Murfreesboro, TN - Saeed Foroudastan has turned an award-winning performance by the Middle Tennessee State University Experimental Vehicles Program’s solar boat team into a winning presentation as chosen by his peers.
At the recent 2024 American Society for Engineering Education in the Engineering Technology Division conference in Portland, Oregon, Foroudastan received the Best Session Award for his 2023 presentation on the MTSU solar boat’s involvement in the ’23 Solar Splash competition in Ohio.
His “Solar Splash Competition: Applying Hands-on Engineering Application with Sustainable Energy and Engineering Management” paper showcased the team’s innovative projects and design reviews. This unique approach, along with his contribution as MTSU Experimental Vehicles Program director, earned him the award.
“I really felt very good about my students. They worked hard on their projects,” said Foroudastan, whose 20- to 25-minute presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session with an audience of 300 attending the Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration.
The MTSU solar boat team finished fourth overall for the second consecutive year, earned the Outstanding Solar System Design Award and third place for the prerace video at the 29th annual Solar Splash, the world championship of collegiate solar boating.
“They (conference attendees) saw how excited I was and that it was from the heart, and many of them wanted to know how we do this because they want to start the same kind of program at their university,” Foroudastan said.
MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten said his colleague “has been a consistent champion of engineering education ever since I have known him. Even in his role as associate dean of Basic and Applied Sciences, he has maintained a close connection to students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“His leadership in MTSU’s Experimental Vehicles Program and in our Professional Science Master’s program has been important to the college and impactful for numerous students over the years. Through these programs, he has recruited many students to pursue degrees in Engineering, Engineering Technology or Engineering Management, and he maintains close contact with those students throughout their careers to ensure their success.”
A firm believer in hands-on learning experiences and the integration of sustainable energy practices in engineering education, Foroudastan said “hands-on is the best thing for our students. When they go to work, industry people love it, and our students earn more money. They (industry leaders) see the teamwork, skills and communication our students exhibit, and that’s what industry wants.”
