Nationally competitive Niner Engineers represent UNC Charlotte talent among world’s top teams

49er Miner Robotics @ NASA Lunabotics Competition

#6 Caterpillar Autonomy Award and 11th place overall

2025 Student Team Leader:
Reece Walser, Project Lead

The challenge was to design and build a prototype off-world construction rover capable of performing specific operations including navigating autonomously, digging lunar simulant, transporting and depositing it into a designated space. Ultimately, students are working toward supporting future space exploration objectives.

The team achieved 6th place in the autonomy award which honors teams that successfully complete competition activities autonomously. It emphasizes the development and implementation of autonomous control systems in lunar robotics, reflecting real-world applications in remote and automated operations.

NASA’s 2025 Lunabotics Challenge was held at The Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

Aidan Brown, associate professor of electromechanical engineering technology, and Michael Smith, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology serve as the team’s faculty advisors.

49ers Racing – IC @ Formula SAE Competition

10th overall among 105 international teams; securing three years in a row in top 10; 1st place in business presentation event; first time as a Design Finalist

2025 Student Team Leaders:
Simon Sanders, Team Captain and Powertrain Lead
Baker Cobb, Marketing Lead
Ben Demosthene and Hayden Kupka, Vehicle Dynamics Co-Leads
Henry Kelleher, Chassis Lead
Samuel Kleinschuster, Aerodynamics Lead
Rocco Procaccini, Business Lead
Ryan Taylor, Driver Controls Lead
Alex Volmer, Electronics Lead

Jim Fox, manager for the Kulwicki Lab, and Tyler Stover, teaching assistant professor of mechanical engineering, serve as advisors for 49ers Racing – Internal Combustion team.

“Our FSAE teams are perfect examples of how perseverance, hard work and dedication can lead to extraordinary results,” said Fox of both the IC and EV competition teams. “To say we are proud of our teams would be the understatement of the year.”

The Design Finalist recognition held deep meaning for the team as an appropriate reflection of their inspiration, Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR’s first champion who held an engineering degree and namesake of the UNC Charlotte motorsports lab.

“We are very proud of the team for being one of the design finalists since this category is reflective of the engineering work put into the car, and a very tough part of the competition” Stover elaborated. “It’s like a graduate level exam on the theory of engineering. To make it to this level of the competition, 49ers Racing really demonstrated their knowledge and professionalism during the design judging.”

ASCE UNC Charlotte Student Chapter @ American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe Event

Broke team record by placing in top ten in two categories: men’s slalom and proposal

2025 Student Team Leaders:
Jamie Welday, UNC Charlotte ASCE Student Chapter President
Julissa Badillo and Daniel Rodriguez, Concrete Canoe co-captains

Kimberly Warren, associate professor of civil engineering (ret.) and faculty advisor to the team shared her pride in the team. “Congratulations to these outstanding students for their unwavering dedication during the academic year leading up to these competitions. They put in countless hours of hard work while preparing for their team events. During the conference, they demonstrated clear leadership, integrity, creativity, and technical capabilities.”

Warren also guided the team earlier in the semester to the regionals, called the “Carolinas Symposium.” In addition to concrete canoe, challenges included Steel Bridge, Surveying, Timber Strong and more.

Warren retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year after having led research, academic programs, the civil and environmental engineering department operations and especially students. She will be missed for her focus on student success and winning spirit.