Team of 14 from WMU in Texas preparing for solar race

Sunseeker solar race car

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Fourteen Western Michigan University students arrived in Austin, Texas, this week to get ready to compete against collegiate teams from around the world as the University's Susnseeker solar race car takes part in the 2014 American Solar Challenge.

The team will take part in two qualifying events for the 2014 international collegiate race that begins July 21 in Austin and ends 1,751 miles later on July 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The WMU team is in its 25th year of solar racing. This year, the team is is led this year by Project Manager Bryan Harris, a senior mechanical engineering student from Wixom.

During the race events in Texas and heading north toward Minnesota, the team will be posting updates on its website at wmich.edu/sunseeker. Visit the site also for information about companies sponsoring the team, additional details about the project, and a number of photos and videos.

The WMU team is accompanied by advisors Dr. Bradley Bazuin, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, alumnus Byron Izenbaard and Lincoln Knight.

2014 Sunseeker team

• Gregory J. Bosma of Kalamazoo, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.
• Alec G. Carpenter of Royal Oak, a junior majoring in computer science. He is the Sunseeker project webmaster.
• Robert W. Galman of Orland Park, Illinois, a senior majoring in electrical engineering. He is electrical lead for the team.
• Joseph M. Hagye of Muskegon, a senior majoring in engineering design technology.
• Bryan T. Harris, of Wixom, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. He is the Sunseeker project manager.
• Karen M. Haubert of Farmington Hills, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. She is one of the Sunseeker drivers and the logistics team lead.
• Dylan Kimball of Rochester Hills, is a sophomore majoring in aerospace engineering.
• Cameron Knight of Normal, Illinois, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering.
• Vincent M. Kucway of Macomb, a senior majoring in engineering management. He is one of the Sunseeker drivers and the assistant project manager.
• Daniel William Magalhaes Prado of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a junior majoring in electrical engineering.
• Denis Maina of Nairobi, Kenya, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering. He is the team's aerodynamic team lead.
• Kyle M. Simpson of Novi, a senior majoring in physics and electrical engineering.
• Joel B. Thompson of Portage, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. He is a Sunseeker driver and the mechanical team lead.
• Benson S.O. Vande Streek of Kalamazoo, a senior majoring in manufacturing engineering technology.

Related article

Solar race team will take 25 years of experience on the road | July 9, 2014