Q&A with the Texas A&M Baja engineering team

The Texas A&M University Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja team is a one-year design competition team that strives to build an off-road vehicle from the ground up. The team depends on sponsorships, which enable funds for vehicle parts, essential engineering experience and ongoing mentorship. Sponsors range from former students giving back to their previous SAE team, faculty members providing hands-on mechanical engineering opportunities and industry professionals with no previous ties to Texas A&M. These opportunities allow team members to receive an unmatched experience.

Students in the J. Mike Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution shared their experience as Baja team members below.

What is the Texas A&M Baja team and what do they do?

“Together, Baja students design, analyze and manufacture a fully functional off-road vehicle while following strict competition rules. Throughout the year, members gain hands-on experience using CAD software, fabrication techniques, project management skills and teamwork. The Baja team does rigorous testing and validation to ensure the vehicle performs reliably in endurance and dynamic events at competition. 

—Ashish Malhotra ’28, mechanical engineering

What inspired you to join the Baja team, and what has the experience meant to you personally as an engineering student?

I came to Texas A&M to become the best engineer I can. I believe you need hands-on experience to fill in the gap from theory to practice. When I saw and met with the past Baja team, I was hooked. Baja is the only SAE team at Texas A&M that races wheel-to-wheel, and it’s apparent from the design of the car to the damage and repairs you see. I have been on the team for two years now, and during that time, it has made me a much better student, engineer and person. It has given me the chance to apply what I learn in class, solve real problems and grow through the kind of work that cannot be replicated in a lecture.

—Zachary Aronson ’27, mechanical engineering

How does being part of the Baja team help prepare students for careers in engineering or industry after graduation?

Baja allows students to work in a fast-paced engineering team environment and see the entire design process of research, design, manufacturing and testing. This allows students to put their engineering classroom knowledge to work in the real world. Baja also exposes students to design reviews, which are an opportunity to receive constructive criticism and defend their projects. Not only do Baja members transition well to industry, but they excel, because they are already experienced problem-solvers working under aggressive timelines.

—Evan Thompson ’27, mechanical engineering

What types of technical and professional skills do students gain by designing, building and competing with the Baja vehicle?

Baja members gain valuable engineering skills that prepare them for industry by applying the concepts that they’ve learned in class. Every year, we create a new car from the ground up. This timeline allows us to take full ownership of our individual parts. We learn to conduct reliable research, build design skills, use analysis software such as ANSYS, iterate to fine-tune parts, design for manufacturability, and gain hands-on experience with different manufacturing processes. Baja also develops students who can collaborate effectively, from presenting in external design reviews to communicating with other teammates.

—Victor Lugo ’28, mechanical engineering

How does working on the Baja team compare to what students typically experience in the classroom?

Baja gives students the chance to apply all the technical concepts they’ve learned about while expanding their knowledge into new areas. Often, members of the team are reading textbooks and research papers in subjects that they are just beginning to be exposed to in the classroom. The Baja program also provides a well-rounded, long-term project spanning two semesters. Over the course of a year, our members experience every step in the engineering design process with a heavy emphasis on iteration and optimization. Baja provides an invaluable experience that creates better students and skilled future professionals.

—Iain Gary ’27, mechanical engineering

Industry sponsors play an important role in student competition teams. How do sponsors impact Texas A&M Baja team’s success each season?

Industry sponsors provide our team with necessary material and financial resources to manufacture our truly unique competition vehicle from scratch each year. This is often done through raw stock, company product or financial funding to purchase critical resources. By presenting opportunities to speak one-on-one with experienced engineers, our sponsors provide each team member with insight on overcoming real-world hurdles of design. Their guidance allows us to fully develop our vehicle and put it to the test against teams from around the world.

—Jaxon Bradford ’27, manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology  

Can you share an example of how a sponsor’s support — whether through funding, materials or expertise — has helped the team improve its vehicle or performance?

As a gearbox design engineer for the 2026 Baja team, I’ve worked closely with Steve Christensen, the owner of U.S. Sprocket and Gear, and our hobbing and splining sponsor for the past few years. Any time I had questions about design decisions or manufacturing processes, I was beyond blessed to have Mr. Christensen to turn to. Every design engineer on Baja is learning, designing, testing and validating a vehicle part they have never made before. Having someone with decades of experience who has seen every facet of your part allows for our car to be competitive and fully optimized. As future engineers, we gain invaluable experience from the sponsor who is wiser, who has seen and done what we dream to do.

—Keaton Dassanayake ’28, mechanical engineering

How do sponsor relationships help students gain exposure to real-world engineering practices or industry expectations?

As the chassis lead for the 2026 Baja team, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the tube bending and tube coping sponsors this year. Through building a relationship with these companies, the chassis team was able to learn about design for manufacturing using CNC computerized numerical control tube bender machines and laser coping machines. We also learned about standard 3D file types used across industry, file and workflow organization, and how to schedule projects. By building sponsor relationships, the team has been able to grow both technically and professionally.

—John Tano ’27, mechanical engineering

Have interactions with sponsors led to mentorship, internships or other professional opportunities for team members?

Absolutely. We have invited recruiters from Boeing, Caterpillar, Firefly Aerospace and many other companies to tour our space and talk with the team. Each of the formerly listed have extended internship offers to one or more of our team members. On multiple occasions, we have been invited to tours of engineering facilities such as the SpaceX Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. Companies that speak with the team are consistently impressed with the level of talent and professionalism displayed by Baja.

—Iain Gary ’27, mechanical engineering

What would you want current and future sponsors to know about the impact their support has on the Baja team and the students involved?

Sponsorship opportunities allow Baja team members to receive an unmatched experience that sets us apart. As the design engineer for the 2026 car’s hubs, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to dive into the engineering process and learn about vehicle dynamics. However, I was limited on my validation due to the cost of industry-grade sensors. Fortunately, through a sponsorship from Michigan Scientific, I will be able to use industry-grade technology as a student for real-world data collection. Our sponsors not only make the car possible financially, they impact students by supplying opportunities that build better engineers.

—Rhett Schank ’28, manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology