A group of Alfred University students and faculty traveled to Syracuse this week to staff an exhibit of an electric utility task vehicle (UTV) built for a 2024 engineering capstone project.
Alfred University was among three universities chosen to showcase electric vehicles during the State Fair, which began Aug. 20 and concludes on Sept. 1. The other two are Binghamton University and Rochester Institute of Technology, which will display a race car and electric bicycle, respectively.
The Alfred University group’s UTV was on display from Monday, Aug. 25, through Thursday, Aug. 28 in the Science & Industry Building at the booth of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. Alfred students, faculty, and staff led hands-on learning activities for youngsters visiting the display and engaged visitors on the importance of batteries and clean energy and on work being done in New York State to promote renewable energy technology.
David Gottfried, director of the Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) at Alfred University, and John Simmins ’84, PhD ’90, director of the university’s GE Vernova Advanced Power Grid Lab, were on hand to supervise students staffing a booth at the display, providing details of the electric vehicle and the associated capstone project. The group discussed their interest in and work with EVs; oversaw hands-on activities for youngsters and other visitors, including a game, Battery Feud; welcomed visitors to the booth and encouraged them to complete a short survey related to battery technology; distributed information about the electric engine, battery technology, and related careers; and handed out giveaways to booth visitors.
Xingwu Wang, professor of electrical engineering in Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering, was the academic advisor for the project. For the last several years, Wang has been advising students on capstone projects focused on developing EVs.
“Every year we have a project related to electric vehicles,” Wang said, noting that students who complete the project learn about the electrical driving system, including batteries, controllers, and electric motors. “The goal is to teach students about EVs so they have the ability to work on them.”
The UTV project that was showcased in Syracuse was completed in spring 2024 and presented at that year’s Undergraduate Research Forum. The objective of students who worked on that project was to develop an electric UTV that retains the performance and functionality of its traditional counterpart while gaining the benefits of electric propulsion. By integrating a 144-volt electric motor and a cutting-edge battery monitoring system (BMS) dedicated to the oversight of the battery pack, students aimed to create a machine capable of meeting the demands of various terrains and tasks, without compromising on efficiency or power.
Students who developed the electric UTV for their capstone project included 2024 graduates Blake Angel, Max Caccamise, Christopher Callahan, MyKayla Deyarmin, and Connor Kerr, and January 2025 graduate Sean Heckman. All earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering.
The UTV project preceded the most recent Electric Vehicle capstone project, conducted during the 2024-25 academic year and presented at the spring 2025 Undergraduate Research Forum. That project sought to efficiently convert a Yamaha YZ250F motorcycle into an electric dirt bike that follows American Motocross Association rules and guidelines. Students in the capstone were split into three subgroups of three students each. The engineering students, all of whom graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering, presented their research at Alfred University’s Undergraduate Research Forum in April.
The Alfred University contingent’s four-day stay in Syracuse and participation in the EV exhibition is supported by a National Science Foundation-funded grant the University received to support a workforce training program—titled “Training College Students in Battery Degradation and Remaining Useful Life Prediction Using Machine Learning”—which is aimed at advancing regional and national battery and energy storage labor readiness. The program is supported by $160,644 in NSF grant funding, administered through the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York: Generating Regional Opportunities in Workforce (GROW) program. Its goal is to help prepare engineering students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the battery and energy storage job market.
Kun Wang, associate professor of materials science and engineering in Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering, is principal investigator for the project and an instructor for the class. Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering; Scott Misture ’90, ’94 PhD, Inamori professor of materials science and engineering; and Xingwu Wang, professor of electrical engineering, serve as project co-investigators.
