Grace Alexander
I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. After I graduate I will be working at Chevron as a design engineer, though I hope to return to school at some point in the future to continue my education by studying fluid mechanics, or more specifically biofluid mechanics. My interest in fluid mechanics is also what drove me to choose the shock dyno because it offers an opportunity to connect the theories learned in class to a physical system.
Personally, I enjoy most activities outdoors or sports related. As a freshmen, I actually had a contract as a professional cyclist, though I soon learned that balancing academics and a professional level training regimen is quite difficult. I still enjoy a quality Sunday bike ride from time to time, and I also love running, hiking, skiing, and playing IM soccer.
I am looking forward to spending my final semester at Cal learning about the shock dyno and completing our experiment!
Turner Anderson
I’m a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Energy Engineering, and upon my graduation in May I hope to pursue a career in either the aerospace or the alternative energy industry.
I chose the Shock Dyno lab because it allows me to combine my prior knowledge of fluid mechanics (from ME 106) and suspension system modeling (from my E 177 final project) with my interest in vehicle dynamics and predictive modeling.
When I’m not in class or at LBNL conducting research on fuel-switching biogas burners, my hobbies include rock climbing, skiing, and running. I can’t wait to see what The Hot Shocks can do with a semester in front of the Shock Dyno!
Les Girard
I am a senior mechanical engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduating, I will be working in San Diego as a Production Associate for General Dynamics - NASSCO, building container and tanker ships for the US domestic shipping fleet. In the future, I plan on returning to my studies in order to pursue a more advanced degree in control systems and aerospace.
I chose the shock dyno lab because I have previous experience working with car suspension in ME 131 and E 177, where my team and I designed a suspension simulation program that allowed users to simulate car suspensions using various models and control algorithms. Fluid mechanics is also an area of study that I need to improve in, and working in this lab allows me to both improve my knowledge in this field and study the shock absorber at the local level, rather than at the system level.
Outside of class, you can find me at the climbing gym with young Turner, playing beach volleyball, throwing some mad disc golf, and mixing a wide variety of classic and modern cocktails in my home bar.
Christy Jarman
I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering at Cal. I will be continuing my education at UC Berkeley in the 5th year Master’s program with a focus in design. Upon my graduation in 2017, I hope to work in product design or manufacturing in San Diego or the Bay Area. I was interested in the Shock Dyno lab because I want to further develop my knowledge of fluids. I am excited to be a member of The Hot Shocks and cannot wait for to further explore the Shock Dyno.
In my spare time, I play ultimate frisbee for the Women’s Club Team, mentor Berkeley youth through BEAM (Berkeley Engineers and Mentors) and volunteer as a counselor for Camp Kesem. I also enjoy playing sand volleyball, Spikeball or any other sport on the weekends. I love spending time outdoors, hiking, scuba diving, and traveling around the world.
Eric Mica
I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. After graduation I will work full time at Ursa Mechanical, a wearable technology company that I founded with some of my colleagues here at Cal. The Shock Dyno lab presents an interesting challenge in both understanding the physics of what is actually going on, as well as interpreting the wealth of data in a meaningful way.
When I’m not working in any sort of engineering capacity, I like to relax by either playing guitar or riding my motorcycle. I frequent open mics in the bay area and love to talk about music. Sharing music is one of my favorite ways of connecting with people.
Justin Wang
I am a senior at Cal studying Mechanical Engineering and will graduate this May. After graduating, I plan on working in Product Design or Manufacturing in the Bay Area. Currently I have interests in going to graduate school for an MBA after a couple years in industry.
When not in class, I can be found at the Berkeley Formula Racing garage. BFR is UC Berkeley’s Formula SAE team which designs and builds a small racecar every year and competes with other FSAE teams around the world. At BFR, I am a Senior Engine Team member and a Competition Driver for 2016.
My love of motorsports drew me to the ME 107 Shock Dyno lab with the hope to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of shocks and suspension this semester. The Hot Shocks is full of talented members and I am excited to be a part of the team.
Next week we plan to post our initial findings from our first weeks of experimenting.
-The Hot Shocks