ME Students and Faculty Meet President Obama

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Several Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering students and faculty couldn't help but feel a bit "revved-up" when President Barack Obama took time during his visit to Ohio State on March 22 to drop by Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research. In an assembly later that day at Ohio State's RPAC, the President declared, "This school is a national leader in developing new sources of energy and advanced vehicles that use a lot less energy. I just had a chance to take a tour of the Center for Automotive Research. I admit, the best part of it was seeing the Buckeye Bullet, which has gone over 300 miles an hour and is now shooting for 400 miles an hour. The Buckeye Bullet is the fastest electric car in the world. It is a testament to the ingenuity here at Ohio State and what is essential to American leadership when it comes to energy – our brain power. We've got to look at renewable energy as the key to our future and we've got to build cars and trucks that get more miles to the gallon . . . and we'll do it by harnessing the same type of American ingenuity and imagination that's on display right here at Ohio State."

For undergraduate and graduate students alike, not to mention faculty advisors including Giorgio Rizzoni, Marcello Canova, and Shawn Midlam-Mohler, getting the chance to shake the President's hand and explain their work on a variety of motorsports projects was the thrill of a lifetime. Evan Maley, an undergraduate in mechanical engineering and one of the Buckeye Bullet team leaders commented, "It was an honor to explain our project to the President and show how we are trying to advance alternative energy transportation." The Buckeye Bullet holds the land-speed record for a battery-powered electric vehicle, more than 307 miles per hour; Maley said breaking the 400 miles-per-hour barrier is next. In addition to the Buckeye Bullet team, Obama met students and faculty working on EcoCAR2, an international student competition focused on fuel efficiency. (In June 2011, Ohio State placed second in the first EcoCAR competition.) He also met Formula SAE and Buckeye Electric Motorcycle team members. 

"I'm excited that President Obama is turning to some of the youngest and most innovative minds here at OSU's Center for Automotive Research to learn about advancements in renewable and efficient energy," said Julia Hare, a Buckeye Electric Motorcycle team member and undergraduate in electrical and computer engineering.