MCPHERSON COLLEGE
McPherson College will join more than 600 international teams competing in the world’s largest and most prestigious design competition with a Formula SAE team.
The college recently announced it will add the team as an option for student participation on campus beginning this spring, with initial organizing and building, and an intent to compete in spring 2028.
Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) is an international collegiate engineering competition series that serves as a proving ground for aspiring automotive engineers.
“The Formula SAE team will bring together students from across campus, including McPherson College’s new mechanical engineering program, automotive restoration, business, and other academic areas,” said Amanda Gutierrez, vice president for automotive restoration and engineering. “Students will have the opportunity to apply their skills in a collaborative, hands-on environment as they design, build, test, and ultimately compete with a Formula-style race car.”
The McPherson College team plans to develop an internal combustion engine powered car for the 2028 competition year.
Formula SAE competition requires teams to demonstrate vehicle performance in a series of off-track and on-track events against the clock. Competitions challenge teams of undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, fabricate, develop, and compete with Formula-style vehicles, including internal combustion, electric, hybrid, and driverless vehicles. Competitions test both engineering and business skills.
Formula SAE competitions also serve as a career fair for student participants, with U.S. and global companies taking part in the judging process and career networking.
Michael Stichter, founding director and chair of the McPherson College engineering program, will serve as one of the faculty advisers for the team. He competed in Formula SAE as a student at Drexel University. As an undergraduate, his team entered a car in prestigious competitions held in Michigan and England, where he focused on testing the vehicle, data collection, and analysis when he wasn’t driving the car. As a graduate student at Drexel, he advised the team and attended Formula SAE events in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Fontana, California.
“Students from any major can contribute to a Formula SAE team,” Stichter said. “A full gamut of opportunities exists, from designing and building to testing and competing, all while applying what they are learning in class to a real project. Many students have used their experience in FSAE to land jobs in motorsports and automotive companies.”
McPherson College will join other collegiate Formula SAE teams in Kansas, including Powercat Motorsports of Kansas State, Shocker Racing of Wichita State, Jayhawk Motorsports of the University of Kansas, and Benedictine College Motorsports.