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FSAE Workshop

Woolf Hall

One of the longest-running institutions on the UTA campus, the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) program has allowed generations of Mavericks to get hands-on experience building a race car from scratch, giving them a leg-up in their careers after graduation, says Bob Woods, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and long-time advisor to the program.

“This is by far the best engineering education they could receive,” he says. “They have to be their own bosses, designing, analyzing, and building everything themselves. And recruiters know this. It makes them pre-qualified for a job right off the bat.”

Dr. Woods brought FSAE to UTA in 1978, when the student team competed in the Mini Baja races. In the years since, the teams have clocked eight victories in the United States as well as wins in England, Australia, and Japan.

Competition at FSAE events is fierce, usually drawing more than 100 teams from all over the globe competing to earn the most points in numerous areas of judging. But, as Woods notes, the atmosphere at these competitions is always collegial and inspiring.

“It’s always so fascinating to see how the different teams build their cars. You get 120 teams tackling the same problem and all arriving at different solutions,” he says, noting that the problem-solving spirit of the competition is really what FSAE is all about.

“It’s not team against team, it’s team against the track. It’s one team noticing, ‘Oh, your part broke? Well, here is the only one we have left,’” he says. “We all help each other out there.”