EcoCAR: the NeXt Challenge: Volunteer opportunity for ENGR students

EcoCAR is a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition that challenges 17 universities across North America to explore solutions to achieve improved fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while retaining the performance and consumer appeal of a 2009 Saturn Vue vehicle.  UVic was fortunate to be selected as one of three selected universities in Canada to take part in this special competition.  The competition’s headline sponsors are General Motors and the US Department of Energy.

Due to the significant size of this project and the help that is required, we are actively seeking volunteers from the engineering department to volunteer for the coordination and completion of simple tasks related to the business branch within the EcoCAR challenge, particularly in the following areas:

1) Education: Including school presentations and events promoting the EcoCAR challenge and its benefits to K-12 students.

2) Outreach: Promoting the competition and its positive effects to the general public through press releases, media interviews, and presentations in the community.

3) Corporate Relations: Aiding with securing corporate funding from corporations and businesses who share EcoCAR’s goals.

For each of the aforementioned business subsections, we are looking to establish a team of 4 to 5 members, including one team leader who oversees and coordinates the team’s activities.  Currently, we have recruited team lead volunteers for both the Outreach and Corporate Relations teams, so we are seeking a team lead volunteer for the Education division, and regular team members for all 3 divisions.

This is a unique and special experience to learn about leading edge automotive technologies, while supporting a sustainable cause.  If any of the Computer Science students are interested in joining or learning more about the team and competition, please contact Eddie Doktor at: eddied@uvic.ca Additional information on the EcoCAR challenge can be found at: http://ecocar.uvic.ca