Recently three representatives from Dorman Products, Inc. of Hatfield, – Christine Mobley, Director of Talent Development, Celina McCabe, Manager of Campus Recruitment Programs & Onboarding and Kerrie Foye, Learning & Development Coordinator – visited MCCC to meet with the INNOVA team and learn more about the project.
In Montgomery County Community College’s Science Center building, a team of engineering students has been diligently working on project INNOVA – a hydrogen fuel cell-powered urban concept vehicle.
The project provides students with a hands-on opportunity to apply what they have learned in their engineering courses at MCCC and helps them to expand their problem-solving and creative-thinking skills while fostering teamwork and leadership.
The INNOVA team led by Professor William Brownlowe recently received a much-appreciated donation of $5,000 from Dorman Products, Inc., of Hatfield, which will help with the costs of the project.
In February, three representatives from Dorman Products – Christine Mobley, Director of Talent Development, Celina McCabe, Manager of Campus Recruitment Programs & Onboarding and Kerrie Foye, Learning & Development Coordinator – visited MCCC to meet with the INNOVA team and learn more about the project.
The INNOVA team includes Maxwell Anderson, team manager; Claudia Savella, driver; Nick Digioacchino, mechanic lead; Blake Bray, design lead; Karly Malone, fabrication lead; Arthur Busch, generalist; Connor Woodward, generalist; and Brownlowe, advisor.
“The students have spent countless hours designing and building INNOVA,” Brownlowe said. “This donation greatly helps them to realize their goal and also gives them a feeling of confidence because Dorman is investing in their work.”
The INNOVA team planned to compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Challenge in April, but the event recently was canceled due to concerns of a potential spread of the COVID-19 virus. According to the website, Shell Eco-Marathon is considering ways to honor students’ work possibly through virtual participation or engagement.
Held annually, the Shell Eco-Marathon event challenges teams to design and build an energy-efficient vehicle that will travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. More than 1,000 students from North, Central and South America compete in the event.
MCCC previously competed in the Eco-Marathon competition in April 2017 where they earned the Perseverance and Spirit of the Event award, receiving a sizable trophy and a check for $3,000, which helped to cover their costs for the project.