The student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is an active student organization that provides mechanical engineering students with opportunities to apply concepts learned in the classroom to hands-on engineering projects and competitions. The chapter supports a number of activities throughout the academic year, with two of its primary projects being the Formula SAE and Baja SAE competitions. These programs give students the opportunity to work as part of multidisciplinary engineering teams while gaining practical experience in vehicle design, analysis, fabrication, testing, project management, and teamwork.
The NAU SAE chapter has a long history of participation in the Baja SAE competition, having competed for several decades. Baja SAE challenges students to design, build, and test an off-road vehicle capable of operating in demanding terrain and conditions. The project requires students to consider a wide range of engineering requirements, including suspension design, steering, braking, drivetrain systems, structural integrity, ergonomics, manufacturability, and overall vehicle performance. Because the vehicle is designed and built by students, the Baja project provides an excellent opportunity to experience the complete engineering design process—from developing an initial concept through fabrication, testing, troubleshooting, and competition.
In addition to its longstanding Baja SAE program, the NAU SAE chapter began competing in Formula SAE in 2024. Formula SAE provides a different engineering challenge, with students designing and constructing a formula-style race car while balancing performance, reliability, cost, manufacturability, and driver considerations. Like the Baja project, Formula SAE requires students to work collaboratively across multiple areas of engineering and make practical design decisions based on analysis, testing, available resources, and project constraints. The addition of Formula SAE has expanded the chapter’s opportunities for students interested in automotive engineering, motorsports, vehicle dynamics, and high-performance vehicle design.
As part of this event, students from the NAU SAE chapter will showcase the Baja and Formula SAE vehicles from the previous academic year. The vehicles will be available for attendees to view before and during the keynote presentation, providing an opportunity to see firsthand the type of engineering work being completed by NAU students. Student team members will be present with the vehicles to discuss their design and development, explain the engineering challenges involved in the projects, and answer questions from interested attendees.
The vehicle displays will also highlight the significant amount of hands-on learning that takes place within the NAU Mechanical Engineering program and through student organizations such as SAE. Attendees will be able to see how classroom knowledge in areas such as mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, materials, machine design, manufacturing, and controls can be applied to a complex, real-world engineering project. The SAE chapter provides students with an environment where they can develop both technical and professional skills while working toward a common engineering goal.
More information about the competitions can be found through the official Formula SAE and Baja SAE websites: Formula SAE and Baja SAE.
Written by David M. Willy
