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ILLINOIS STATE
SOLAR CAR TEAM

Ray-cing under the sun for over a decade!

OUR MISSION

The Illinois State University Solar Car Team aims to offer a unique learning experience for students interested in science, engineering, and technology as well as to provide an educational program to demonstrate the benefits of alternative energy to Illinois State University and neighboring communities. We plan to continue competing in races across North America and the world as a way to test and improve our skills and promote a greener future.

AWARDS

5th Place 2017 Formula Sun Grand Prix (Austin, TX)

Long Haul Gang, Hot Rod Power Tour 2017

5th Place in 2016 Formula Sun Grand Prix (Wampum, PA) 

3rd Place in 2015  Formula Sun Grand Prix (Austin, TX)

2nd Place in the 2013 Formula Sun Grand Prix (Austin, TX)

7th Place in the 2012 American Solar Challenge (New York – Minnesota)

4th Place in the 2012 Formula Sun Grand Prix (Monticello, NY)

2nd Place in the 2011 Formula Sun Grand Prix (Indianapolis, IN)

 2019 TEAM

The Illinois State University Solar Car Team is a student-led organization that designs, builds, and races solar vehicles against teams from around the world. We consist of a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty who volunteer time and energy to advance their skills and the promise of renewable energy. We have successfully built five solar vehicles and are currently designing our next generation car.

Bailey McNulty

Bailey is currently the President of the team. Joining the team in the fall of 2016, he quickly got involved with as many apsects of building the car as possible. He drove in the 2017FSGP, 2017 Hot Rod Power Tour, and designed the electrical system in Mercury 6

Andrew Read

Andrew joined the team in the fall of 2016. Now serving as Vice President, he does lots of stuff and thangs. Andrew is getting a double major in physics and mathematics, and will be a Junior in the upcoming 2018 school year. He looks forward to building and racing ISU's newest solar car, Mercury 6.

Alex Plumadore

Alex is currently the CFO of the team. He joined in Fall 2017 and has been active member since. He deisgned and was the leading builder of the solar array on Merc 6 as well as designing the current array stand for Merc 6. He competed with the team at the 2018 FSGP.

Richard Pelphrey

Richard joined the team in Spring of 2016. While he does not have a specific role, you can find him helping with anything he can. He is majoring in physics. Richard went with the team to the ASC this summer. He is looking forward to working on Mercury 6, the newest car.

Alex Moy

Alex joined the team in the Spring of 2017. Quickly becoming involved, he has earned the title of one of the four solar car drivers after participating in the 2017 Hot Rod Power Tour. He is majoring in information technology. This past spring, he helped out with odds and ends to prepare Mercury 6 for the ASC. He hopes to go more hands on next year.

Dan Eggena

Dan joined the team in the Fall of 2017. He is majoring in physics. Past experiences make him a good fit on the mechanical team. He was one of the four drivers at this summer's FSGP. He looks forward competing and building Mercury 6.

Will Ghallager

Will joined the team in the Fall of 2017.  He is currently on loan from Heartland Community College.

Andrew Missel

Andrew joined the team in Fall of 2017. He quickly took an interest in the mechanical aspect of the car. He travelled with the team to ASC 2018. He aims to be involved in multiple aspects while improving Mercury 6.

Dhruva Patil

Dhruva joined the team in the fall of 2017. 

Glenn Dusing

Glenn joined the team in the Fall of 2018

Myles Birkhead

Myles joined the team in the Fall of 2018

Tyler Hershenhouse

Tyler Joined the team Spring 2019

ADVISORS

Dr. Dan Holland

Dr. Holland has been involved with the team since its inception in 2005 as well as he is our financial advisor and department sponsor from the Physics Department. At ISU he serves as the department chair for the Physics Department, and for the team he serves as whatever he can get involved in. He has always been there for sound advice for the team and is the first one to raise his hand to volunteer to drive the scout vehicle for the ASC. His experience in computational physics also means he steps in to help with the design of the vehicle from a mechanical standpoint in order to verify that the design will hold up to the physical stresses placed upon it. His work can be seen in all of our design documents as he is always willing to run numbers for the team.

Jim Dunham

Jim has been the shop advisor for the team since it was founded in 2005, and along the way he has learned a great deal but also taught many students. He is an expert machinist and a wizard with CAD software, making him a great asset to the team. Jim is well known for taking new members of the team and giving them their first formal project. He is also the person who does almost all of the design work for every element of this car, and without him this team would not be as rock solid mechanically as it has been. Although he works hard, he also lightens the mood in the shop by baking cookies quite often in a toaster oven he keeps down in the shop.

FOLLOW US

ADDRESS
Illinois State University
Campus Box 4560
Normal, Illinois 61761

CONTACTS
Email: ISUSolarCarTeam@gmail.com