Engineers, Communicators, and Project Leaders

As a Professor of Practice at The Ohio State University, Dr. Mohler is dedicated to bridging the gap between academia and industry by preparing student engineers for high-impact careers through experiential learning. He drives this mission inside the classroom through two-semester capstone design projects, as lead faculty advisor for OSU's successful champion EcoCAR team, and through applied research initiatives with industry. His research is centered in the transportation sector, using the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) as his primary research hub. Working alongside corporate and federal partners, his focus is on translating fundamental engineering concepts into scalable solutions for vehicle systems, energy, and advanced technology integration. In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Mohler has held strategic leadership positions within the College of Engineering, serving as a primary architect in the establishment and growth of the Simulation Innovation and Modeling Center (SIMCenter). He remains passionate about advancing university research infrastructure, forging strategic industry partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of technical leaders.

As a Research Assistant Professor in the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University, Dr. D'Arpino trains student engineers to solve real-world problems. She does this through her research and as lead faculty advisor for OSU EcoCAR, which she joined this year. Before EcoCAR, she was faculty lead for Ohio State's Battery Workforce Challenge team, a separate competition, and guided it to first place in the final year of the challenge. Her research is based at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), where she has worked since 2016. It focuses on energy storage, power electronics, and energy management for electric vehicles, hybrid aircraft, and grid-connected systems, including second-life automotive batteries. As Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, she has led projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, AFRL, and major automotive companies, and she has authored more than 50 journal and conference papers. Dr. D'Arpino earned an M.S. in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. from the University of Cassino in Italy. Originally from Italy, she loves to cook.

Prof. Giorgio Rizzoni is the Ford Motor Company Chair in ElectroMechanical Systems and a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Ohio State University. He has directed the Ohio State Center for Automotive Research (CAR) since 1999. He earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Michigan. His research is grounded in dynamic systems and control. It covers modeling, control, and diagnosis of advanced propulsion systems, electrified powertrains, energy storage, and the functional safety of highly automated vehicles. He has published more than 500 journal and conference papers, advised over 40 Ph.D. and 100 M.S. students, and directed three U.S. Department of Energy Graduate Automotive Technology Education Centers of Excellence. As Principal Investigator, he has led research programs totaling over $60M, funded by agencies including NSF, DOE, NASA, and ARPA-E and by companies such as General Motors, Cummins, and Bosch. He is a Fellow of SAE and ASME, a Life Fellow of IEEE, and a recipient of the 1991 NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award.

Andrew Polta is the Project Manager for OSU EcoCAR and a Columbus native. He completes his B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering in 2026 and continues at Ohio State toward an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2028. Over four years with the team, he has focused on systems engineering and integration. His accomplishments include a first-place SDI presentation in Year 3 of the EcoCAR EV Challenge, building and racing a car in the 24 Hours of Lemons (where it won a Judges' Choice award), and converting an MG Midget to run on a motorcycle engine. Andrew leads the team's students and helps them find their passion for automotive work while keeping everyone pointed at a shared goal.

Ryan Merritt is the Marketing and Communications Manager for OSU EcoCAR and a junior majoring in Marketing with a minor in Business Analytics. He is from Sterling, VA. Ryan has been with the team since September 2024, when he joined as a freshman looking for a club that fit his interest in car photography and would build him professionally. He manages the team's social media, builds sponsor relationships, organizes K-12 outreach, recruits new members, maintains team branding, designs merchandise, and photographs and films the vehicle and team. Outside EcoCAR, he plays tennis, hikes, and shoots car photography.

Gargi Lokare is the Product Innovation Track Lead for OSU EcoCAR and a Computer Science and Engineering student graduating in 2028. She is from Ohio and has been on the team for one year. Her areas of focus are robotics and autonomous systems. Gargi joined EcoCAR to work on simulation and modeling in the automotive field, and she likes solving engineering problems with simple solutions. She speaks three languages.

Rayaan Qureshi is a Vehicle Systems Engineering Lead for OSU EcoCAR and a second-year master's student in Mechanical Engineering, graduating in 2027. He is from Ann Arbor, Michigan. His team coordinates the design, integration, and optimization of the vehicle's subsystems. It manages competition, technical, and regulatory requirements in a central database and defines the system architecture that connects the mechanical, electrical, and software components. Rayaan specializes in autonomous vehicle system safety and contributed system safety and technical reports to the team that placed 3rd in AutoDrive Challenge II. He joined the team in August 2026, drawn by its 30-year record of achievement. He is most interested in high-level architectural decisions and making sure the whole vehicle works together.

Harrison Brown is the Vehicle Hardware Integration Lead for OSU EcoCAR and a master's student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is responsible for the design and manufacture of the vehicle's hardware. A native of Matawan, NJ, Harrison joined the team three months ago to advance his career in automotive engineering.

Shawn Johnson is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student and Vehicle Hardware Integration Lead for OSU EcoCAR. He has been on the team since August 2024 and works on off-road suspension design and hardware integration. Shawn was drawn to the program for the career opportunities it offers and its reputation. He was born in South Dakota, grew up in Chicago, and now studies at Ohio State.

Stefan Nistor is the Propulsion Controls and Modeling Lead for OSU EcoCAR and a first-year master's student from Cincinnati, OH. He models, tests, and controls the vehicle's electronic components to improve performance and efficiency. Stefan wants a career in sustainable transportation as a controls engineer, and EcoCAR fit that goal. Outside of engineering, he is a Bengals fan who reads fantasy and sci-fi, watches movies and TV, and has two cats, Duncan and Gizmo.

Swarneet Jagtap is the High Voltage Battery Lead for the Stellantis (STLA) track of OSU EcoCAR and a Graduate Research Associate in Electrical and Computer Engineering (class of 2027). He is originally from Pune, India. Swarneet turns vehicle-level requirements into battery-level requirements and designs the high-voltage battery architecture for the team's off-road hybrid electric vehicle. His research focuses on battery systems, and his expertise covers electrical hardware development, embedded systems, robotics, and application software. He contributed to the team's win at the Year 3 Battery Workforce Challenge, where it was the only team to integrate a battery pack into an electric vehicle at Stellantis. He joined EcoCAR to work on advanced automotive battery systems and powertrain architecture before starting his industry career, with a longer-term goal of electrifying motorsports and off-road vehicles.