Mechanical Engineering Students to Compete in International Race

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Publication Date: 01/31/2020

A group of UT Tyler mechanical engineering students is on track to participate in an international competition never before done in University history.

SAE Baja is an intercollegiate design competition hosted by The Society of Automotive Engineers that tasks engineering students to design, build and put to the test a single-seat, all-terrain sporting vehicle.

"This is the first time UT Tyler has ever been represented on this international stage and our students get to meet and compete with other students from around the world," says Dr. Tahsin Khajah, mechanical engineering assistant professor and faculty advisor to the team.

UT Tyler's team is scheduled to attend the Baja SAE competition in April 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. The competition consists of multiple dynamic events including hill climbs, sled pulls, maneuverability events, rock crawls, suspension and traction events as well as a four-hour endurance race.

In addition to students working as a team to design, engineer, build, test, promote and compete with a vehicle within the limits of the rules, they must also generate financial support for their project and manage their educational priorities.

"So far, we have raised half of our goal amount and we really cannot do this without the help and support of others," says Yoseph Mohmand, mechanical engineering student and president of the SAE International Collegiate Chapter at UT Tyler. "Any donation that you make helps us to purchase the tools, parts and materials necessary, as well as the funding to travel to and from the competition."

The team has almost completed the design of the vehicle and is determined on making UT Tyler's first appearance a memorable one by winning.

With the design portion complete, the team has entered the fabrication and assembly phase with plans to complete the construction by mid-February.

If you're interested in learning more about and/or helping UT Tyler's Baja SAE team, check out their page https://elevate.uttyler.edu/project/17953. 

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