Formula SAE Team at PVCC
Lindsey Woodyard, staff writer
PVCC is only the second community college to attempt the FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) Design Series competition, according to Linnea Saby, the project manager of PVCC’s formula SAE team. The competition consists of designing and building a formula SAE racecar to perform against the nation’s major four-year universities, including Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia.
The Formula Team at PVCC began last year as an offshoot of the Engineering Club. They spent their first year learning as a team, establishing the program, and gathering the resources necessary to get the project off the ground. This year, they expect to continue design plans and construction. There are also whispers of competing in 2017, but that is yet to be decided.
Their advisors are Hunter Moore, head of the Engineering Department, and Tom Clarkson, professor of ceramics, who enjoys mechanic work in his spare time, especially motorcycles. There are three officer positions held by Linnea Saby, Josh Smith, and John Dukes who preside over four design and construction teams. There are the powertrain team, brake and suspension team, construction and frame team, and electrical team. The chief engineer of the project is Jason Richter.
In a meeting with other current members, Saby pointed out that the Formula Team embodies PVCC’s motto: Opportunity, Access, Excellence. “There is opportunity in FSAE to bridge the gap between theoretical engineering education and hands-on application. The team also provides access to the professional engineering field through recognition and first-choice recruitment to universities and countries throughout the country. As for excellence, there is pride in competing with top-notch schools in the FSAE Design Series competition,” said Saby.
The team welcomes students in every program to join, as there are my types of positions available. Interested students should contact Hunter Moore at hmoore@pvcc.edu.
