AV天堂网

When the four-person Chem-E-Car team from the AV天堂网 arrived at the Northeast Regional competition, they knew they faced tough competition.

鈥淚t was extremely daunting at first鈥攂eing the only primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) among well-funded, prestigious universities with more people and more experience,鈥� Dyllan Bryans 鈥�27, a chemical engineering major on the team, recalled.

This year marked the University鈥檚 return to the Chem-E-Car competition after a multi-year hiatus. The challenge was to build a small chemically powered car that can travel a specific distance with extreme precision. It鈥檚 a demanding test of both chemical engineering know-how and collaboration.

The team placed fifth鈥攂eating out several big names in engineering, such as Yale and Northeastern, in the competition that took place last month at the University of Rhode Island.

鈥淲hile we know there鈥檚 room to improve, placing fifth and having our car successfully run both times made us incredibly proud,鈥� chemical engineering major Tristyn Barnes 鈥�26 said. 鈥淚t was a huge accomplishment for our team鈥檚 first return in a while. We proved that a small team could stand shoulder to shoulder with major research universities.鈥�

The car itself was an innovative blend of science and creativity. 鈥淥ur use of gelatin truly made our car stand out,鈥� Nya Long 鈥�27, a mechanical engineering major, explained. 鈥淚nterestingly, other schools tried to use gelatin and weren鈥檛 successful鈥攂ut we made it work.鈥�

The students leaned into experimentation and their resourcefulness. Each member took on a critical role, contributing unique skills and ideas that made the car not only functional but distinctive.

鈥淭he biggest challenges we faced were our hectic schedules, limited time, lack of previous experience, and the general chaos during the competition,鈥� Long admitted.

Everything had to be built from the ground up.

With just four team members, communication had to be sharp, and teamwork was non-negotiable. 鈥淲hat really made our car special was the way each of us contributed in a unique and essential way,鈥� Bisher Lpizra 鈥�25, fellow chemical engineering major said. 鈥淓veryone played a critical role.鈥�

Beyond the technical success, each team member walked away with something personal. For Barnes, it was a reminder of what truly matters: 鈥淭eamwork is the key to success.鈥� Long found direction for the future. 鈥淭his experience helped me realize where I want to go,鈥� she said.

Bryans took away an important lesson in emotional control. 鈥淚 learned the importance of staying calm under pressure鈥攅specially when communication gets tough in stressful situations,鈥� he said. And for Lpizra, it came down to diligence: 鈥淎lways double, triple, and quadruple check everything.鈥�

Their experience has already started to pay off. They鈥檙e thinking about improvements for next year鈥檚 competition and encouraging others to join the team. The more hands on deck, the better the car, and the stronger the connections between students applying what they鈥檝e learned in the classroom to real-world problems.

鈥淐ome on in鈥攚e need more people,鈥� Lpizra said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fun and a great experience. Plus, it looks fantastic on your resume. You鈥檒l feel proud using what you鈥檝e learned in class to solve real engineering challenges.鈥�