Team
KU Solar Car is a student-led non-profit organization at the University of Kansas. Our goals are to develop solar-powered vehicles that raise awareness of clean energy, participate in international solar car competitions, and demonstrate technological efficiency paired with interdisciplinary cooperation.
The team is currently working to develop KU’s first, to-scale, solar-powered electric vehicle. Our team is made up of students representing a diverse set of academic majors organized to facilitate individual growth in hands-on engineering, business development, and project management. The team appreciates your support to not only develop well-rounded students but also serve as educators on the value of clean technology at KU.
Leadership
Michael Srimongkolkul
Program Director
Hayden Barnes
Business and Operations Director
Drake Prebyl
Software Lead
Gabe Owings
Solar Lead
Eric Higgins
Board Advisor
Nick Kellerman
Power Lead
J.D. McPherson
Mechanical Lead
Subteams
Business
The Business subteam manages fundraising, sponsor relations, recruitment, marketing, and community outreach. Business maintains the non-engineering aspects of our organization, which allows for the rest of the team to successfully build the vehicle.
Electrical
The Electrical subteam is in charge of constructing the power and control systems for the car. This includes the battery pack, data acquisition, and telemetry. The battery pack is designed to efficiently distribute power to the car, whereas the data acquisition and telemetry are designed to collect data and provide useful information for the driver.
Solar
The Solar subteam manufactures and develops the solar arrays that will be used to charge the vehicle. The solar subteam provides opportunities to learn about the design and manufacturing of energy generation systems using solar power
Mechanical
The Mechanical subteam designs and builds the mechanical subsystems of the car. This includes the chassis, suspension, propulsion, aerodynamic shell, and controls. These subsystems are designed to ensure the safety of the driver and to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle.
Faculty
Professor DeAgostino
Thomas DeAgostino is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at KU. He received his BSME from Michigan Technological University and his Master’s degree in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Professor DeAgostino has over 25 years of experience from Ford and General Motors. We are grateful to have him as our advisor!