BWC Merced

Last week, a team of faculty and students from Jackson State University attended the BWC Merced meeting, where they learned about the ongoing progress of the BWC Merced team. We had constructive and engaging interactions with the delegates. As part of the visit, BWC Merced organized a social event, which included a trip to Columbia State Historic Park.
We thank Dr. Ricardo de Castro and Dr. Caixia Chen for making this event possible.

Exciting times at the Battery Workforce Challenge (BWC) Winter Workshop as BWC Merced team engaged in meaningful conversations with sponsor representatives during the sponsor socials! It was a fantastic opportunity to explore the incredible career opportunities available for students and gain insight into the cutting-edge facilities these sponsors are offering. The collaboration between academia and industry is crucial in shaping the future of battery technology and electric vehicle innovation. Big thanks to all the sponsors for their valuable contributions, and we look forward to fostering more partnerships and career growth opportunities for the next generation of engineers.
Stellantis MathWorks AVL Vibration Research Argonne National Laboratory Eaton

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BWC Merced is excited to attend the Winter Workshop in Greenville, SC. This workshop is a valuable opportunity to learn from industry experts, gain insights into the latest advancements in battery technology, and strengthen our skills in battery innovation.
We look forward to engaging discussions, trainings, and bringing back new knowledge to our project.
Stay tuned for updates—and some snapshots from our journey.

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BWC Merced had the pleasure of hosting our Stellantis mentors Ashley Balaberda and Brian Spohn for a two-day visit, strengthening our partnership under the Battery Workforce Challenge initiative.

The visit began at , meeting with Dr. Ashlie Martini, Chair of Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Ricardo de Castro, UC Merced Faculty Advisor. Brian had the opportunity to visit the 3D printing room to see the available resources, though we are not utilizing that facility at this time. He also toured CastroLab, where the core software and hardware development for our BWC projects is taking place. Mentors met with team leads and had a fruitful meeting on the ex*****on of deliverables.

On the second day, Mentors visited Castle facility, where Brian met the team including Merced Community College District Faculty Advisor Jose Martinez and demonstrated the working of cells in a battery pack using inert cells provided by Samsung. This was followed by a visit to Merced Community College , where they had an engaging discussion with students and toured the college’s facilities.

The visit concluded with a team dinner, reflecting on the progress made and future goals. Grateful for the support and guidance from our mentors as we continue driving innovation in battery systems.

As the 2024 Fall semester comes to a close, we would like to thank everyone on the BWC Merced team for all their hard work!

The end of the semester is approaching, and so is our End of Semester Social Event! Make sure to share your availability on when2meet using the QR code!

Looking for an internship? Stellantis may be a good fit for you! More details in the BWC November 11 newsletter

We are excited to share that BWC Merced team have received the key fobs for our RAM ProMaster EV, handed over to us by the Stellantis leadership Christine Feuell and Mark Champine.

A huge thank you to for sponsoring the Battery Workforce Challenge and for supporting our mission to shape a greener, more sustainable future. We are eager to contribute to advancements in clean energy and electric vehicles by developing an innovative battery pack for RAM ProMaster EV.

We’re excited to give a huge shout-out to our sponsor, for joining us in the Battery Workforce Challenge .
With Vector’s expertise and equipment, we will be able to dive deeper into the challenges of battery pack development and collect critical data.
We’re grateful for this partnership and look forward to getting benefits from their expertise.

Hi! I’m Andrew Koerber, and I’m a first-year graduate student at UC Merced. I’m currently working towards my master’s degree in mechanical engineering, while also being the engineering manager for BWC Merced. When I’m not working, I like to watch movies, play golf, and take short trips to San Francisco or Yosemite National Park. There are many things that I love about the battery workforce challenge, but if I had to pick just one, I would say it’s the people. The BWC has introduced me to so many great individuals, both mentors and members of our team, and I am honored to be a part of such a fantastic group! I joined the battery workforce challenge because of my interest in the automotive world and the incredible opportunities that this challenge provides to students. I’m excited to continue working on the BWC Merced team and I’m eager to see where this road takes me!

Stellantis mentor’s Ashley Rabi recent visit to Merced was eventful and insightful. Her day began at the Castle facility, where she explored the expected door expansion site and observed the active operations on-site. She then visited our vocational partner, Merced College, to observe their facilities and educational resources. The visitors were given a tour of “Dreamscape Learn” which is virtual reality learning platform. Back at UC Merced, we held a productive two-hour meeting with Battery Workforce Challenge leadership, where we provided updates on our progress. She concluded her tour with a visit to CastroLab, learning about ongoing research projects directly from lab members. The day wrapped up with a meeting with our faculty advisor Professor Ricardo de Castro and a team dinner, marking a successful visit.

The BWC Merced Support Team meets on Fridays from 2:00 - 2:45 PM in Granite Pass 103 on the UC Merced Campus!