The Known and Unknown of Mechanical/Automotive Engineering

Names like James Watt, Archimedes, Nicolas Otto, and Leonardo da Vinci are names most, if not all people have heard at least once in their lives.  These are just a few of the many engineers and visionaries that helped to transform the world into what we know it as today.  Everything from the transmission (first thought of by da Vinci) to the four-stroke engine (invented by Otto) and even the simple tools of the lever and the pulley (credited to Archimedes), were created by engineers.  But none of these people are alive anymore. How are we still improving technology so rapidly without the minds of these brilliant individuals?  There are some new innovators in the world, and a few may even surprise you.

Elon Musk
In my opinion, Elon Musk is the most brilliant mind in the world today.  Not only did he found the companies Zip2.com, PayPal.com, and SpaceX, he also doesn't even have an Engineering degree! He does however have degrees in Economics and Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.  According to Biography.com, he also attended Stanford to receive a Ph.D in Energy Physics, and then dropped after a mere two days of classes.  He dropped out in order to start his first company Zip2.  Even though he does not have a degree in Engineering, he defiantly fits the description. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, a company devoted to re-inspire people into space travel and make it economically viable. He is also the CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors.  This is the company that Elon Musk is most known for today.  This company, which was started in 2003, now makes the quickest (0-60mph) production four door sedan in the world.  People are even calling him a real-life "Iron Man", hinting at the fact that he is working to innovate energy and transportation as a whole. I wish Elon Musk, and all of his companies good luck, and am interested in purchasing a Tesla someday.

Alba Colon
I didn't know about Alba until I started researching minorities in engineering. And though I didn't know of Alba, I have heard of many people associated with her including: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., and Danica Patrick. These are all NASCAR drivers, which is fitting as Alba is the first non-Caucasian female to work as an engineer on NASCAR vehicles. According to TheHenryFord.org she was born is Spain and moved to Puerto Rico at the age of three.  She studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico. After receiving her degree in 1994, she was hired by General Motors. During her climb to where she is now, as Chevy's NASCAR Sprint Cup Program Manager, she encountered obstacles, with many coming from her gender. Even throughout college, she faced barriers, being one of only seven women in the mechanical engineering program.

James Flaherty
James Flaherty is the Vice President and General Manager of Federal Machine Co, which is based out of Fargo, ND. This company specializes in the heat treating of
 metal products. Some of his responsibilities at Federal Machine Co include working with product design engineers to design better products and also communicating with the customer.  These communications may include anything from reports to drawings. James also co-teaches the Mechanical Engineering 221 course at North Dakota State University.  This course covers the internal and external forces required to keep a system static, or not moving. I had the pleasure of having him as my lecture instructor in the Fall of 2015.