2020 Virtual Mentor Mixers: January 30 - 31 and May 7-8, 2020
Save the dates to engage in a virtual mentor mixer with your peers!
Enroll as a mentor or mentee to become a part of the Mentor Community in Member Connection. Then, not only can you find a mentor in our directory, but you can also take part in the virtual mentor mixers in the community. The mixer will provide expert mentor hosts (see hosts below) available to respond to questions throughout the business hours of the day. This is a unique opportunity to tap into the industry knowledge and advice of SAE mobility engineers.
JANUARY 30-31 MIXER
Theme: Time Management. Watch this Career Counselor episode for background information and to generate ideas for questions. While the theme is Time Management, other questions can be asked as well!
Hosts:
Mehar Bade
Doctoral Student at WVU
Mehar Bade is soon-to-graduate as a Doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. His research at West Virginia University mainly focuses on the development and optimization of Free Piston Engine Generators as CHP systems at the residential level and also as range extenders for hybrid electric vehicles. As a Ph.D. student, he is responsible for free piston engine numerical modeling, prototype testing, calibration, control systems development and performance gap identifications of an experimental prototype. At WVU, he led the FPEG team in laboratory bench studies and optimized the system performance through component selection, design of experiments and control strategies. He was also part of the first class of winners for the Student and Young Professional Tech Paper Competition in 2019. Prior to joining West Virginia University, Mehar worked as a Plant Engineer at Sterlite Technologies, India and received his B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering at JNTU, India.
Maura Chmielowiec
Design Release Engineer; High Voltage Hardware and EVSE; General Motors
In my current role as a Design Release Engineer, I get to be the Chief Engineer of the components I am in charge of. Managing everything from the technical aspects of the part to the project management and timing of the parts. In my previous roles with I have gotten to be a test and development engineer working on Tire and Wheels as well as an integration engineer in charge of the systems integration of all of the under hood components on a vehicle. Additionally, I have held various roles in a few different manufacturing plants where I was able to understand the importance of quality and design for manufacturing. Prior to entering the workforce full time, I started and acted as the Chief Engineer for an all-female Formula SAE Electric Team called “Hot Wheelz” which really helped me to launch my career as an engineer.
Lonnie Dong
Raptor Airborne Software Manager, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
I am currently the F22 Mission Systems and Airborne Software Manager. I started with Lockheed Martin in 2002 as a Stress Analyst. While waiting for my Secret Clearance, and being bored out of my mind reading technical manuals, I told myself I wanted to learn a new skill. Never coded before, except for the required coding class in college, I went to the Lockheed Martin Library and picked up a book called Perl. No idea what it was and started to read (monkey-see, monkey-doo learning style). A couple days later, my manager came by and told me he found work that will last 9 months while I wait for my Secret Clearance. I started working on the project and noticed that after a few days, a pattern emerged. Using my new found knowledge of Perl, I was able to complete the 9 month project in 3 days. Impressed my manager and the leadership team that when I got my clearance, I was put in a role where I took lead of a project. Point of this story is I like to help mentor and coach people to see and think beyond what's in front of them. I want to help them prepare for the situation where people say "you were in the right place and the right time". This takes preparation and I want to help make that happen.
Derek Donovan
Design Engineer, Electrical Design; General Motors
Design Engineer and Talent Scout for General Motors specializing in designing electrical bracketry; which includes injection molded parts, stamped steel parts, and additive manufactured parts. Derek has a strong background in the automotive industry with experiences in automotive engineering and repair. He attended Central Michigan University and obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology while acting as lead engineer for CMU’s SAE Baja team. In addition, he is an avid motorsport enthusiast and dedicated SAE member.
MAY 7-8 MIXER
Theme: Women in Engineering. While this is the theme in May, other questions can be asked as well!
Hosts: TBD
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Previous Mixers:
While these mixers are over, you can still go into the discussion threads to see what everyone had to say!
November 13 and 14, 2019 Mixer Information
Theme: Generations in the workplace. Watch this Career Counselor episode for background information and to generate ideas for questions. While the theme is generations in the workplace, other questions can be asked as well!
Read the discussion here.
Hosts:
Siddarth Attravanam
Manager of Tire & Vehicle Dynamics
Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
Siddarth 'Sid' Attravanam is a research engineer with Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in the field of vehicle dynamics. Outside of Cooper, Sid is a technical scrutineer with the FIA at the World Endurance Championship race at the Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX. Sid is also active with the Formula SAE community, having worked with Cooper to re-enter the Formula SAE competition as a sponsor, and through the Tire Test Consortium. In addition, Sid is also a design judge specializing in Suspension/Tires at both Formula SAE Michigan and Lincoln competitions, as well as a lecturer in the SAE Industrial Lecture Series, a benefit to SAE Student Members.
Dean Case
Consultant; Motivo Engineering / Grassroots Motorsports Magazine
Within SAE, Case was a student leader, including being an SAE-sponsored WISE intern. He served as a board member with both the SoCal and Detroit Sections. He has been a Distinguished Younger Member, awarded a FISITA Young Engineer Fellowship, sponsored over 50 new SAE members, served on multiple SAE International committees, published two SAE papers, and spoken at dozens of universities over 30 years. Professionally, he has worked with Mazda, Ford, Nissan, and now consults for Motivo Engineering and Grassroots Motorsports Magazine. Case has been an active volunteer with SAE, the Motor Press Guild, Friends of Torrance Animals, PAWS/LA, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame over the years.
Maura Chmielowiec
Design Release Engineer; High Voltage Hardware and EVSE; General Motors
In my current role as a Design Release Engineer, I get to be the Chief Engineer of the components I am in charge of. Managing everything from the technical aspects of the part to the project management and timing of the parts. In my previous roles with I have gotten to be a test and development engineer working on Tire and Wheels as well as an integration engineer in charge of the systems integration of all of the under hood components on a vehicle. Additionally, I have held various roles in a few different manufacturing plants where I was able to understand the importance of quality and design for manufacturing. Prior to entering the workforce full time, I started and acted as the Chief Engineer for an all-female Formula SAE Electric Team called “Hot Wheelz” which really helped me to launch my career as an engineer.
Lonnie Dong
Raptor Airborne Software Manager, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
I am currently the F22 Mission Systems and Airborne Software Manager. I started with Lockheed Martin in 2002 as a Stress Analyst. While waiting for my Secret Clearance, and being bored out of my mind reading technical manuals, I told myself I wanted to learn a new skill. Never coded before, except for the required coding class in college, I went to the Lockheed Martin Library and picked up a book called Perl. No idea what it was and started to read (monkey-see, monkey-doo learning style). A couple days later, my manager came by and told me he found work that will last 9 months while I wait for my Secret Clearance. I started working on the project and noticed that after a few days, a pattern emerged. Using my new found knowledge of Perl, I was able to complete the 9 month project in 3 days. Impressed my manager and the leadership team that when I got my clearance, I was put in a role where I took lead of a project. Point of this story is I like to help mentor and coach people to see and think beyond what's in front of them. I want to help them prepare for the situation where people say "you were in the right place and the right time". This takes preparation and I want to help make that happen.
July 16 Mixer Information
Theme: Goal Setting. Watch this Career Counselor episode for background information and to generate ideas for questions. While the theme is goal-setting, other questions can be asked as well!
Discussion: Read the discussion thread here
Hosts:
Siddarth Attravanam; Manager of Tire & Vehicle Dynamics; Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Siddarth 'Sid' Attravanam is a research engineer with Cooper Tire & Rubber Company in the field of vehicle dynamics. Outside of Cooper, Sid is a technical scrutineer with the FIA at the World Endurance Championship race at the Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX. Sid is also active with the Formula SAE community, having worked with Cooper to re-enter the Formula SAE competition as a sponsor, and through the Tire Test Consortium. In addition, Sid is also a design judge specializing in Suspension/Tires at both Formula SAE Michigan and Lincoln competitions, as well as a lecturer in the SAE Industrial Lecture Series, a benefit to SAE Student Members.
James Shaw; Fastway Engineering. Jim Shaw is currently the Managing Director of Fastway Engineering, an engineering firm dedicated to helping companies get the most out of their CAD/CAE software. Using hands-on, project-based curriculum, Fastway Engineering helps Designers, Engineers, Makers, and Manufacturers climb up the learning curve as fast as possible. Prior to that, he's designed, analyzed, tested, built, and broken a wide range of products. He is also a lecturer in the SAE Industrial Lecture Series, a benefit to SAE Student Members.
Ian Eickholdt; Manufacturing FCG-PTME; Ford Motor Company. Ian Eickholdt was SAE’s 2017 Rumbaugh Outstanding Student Leader (an award bestowed only upon SAE Student Members, find out more here). He was also president of Central Michigan University’s Baja racing team, and has been an SAE member since his sophomore year. Ian currently works for Ford Motor Company. He is also the chairman of the SAE Student Advisory Panel that is tasked with engaging engineering students to understand the benefits of SAE and membership.
Maura Chmielowiec; Design Release Engineer; High Voltage Hardware and EVSE; General Motors. In her current role as a Design Release Engineer, Maura is the Chief Engineer of the components she oversees. She manages everything from the technical aspects of the part to the project management and timing of the parts. In her previous roles she has been a test and development engineer working on Tire and Wheels, as well as an integration engineer in charge of the systems integration of all of the under hood components on a vehicle. Additionally, she's held various roles in a few different manufacturing plants where she was able to understand the importance of quality and design for manufacturing. Prior to entering the workforce full time, she started and acted as the Chief Engineer for an all-female Formula SAE Electric Team called “Hot Wheelz” which really helped her to launch her career as an engineer.