The BLUELab Woven Wind World Challenge Design Team
Sita Syal
Greetings! My name is Sita Syal and I am a co-project leader for BLUElab Wind. I am currently a sophomore in Chemical Engineering with concentration in Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. After graduating, I plan to do the Peace Corps and go to graduate school. I am passionate about community service through engineering, and I very excited to be working with ATC on this project for Guatemala. Outside of BLUElab Wind, I am peer mentor of the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program and a member of Groove, a percussion performance group.
Caroline Thompson
My name is Caroline Thompson, and I am an electrical engineering student at the University of Michigan. I am from Lansing, MI and am a co-project leader for the BLUELab Wind Team. I am looking forward to forming relationships with the people of Ixtahuacan and using the knowledge and skills I am gaining in my engineering classes to improve the lives of others. Outside of BLUELab Wind, I play the horn in the Michigan Marching Band and am a peer mentor for Michigan’s Living Arts Living Learning Community.
Yannaphol (Joe) Kaewbaidhoon
I am a freshmen international student from Thailand in the College of Engineering. I am a prospective Computer Engineering major. I am particularly interested in this project because I believe the project, if successful, will prove to be very useful to many communities around the world. Coming from Thailand, I can imagine how this will be very useful for people in the rural areas. Especially when the Thai government recently announced that any excess electricity produced by households would be bought by the government, this project may help raise the income of many.
Alec Elsen
Hi, my name is Alec Elsen, and I am a freshman in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is only about two hours away from Ann Arbor. Currently I am undecided as to which engineering field I wish to pursue, but I am interested in renewable energy, mechanical designs, and the medical field. Some of my hobbies include, listening and playing music, participating in sports, and watching movies. BLUElab caught my interest in renewable energy and sustainability. The Woven Wind Turbine was a project that was new to the group. I found this opportunity to be great; a chance to produce renewable energy and a chance to donate my time towards others. I joined BLUElab Wind because I wanted to join a team of individuals who also wanted to use our resources to make a difference in a less fortunate community.
Jake Graham
Hi, my name is Jake Graham and I am a senior studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. My background working with student organizations such as the Student Space Systems Fabrication Lab (S3FL) and the Michigan Mars Rover Team combined with my international experiences studying culture in Indonesia and doing engineering research in South Africa have led me to join the BLUElab Wind team. Having grown up in the small town of Gaylord in northern Michigan I have a strong desire to explore and engage in new experiences. My interests expand beyond aerospace and sustainable technology to include playing soccer, running, boating with my family and playing board games. After graduating from the University of Michigan in December 2011, I will be looking to begin a new adventure in the working world.
Gina McGauley
My name is Gina McGauley. I am from Carmel, Indiana, near Indianapolis. I am a freshman in engineering at the University of Michigan. I am not sure what type of engineering I am going to go into, but right now I’m leaning towards Civil Engineering. Along with being in BLUElab Wind, I am involved with the Michigan Concrete Canoe Team and St. Mary’s student parish.
Nils Stannik
My name is Nils Stannik and I study Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan. I’m especially interested in the design and implementation of clean and sustainable energy systems, both in relationship to environmental concerns and to human health and economic needs. I hope to continue my education in graduate studies of sustainable energy systems.
Maggie Pistella
My name is Maggie Pistella. I am from Libertyville, IL (a suburb of Chicago). I am hoping to either go into biomedical or electrical engineering. I like to play lacrosse and bake yummy food. I am in this group because I am really interested in helping other countries (and other people in general) with the engineering skills that I have learned here at the University of Michigan. I am really excited about this project because it has the potential to help so many people and create green energy as well.
Anna Liang
My name is Anna Liang. I am from Grosse Pointe, Michigan and I am a Sophomore studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan. I became interested in BLUElab because I wanted to participate in a student group that works together for the betterment of the community.
Jared
My name is Jared and I am from Lewisburg, PA. I’m a senior in mechanical engineering with a concentration in energy. After graduation I want to go to grad school to get my master’s. After grad school I hope to be involved in green energy technology or policy implementation.
Parth Sheth
My name is Parth Sheth, and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan interested in studying Biomedical Engineering. Originally, I’m from New Jersey, and some of my hobbies include sports and filmmaking. I am on an Engineering 100 team that is working with BLUElab on the wind turbine project, and I am very excited for the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for the people in Nueva Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Guatemala!
Kenneth “Michael” Mull
My name is Kenneth “Michael” Mull. I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a freshman in Aerospace Engineering. I am the oldest of three siblings. I love puzzles and challenges, especially those which don’t have easily obtained solutions. Aerospace has always been of interest of me and my desired career choice since the 4th grade. Of particular interest to me are military aircraft. I am very excited about the learning opportunities I have been afforded and plan to start flying lessons soon.
Omar Bennouna
My name is Omar Bennouna and I am a sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Civil and Environmental Engineering. I am originally from Morocco, but I have lived in Ann Arbor, MI for the past couple of years. In one of my freshmen year classes, I was in a student project team with the assignment of designing and building a wind generator. We faced many challenges, but by the end of the semester we had a working vertical axis wind turbine that we used to light an LED. I really enjoyed the hands-on experience of the project and working with fellow engineers. I joined the BLUElab Wind team because it provided me with the opportunity to address major problems that many people around the world face every day. This project is unique because it combines the work that women already do in Guatemala with technology that can better their lives. I hope to one day bring this concept to other countries such as Morocco.
My name is Christine Gregg and I am a freshman in the College of Engineering from Livonia, MI. At this point, I have been planning on majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering for about three years, so I am so excited to finally be able to work toward a degree in this field all while being involved in a student organization that fits in with Civil Engineering. I love that the goal of BLUELab Wind is more than just building a wind turbine – we are also involving the Ixtahuacan community in our construction of a green energy solution.
Amirtha Hariharan
My name is Amirtha Hariharan. I am from Troy, MI. As of now, I am in the College of Engineering, and I am interested in majoring in either Biomedical or Chemical Engineering. I love to do classical Indian dance and music. I am very excited to work on this project with BLUElab because it combines both humanitarian efforts – which I am very passionate about – and engineering – my possible major.
