Meet our team!
| Luis Arias Vehicle Systems Integration Lead California State University, Los Angeles Luis Arias is the vehicle systems integration lead for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College Battery Workforce Challenge team and a third-year student at Cal State LA studying mechanical engineering. What excites him the most about the BattChallenge is being able to go through the engineering design process, collaborate and work as a team as the crew designs and builds an EV battery pack. Arias wants to explore and learn what it takes to build a battery pack and integrate it into a vehicle. |
| Arthur Espinosa Thermal Lead California State University, Los Angeles Arthur Espinosa is the thermal lead for the Cal State LA & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and a senior mechanical engineering student at Cal State LA. Espinosa hails from Duluth, Ga, and his expertise is in simulations and cooling systems. What most excites him about the BattChallenge is having the opportunity to deepen his hands-on skills and holistic understanding of the EV battery packs and simulations, aiming to innovate and excel in the design process. |
| Nathaniel Tan Battery Pack Software Lead California State University, Los Angeles Nathaniel Tan is the Battery Pack Software lead for the Cal State LA & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and a second-year electrical engineering grad student at Cal State LA. Tan specializes in power systems. He hails from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and holds a bachelor's in chemistry from the University of Chicago. What excites Tan most about the BattChallenge is the opportunity to gain insight into EVs and work with many amazing faculty, advisors and peers to create a greener future. |
| Raymond Tran Battery Pack Hardware Lead California State University, Los Angeles Raymond Tran is the battery pack hardware lead for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College Battery Workforce Challenge team and a senior at Cal State LA studying electrical engineering and specializing in power. What excites him about the BattChallenge is the opportunity to build a battery pack that will get integrated into an EV. |
| Isabel Builes Project Manager California State University, Los Angeles Isabel Builes is the project manager for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and a first-year master's student at Cal State LA studying mechanical engineering. She hails from Medellin, Colombia, and holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the Industrial University of Santander (Bucaramanga, Colombia) and a graduate degree in business and innovation from Pontifical Bolivarian University (Medellin, Colombia). Builes brings industry experience to her studies, having held previous jobs such as a design mechanical engineer for energy systems, field engineer in the automotive industry and a coordinator of new engineering businesses department in the energy industry. What excites her the most about this challenge is the opportunity to manage a diverse and large team, aiming to achieve the best outcome in the design process. |
| Brian Castillo Engineering Manager California State University, Los Angeles Brian Castillo is the engineering manager for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and a second-year graduate student at Cal State LA, where he’s pursuing a master's degree in electrical engineering. Castillo hails from Los Angeles, and he holds a bachelor's in electrical engineering from Cal State LA. What excites him the most about the BattChallenge is that it has given him the opportunity to work on EVs and be part of the change of a carbon-neutral future. Castillo is eager to learn many skills that will help him professionally in the future. |
| Barnabas Novak Club President and Vocational Liaison California State University, Los Angeles Barnabas Novak is the club's president and the vocational liaison for the Cal State LA & Cerritos College's BattChallenge team and a computer science undergrad student at Cal State LA. What excites him the most about the BattChallenge is the networking and new opportunities. |
| Madison Reddy Assistant Project Manager California State University, Los Angeles Madison Reddy is the assistant project manager for the Cal State LA & Cerritos College's BattChallenge team and a senior marketing undergrad student at Cal State LA. She hails from San Jose, Calif., and specializes in international business and sustainability. When it comes to the BattChallenge, Reddy is most excited to hone her communications skills and learn more about sustainability in the EV sector. |
| Ritchie Chavez Vocational Deputy Cerritos College Ritchie Chavez is the vocational deputy for the Cal State LA & Cerritos College's BattChallenge team and a computer science sophomore at Cerritos College. Chavez hails from Atenas, Costa Rica, and he is also a member of his team's software/instrumentation team. What excites him the most about the BattChallenge is having the opportunity to work alongside many talented individuals. |
| Mario Medina Lead Faculty Advisor California State University, Los Angeles Mario Medina is the lead faculty advisor for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and a Cal State LA Department of Mechanical Engineering professor. He hails from Chicago. What excites him about the Battery Workforce Challenge collegiate competition is being able to work on such a complex problem with a giant team. Medina is excited to see what his team creates. |
| Chris Bachman Lead Faculty Advisor California State University, Los Angeles Chris Bachman is the lead faculty advisor for the mechanical team within the Charging Eagles and is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering. Chris is from Davis, California. What excites him about the Battery Workforce Challenge is being able to work with a great team of students and faculty on an important and challenging task. |
|
Masood Shahverdi Faculty Advisor California State University, Los Angeles Masood Shahverdi is a faculty advisor for the California State University, Los Angeles & Cerritos College's Battery Workforce Challenge team and an associate professor at Cal State LA. He specializes in supervisory control and battery optimization for hybrid EVs. Shahverdi is an AVTC alum having led a team that created a full-scale hybrid EV emulator and hybrid lithium-ion battery system during his doctoral work and his post-doctoral fellowship. Shahverdi's recent work involves deep-learning-based power management systems for grid-tied batteries, which is sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. His impact on vehicle electrification and power systems is evident in numerous publications and patents. |
| Nidavone Niravanh Lead Safety Advisor California State University, Los Angeles Nidavone Niravanh is the lead safety advisor for California State University, Los Angeles-Cerritos College Battery Workforce Challenge team and the faculty executive director of Risk Management and Environmental and Health and Safety for CSULA. Niravanh is responsible for overall Environmental Health and Safety program management, risk exposure assessment, regulatory interface, construction RMEHS management, strategic planning and program development, asbestos and lead program, and building inspection program. She is most excited to see a safe work environment for the BattChallenge. |