Event Dedicates New Auto Bays
The space was made possible by donations from 3M, Ford Motor Company, and Altec, Inc.
Ford's Joseph Hinrichs sits in the students' Formula racing car.
The Baja team's Mikey Diamond shows a video about the car to guests.
Ford's Joseph Hinrichs, 3M's Chris Haas, and Altec's Christopher Winchester stand with Dean Ottino and students.
Members of NUSolar sit in a yellow Mustang that Ford representatives brought to the event.
The Formula team's Tiernan Murrell talks with Altec's Christopher Winchester.
Excited about the new space, members of the Baja team jump for joy.
Dean Ottino and Jay Walsh stand outside of the auto bays with representatives from Ford and the student teams.
NUSolar's Spencer Williams talks with John Kwant from Ford.
3M's Chris Haas talks with a member of the NUSolar team.Northwestern’s new auto bays are officially geared up and ready to go. Filled with students, donors, and members of the Northwestern community, the space was dedicated on Friday, November 6.
Made possible by 3M, Ford Motor Company, Altec, Inc., Gwynne Shotwell (’86 BS, ’88 MS), Robert Shotwell, and William Woodburn (’75 MS), the new auto bays more than triple the space available for the Solar Car, Formula SAE, and Mini Baja teams. Located in Northwestern’s north campus garage, the auto bays provide the competition teams with a place to design, build, and test their cars.
“Our automotive teams are a special source of pride for our school,” Northwestern Engineering dean Julio M. Ottino said at the dedication event. “In many ways, they embody the design and engineering processes that we teach. Each team provides a wide range of opportunities for our students — from leadership to design to fundraising.”
Ottino also recognized the generous support of individual and corporate sponsors, thanking their representatives who attended the event: Joseph Hinrichs, executive vice president and president of The Americas for Ford Motor Company; John Kwant, director of global strategy for Ford smart mobility and Northwestern alumnus; Chris Haas, senior product development specialist in the traffic safety and security division of 3M and Northwestern alumnus, and Christopher Winchester, talent manager of Altec, Inc.
In the past, all three student teams shared one auto bay in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center. “Thanks to the support of our corporate partners and alumni, we are able to expand the available space in The Garage while also improving and refreshing the space in Ford,” Ottino said. “I am excited to see what our students do with these additional resources.”