STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Senior engineering students from Tarleton State University’s RELLIS campus won awards in four categories at the recent NASA-Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge in League City.
The capstone project team of Akash Musale, Easton Duplichan, Silas Hill and Swaid Alrashed scored in Top Design (third place), Best Poster and Model (fourth place), Best Oral Presentation (fourth place) and Top Peer Review (fourth place), competing against 19 other teams from various universities.
Nicknamed the RELLIS Rovers, the team is led by faculty advisor Dr. Nourouddin Sharifi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology. Their goal was to design an innovative, user-friendly personal electric vehicle for lunar exploration, addressing challenges like rugged terrain, abrasive lunar dust, and size, weight and power constraints.
“I’m proud to support students in meaningful academic experiences that drive their achievement and professional development,” Dr. Sharifi said. “I always remind them, ‘Work hard, and awards will follow.’”
The NASA-TSGC Design Challenge tasks undergraduate students with proposing, designing and fabricating innovative solutions aligned with NASA’s research objectives. Sponsored by NASA and administered by TSGC, the challenge provides a platform for academic and professional growth.
Each participating team collaborates with a NASA mentor and submits five deliverables to TSGC per semester. The two-day NASA showcase provides an opportunity to present research through posters and oral presentations. Scholarship awards are given to the winners, with each RELLIS Rover team member eligible for a $600 scholarship.
The Texas Space Grant Consortium unites 65 universities, industrial organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies, ensuring that the benefits of space research and technology reach Texans statewide.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.