Chris Yakacki, associate professor of mechanical engineering, spoke at an NFL Symposium in Youngstown, Ohio last week, kicking off the NFL Helmet Challenge. Attendees included members from start ups, additive manufacturing companies, design and software companies, academics, former NFL players, the military, and more. The symposium served as the official launch of the challenge, $3 million innovation challenge that aims to stimulate the development of a new player helmet designed to outperform all helmet models currently worn by NFL players.
Mechanical engineering associate professor Dana Carpenter grew up in a small town in Georgia and was exposed to the technical makeup of cars thanks to his father, who was an amateur race car driver.