacts the vehicle range, which is a major concern to consumers,” said Dr. Diane Peters, the team’s faculty advisor. 

The Mobility Innovation Award also is based on a video the team produced that focused on finding issues with an autonomous vehicle future and how to sell solutions to lobbyists.

Although it’s the second year of the competition, it’s the first year teams worked with an actual car. During the challenge's first year, the team outfitted a large metal cart with sensors to collect data. 

“Transitioning from the cart to the car presented some challenges,” Peters said. “The perception algorithms developed on the cart could be carried over, but interfacing with the car was a significant challenge as it involved propulsion and steering, which weren’t a factor in the stationary cart. And, of course, safety was critical since we needed to ensure students were always working in a safe environment where the car wouldn’t do anything unexpected.”

Team Captain Kevin Patterson (’24, EE) agreed transitioning from the cart to the car was challenging but is pleased with the team’s results.

“Even though the Kettering AutoDrive team had a tough year, it was impressive how the team performed and how much it faced,” he said. “The biggest takeaway of the year is to keep pushing forward.”

Participating in AutoDrive helps students gain experience and network with others in various industries.

“There is plenty of work to be done, whether it’s designing different mounts for cameras and sensors, real-time project management skills for business majors, and electrical engineering to help design and develop the harness and various electrical components,” Patterson said. 

During the competition, he also met with representatives from sponsoring companies.

“I spoke with multiple companies that are very interested in not only Kettering students but AutoDrive Kettering students with the experience to do what their companies do,” Patterson said. 

The rules for the Year 3 challenge will be released in late summer or early fall. Until then, Peters said students are making a list of things it needs to improve on from this year so they’ll be prepared and ready to get to work.

The students on Kettering’s Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) team felt stressed ahead of the annual competition, but their hard work earned them a third-place finish.

The team, which consisted of the undergraduate and graduate-level Introduction to Autonomous Driving (CE-451 and CE-651) classes, competed June 2-5, 2023 at the 30th Annual IGVC at Oakland University in Rochester. It finished third in the Self-Drive Challenge and fourth in the Self-Drive Design/Presentation. Six teams participated in these challenges.

“I felt happy with the results because ultimately, my class spent about seven weeks working on this car compared to other colleges who had a lot more time than us,” said Nicholas Switalski (’24, Computer Engineering), who worked on the perceptions group. 

Because the Kettering team consists of two classes, different students participate each year versus other schools, whose teams consist of the same students each year. 

Students design, develop, document, test and sell systems engineering projects for the competition. IGVC features two challenges: the AutoNav Challenge and the Self-Drive Challenge. This was the third year Kettering competed in the Self-Drive Challenge in which competitors adapted U.S. Army–provided software to develop an autonomous golf cart.

“Our vehicle was the only system at the competition that uses a cutting-edge autonomy layer,” said Co-Captain Henry Grasman (’24, Computer Engineering). “A lot of teams were able to gain points with simpler systems but would ultimately run into roadblocks attempting to add complexity. Our struggle was working with such a complex system from the start, especially with such a short timeline.”

Switalski said learning the software was the team’s biggest challenge, followed by figuring out what improvements to make.

Grasman and Switalski said teamwork and collaboration were critical for the class to finish the project.

“Early on, our sub-teams worked mostly independently with my group attempting to make the vehicle functional,” Grasman said. “I learned quickly that working on something so advanced would not be possible without the close collaboration of the entire team.”

He said this class made him more confident in his problem-solving skills.

Switalski agreed, adding, “The most important skill I learned was troubleshooting. Through figuring out what software worked from previous years to fixing the new implementations and figuring out how to make the process faster. Troubleshooting is an essential quality companies look for in any industry.”

​

The ������Ƶ EV Kartz team earned multiple awards this year at the annual evGrandPrix in West Lafayette, Indiana, giving the team its best-ever finish.

The competition, which took place April 14-15, featured 15 teams that designed and built electric go-karts for the race.

Kettering earned first place in the engineering design category and was named the most technologically advanced team. Overall, the University finished second and placed third in the 50-lap head-to-head kart race.

“It was incredibly validating to perform well at the competition,” said Henry Grasman (’24, CE). “All the hard work over the last six months was well worth it.”

The team’s lead electrical engineer Jonathan Larr agreed.

“It was a great feeling to see us place well in the race and to be recognized for our unique engineering design,” he said. 

Larr, an electrical engineering graduate student, and Kenton Kyger (‘23, ME/EE), the team’s mechanical lead, credited Grasman’s driving skills as part of the win. ​

“I am blown away that we were not only able to build a kart that was competitive, but also Henry, the driver, was able to hold his own against more experienced drivers,” Larr said. 

Kyger was also surprised by Grasman’s driving skills.

“Even though he didn’t have the opportunity to get much seat time in our go-kart before the competition, he put up a very good fight and finished on the podium,” Kyger said.

In addition to driving the kart during the race, Grasman also was a firmware engineer and handled the embedded controls for the main controller and battery management system.

“We decided to design and build custom components for everything we could, and as a result, our kart was very experimental,” Grasman said. “We had many concerns about whether or not we would be competitive with the larger motors other teams used in particular. Once we assembled the kart and began testing on the MRC (Mobility Research Center), all of those concerns went away.”

However, the team did hit a couple of bumps in the road. Overall, time was a factor.

“As of late October 2022, nothing had been completed on the go-kart,” Kyger said. “Everything was designed, manufactured, assembled and tested within a five-month period of evenings and weekends by students with full class schedules or co-op jobs off campus.” 

During the build, the team struggled to get the battery management system to communicate with the 13 boards responsible for monitoring the battery temperature and voltages. 

“We spent multiple weeks and a handful of all-nighters trying to find a solution,” Grasman said. “Once we did, everything else worked smoothly.”

At the qualifying race, the brake system locked up.

“The whole team worked together and fixed it just before the final race,” said Dr. Chen Duan, team advisor.

He said he was proud of the team’s accomplishments. Regarding the results, Duan said he was surprised but not too surprised.

“I know this is not an easy project; anything could happen until the last minute,” he said. “For example, there was one kart from another team that caught on fire on Friday, and a few other go-karts had issues during the race, so they had to pull themselves out of the game. So I am really impressed that we did it! On the other hand, I’m not surprised as I know our team put a lot of effort and time into this to make sure everything was secured.”

Automotive supplier Valeo donated a 48-volt iBSG4 motor with an innovative integrated inverter to the team.

“We are grateful to Valeo for the motor and the company’s involvement with the team,” said Dr. Scott Grasman, Dean of the College of Engineering at Kettering. “The students appreciate the experience of working with this type of equipment and engineering support from Valeo throughout the process.”

Jonathan Rost, Valeo Powertrain Research and Development Director, also attended the race to support the team.

“Congratulations to ������Ƶ’s EV Kartz Team! We are really impressed with the engineering design work that went into creating the powertrain system and the collaborative approach the students took to achieve their goals,” Rost said. “Valeo values ongoing education, mentorship and generational diversity in the workplace. The opportunity to assist the upcoming generation of engineers falls in line with who we are as an organization.”

About 15 students are part of the team, but it has room for more because Grasman said next year’s plan is to develop a second vehicle and compete with two teams.

“This is a great opportunity for students to design and develop their own vehicle,” Duan said. “When they dive deep into this, they will find there are a lot of details and challenges they need to address.”

​

On Friday Feb. 24, 2023, the ������Ƶ AutoDrive team, Bulldog Bolt, unveiled its new competition car, the Chevy Bolt EV.

The team is in its second year of the AutoDrive II Challenge. The four-year competition, sponsored by SAE International and General Motors, tasks 10 teams with developing and demonstrating a completely autonomous-driving passenger vehicle. Each year, the competition builds on the next by adding more challenges.

During the challenge's first year, the team outfitted a large metal cart with sensors to collect data. The team placed second in the Dynamic Obstacle Challenge, and faculty advisor Dr. Diane Peters received the inaugural Advisor of the Year award.

This year, students will start working on the car.

“The cart prepared us specifically for the perception part of the car,” Peters said. “We were able to set up sensors and test them out. Now, we can put those sensors on the car and focus on the new part: integration with the car.”

Project Manager Hemanth Tadepalli (’23, CS) said the team is ready to move on to the car.

“With the transition from the cart to this year’s car, the team overall feels excited and challenged to implement more strategies and controls into the tasks,” he said. “More importantly, with the car being the most realistic mode of transportation, it’s exciting to see how we can use our expertise to navigate various boundaries and obstacles to make the car autonomous.”

After the sensors are mounted, students will start testing.

“The team has made a lot of progress,” Peters said. “We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but they’re learning a lot and putting it into practice.”

Each competition takes place in June. Until then, teams continue to tweak their cars and participate in workshops. The Year Two challenge will be June 5-11 at MCity in Ann Arbor.

Although the team is in its second year, students can still participate.

“Any interested students are encouraged to learn more about the competition and join the team,” Peters said. “It’s a tremendous learning experience, and our AutoDrive alums end up having great jobs with bright futures.”

Tadepalli echoed Peters’ call for new members, noting having the talent to complete the task is one of the team’s biggest challenges. He said the skills students gain from the experience are just the beginning of the benefits.

“AutoDrive gives the students the opportunity to network with many industries that relate to the automobile field,” Tadepalli said. “If it’s from the coaches, mentors and other students from other schools, all of this brings the expansion of networking and working together with like-minded people on the future of automobiles.”

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Collegiate Cup won’t have far to travel this year, because another Kettering team has won it.

The Kettering Formula SAE team won the 2022 SAE Collegiate Cup on Feb. 24 during the SAE Mid Michigan’s National Engineers Week Annual Banquet in Frankenmuth.

Kettering Baja, Kettering Formula SAE, Kettering AutoDrive, Kettering SAE Aero Design, Central Michigan Formula SAE and Saginaw Valley State University Cardinal Formula teams competed.

The cup is a traveling trophy awarded annually to the winner of the SAE Collegiate Chapter Project Presentation Competition. Last year, the Kettering AutoDrive team won.

Kettering Formula SAE captains Aubrey Gorm (’22, ME) and Christos Batsakis (’22, ME) gave the presentation, which focused on the team’s 2021 competition season performance and the 2022 vehicle design based on lessons learned and new performance goals. The team had its best finish in program history when it finished seventh of 51 at the 2021 Formula SAE Validation Event in July at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn.

“Winning this recognition from the chapter felt great, of course,” Gorm said. “It was sort of a closing act for announcing our school-record-breaking performance last year and the kickoff for our game plan of the 2022 competition season.”

She said the audience’s enthusiastic reaction to the team’s presentation was an empowering moment.

In addition to the Collegiate Cup trophy, the winning team also received $500 to use on the development of its race car.