Clemson University recently launched the School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, a program with undergraduates and graduate students and faculty dedicated to innovating the latest in automotive technology and design.

We sat down with the school's Founding Director, Dr. Zoran Filipi, to understand the structure of this school, what students are learning, and the fascinating ways Clemson is partnering with automotive OEMs on cutting-edge research and development.

Dr. Filipi is truly an expert and out-of-the-box thinker, and every automotive and engineering program will find great value in the strategies Clemson has deployed.

Inside this episode:

• The strategy behind combining mechanical and automotive engineering programs - and how students & employers benefit
• The incredible value of putting grad students through a full product cycle
• Partnering with automotive OEMs on product development
• Autonomous cars and EVs - the state of the market
• Advice to automotive programs about how to innovate and evolve

3 Big Takeaways from this episode:

1. The new school combines the strengths of both programs: Mechanical + Automotive engineering in one school enables students to apply the knowledge they're learning in mechanical engineering and put it to work in automotive applications. Students (both undergraduate and graduate) will be prepared for the rapidly evolving automotive industry, including the shift towards electric vehicles.
2. Deep Orange puts students through a two-year complete product development process: From market study to product design, ideation and prototyping, graduate students build full prototypes of futuristic vehicles - both EV and ICE. Better yet, these projects are done in partnership with automotive OEMs, helping to bring new technologies and designs to market.
3. Autonomous vehicles are on the way, but expect electrification to come first: Autonomous vehicle technology has made great progress, but we're still far away from seeing fully autonomous cars on our everyday commute. However, electrification is at full-scale production levels, including incentives to bring the manufacturing of EVs, batteries and charging stations here in the U.S.

Resources

To learn more about Clemson's new school, visit: https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-university-forms-new-school-as-globe-switches-to-electric-vehicles/

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Episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/clemson/

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