2017-2018 Team Members

My name is Andisheh Khosravi-Sereshki, or just Andi, and I'm part of the 1/12 Scale Controls Team at the Spartan Superway. I started out at Diablo Valley College (4 years) and transferred to SJSU in the Fall of 2015. My main interest lies in Mechatronics because I am fascinated by the idea of creating something from nothing. Basically, thinking of something, designing and building it, and writing programs to make your product fulfill its functions. I'm interested in Spartan Superway because I believe it is the next step for us as a society; to have an efficient, environmentally friendly, and decongesting mode of transportation that everyone can use easily.

My name is Ben Trump and I am part of the Spartan Superway 1/12 Scale Controls Team. I am very interested in mechatronics and controls, which are the main reasons I want to work on the SPARTAN Superway Project. Additionally, the idea of the SPARTAN Superway being implemented into urban environments like San José in the near future made me excited.

My name is Colin Ilas, Jr. and I am currently a senior at San José State University pursuing my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. This summer, I am interning under the Spartan Superway where I will be working on the solar project. There, I will be doing research on the best parts to use and designing a mounting and racking system that will be aesthetically pleasing, easily accessible, and efficient. My team consists of Nahom Tulu and Alberto Lopez, and together we will create a design that fulfills all the requirements and contributes to the future of transportation.

My name is Bryne Jocson and I currently am a senior mechanical engineering student at San José State University; Home of the Spartans and located within the technological powerhouse known as the Silicon Valley. I love San José as I am surrounded by urban sprawls and at a close distance to many forests and parks. I love to spend time outdoors by either biking, running or hiking. I also enjoy being here as I am surrounded with technology and like-minded individuals who share the same passion for engineering and technology as I do. However, living in San José has exposed me to many issues that currently exist with our cities' infrastructure. The roads are not always bike-friendly, the VTA can be slow or in-efficient and various dangers exist for pedestrians.

This is why I am incredibly interested in working on the Spartan Superway project and working with the Spartan Superway team. As a bicyclist, public transportation user, and pedestrian, I believe the Spartan Superway is the answer to my frustrations with our current transportation infrastructure. I also want to be able to work with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about creating a safe, sustainable and efficient transportation infrastructure. I believe that I can contribute to this project with my knowledge in computer-aided design, C programming, dynamics, and mechatronics. I hope to be a part of this team and help create a safer form of public transportation that may also solve many of the traffic and safety issues that plague not only San José but other places around the globe.

Izzat was part of the 1/12 Scale Bogie Team tasked with redesigning the switch mechanism in SolidWorks CAD and adding to the previous design in compliance with other teams work. 

My Name is Darren Erfe and I'm currently a 5th year senior at San José State University working on my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. I'm originally from San José but was raised in a town called Lathrop near Stockton for most of my life until I started my undergraduate studies. I've chosen to study mechanical engineering because I have always enjoyed studying math and science growing up and always had an joy in designing things. However my hobby for designing ranges from everything in my life such as technology, my room, personal items, etc and mechanical engineering seemed to combine two of my passions growing up. As for the Fall 2017 semester, I have chosen to take part in the Spartan Superway project. This project largely interests me not only because it allows me to learn apply what I've learned these past few years on a real-world project, but because I have gained a desire to go into the sustainable technology industry after graduating. This project is perfect to get my first real-world experience about the field and will prove beneficial for me as a learning experience and something to put on my resume.

My name is Kaelan Y Song, and this post serves to provide a brief introduction about myself and why I am interested in being a part of the SPARTAN Superway project. I developed an interest in engineering sometime around my junior year in high school when introductory PLTW courses were first introduced at my school. I entered in engineering design competitions with my friends/teammates (mostly for the free food, but no one needs to know that). Since then I have combined that interest with my hobby in small arms/firearms and decided to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation I would like to pursue a career in small arms design at a company such as Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, etc.

The aspects of the SPARTAN Superway project that appealed to me most was the ambition behind the idea. Something of this caliber is nothing shy of grand (at least in terms of size and work), but I find it to be something definitely worth looking into and working on. Reforming a major part of the transportation infrastructure would definitely be major, and I would like to be a part of that reform.

My name is Bryan Christopher Oyan. I am a 5th-year Mechanical Engineering student here at San José State University. Back in 2015, I was a part of Spartan Superway and I worked with Ron and Dr. Furman on the 1/12 scale team. Unfortunately, due to my living situation at the time, I was only able to work part time and helped with the manufacturing and fabrication of the track parts that were already designed by my colleagues. However, this upcoming year, I would like to be a part of the whole process and contribute my experiences in previous internships and completed classes to the success of the project. In addition, I come from a very heavily populated metropolitan area of Los Angeles and during Dr. Furman's presentation he really pointed out the problems with public transportation. Dr. Furman also spoke about the advancements with autonomous vehicles and how if everyone had them then the roads would still be congested. These two points really resonated with me and since I am aspiring to be a mechanical engineer, I would be thrilled to be a part of the next big societal changing project.

My name is Angelo- José Banzon, and I am currently a 5th year Mechanical Engineering student at San José State University. Growing up, I was always fascinated by how things work, such as cars, roller coasters, and airplanes. I loved spending time helping my father work on projects around my home. He was a big influence in my decision to become an engineer.

I chose to work on the Spartan Superway project because I believe that this innovative form of transportation will leave a positive impact on society. I could not pass up the opportunity to work on a project that would save lives and change the way the world looks at transportation. 

My name is Kevin Brasil. I am a Mechanical Engineering student at San José State University. I chose to study engineering because at an early age I was always fascinated with how things worked. I always enjoyed trying to understand how things worked by finding and looking over diagrams and schematics. This fascination and curiosity was not enough, I wanted a deeper understanding of how products were designed and put together. I chose to work on the Spartan Superway project to be able to be a part of such a large and complex system.

My name is Joshua Moreno and I am pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at San José State University. Since I was in grade school, I've always been fond and curious about how things worked. I grew up watching my dad, a mechanic for the USPS, work on vehicles whenever I would have free time. These two influences are what inspired me to start a career in the automotive industry as a Mechanical Engineer. To this day I am proud of what I have accomplished and feel prepared to graduate in the Spring of 2018.

I'm interested in the Spartan Superway Project because I believe in promoting a sustainable future for the years to come. I also hope to make a difference in improving our society's use of transportation.

I like making short term academic goals and checking them off as I go so that I can make new ones, each one bringing me closer to my career goals. As I advance ever so closer towards my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Graduating May 2018), my classes are becoming increasingly challenging, yet more captivating in the material. Attending San José State University is such a blessing because of the knowledge that professors and peers share with one another. I always aim to learn something new every day and pursue what I want by communicating well with others. Since people will spend almost three-fourths of their life in the professional world it makes logical sense to do something that will enhance your life fruitfulness. My career goal is not just about making progress to get ahead day to day, but also do learn new things and accumulate new experiences because it adds to richness in thought and knowledge. My ideal career is one in which I can use my engineering profession to contribute to innovation that will help society flourish in an efficient and eco-friendly way. As an analogy, I had an amazing opportunity working for Play-Well TEKnologies for over a year as an Engineering Lego Instructor leading dozens of courses myself while inspiring young innovators to work together and tackle exciting objectives. It has helped me prepare for my future plans by solidifying my desire to want to give back to society. I want to continue that gratification I saw in those young innovators when they created something working together. This is why I want to work on automated transit networks and SPARTAN SUPERWAY offers great opportunity.

My name is Jack Yoo and I am currently 23 years old pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at San José State University. Before I started attending SJSU, I was enrolled at a community college in East Bay called Diablo Valley College for 3 years. I come from a first generation family background where I have been growing up in the Bay Area since I was 5 years old. I am friendly and easy to get along with. The reason for my desire to be a part of the Spartan Superway project is  because I have a passion for studying energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, as an car enthusiast, I believe every day modes of transportation such as automobiles should be guided towards using renewable sources of energy. I firmly believe the Spartan Superway is critical for society as it alleviates traffic congestion, increase human safety and as well as creating an sustainable environment.

I'm a senior at SJSU who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I am from San Francisco and I go home regularly to visit my parent. I will be working on the Spartan Superway Project for my senior project. I choose Spartan Superway Project as my senior project because I want to be a part of this innovative project where it will change the traffic conditions in Silicon Valley.

My name is Alvin Choy and I am pursuing Mechanical Engineering at San José State University. I have a passion in mechanical systems and the different processes involved in creating something tangible. I love being hands on and immersed into a project until completion. The Spartan Superway is a great way to showcase my abilities while also having the potential to grow and gain more knowledge from this experience.

My name is Joaquin Olivares and I am a Mechanical Engineering Senior at SJSU graduating in May 2018. In my free time, I like to go hiking, and to the beach. My favorite class has been ME190 (Mechatronics) because I see myself applying whatever I have learnt there in future jobs. I have joined EPICS because it gives me a chance to contribute to the community. Upon graduation, I plan on working in the robotics industry, specifically underactuated robots. I want to work on the Superway because I believe this form of transportation is safer and more efficient than the current alternative. I see this as the transportation of the future and I am excited to be working on it.

My name is Sixto and I am a Mechanical Engineering student at San José State University. I was born and raised in El Salvador until the age of 12 before moving to the U.S. My hobbies include swimming and kickboxing. I joined EPICS because it aims to help the community. My goal is to graduate and apply for my masters, specializing in the biomedical field. I want to be working on the Spartan Superway project because it is an innovative idea that can revolutionize big major cities and make transportation easier for everyone.

My name is Marco and I am a Mechanical Engineering student at San José State University. I lived in Bakersfield, CA but moved to San José for school. My hobbies include soccer and hiking. I joined EPICS because it gave me a chance to make a difference in the community.

My name is Chanwoong (Charles) Park, currently an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Student at San José State University, which I transferred in Fall 2015. I originally came from South Korea in January 2012 and attended a community college in San Diego for about 3 years. My research interests lie in the field of solar energy storage and mechanical design.

My name is Matt and I am a 5th year senior at SJSU.  By May of 2018, I will hopefully be finished with school and be in possession of a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  In addition to going to school at SJSU, I also work part time at the In-N-Out Burger on Coleman Avenue.  When I'm not busy with work or school, I like playing games and watching TV shows with my friends and roommates.

I have chosen the Spartan Superway as my senior project, and I hope to be seen as a valuable contribution to the team.

I had recently experienced a car accident that totaled my car, and I have been trying to get used to living college life without a cheap, reliable mode of transportation.  Living without a car has made me realize that an individual's productivity and efficiency go down significantly when their private transportation is removed.  By working on this project, I hope to help those who are in a similar situation to mine, in that they are totally reliant on public transportation.  I hope that my team and I have a great final year and that our contributions are valued!

My name is Tan, nickname is tangent. My major is mechanical engineering because, throughout my life, I have been interested in knowing how things work. When I was younger, my playground was a jumble of broken appliances and electrical toys that I collected from my neighbor's houses. My parents never bought me toys. Instead, I had to make my own toys from scratch. I remember the first toy I that made was a battery that connected to a light bulb. I was so excited to see the bulb light up that I became curious about how it worked.  Later on, when I went to high school, I developed a habit of making toys from electrical trash. When I had a day off from school, I spent hours disassembling broken appliances and took the parts to use for my toys. Sometimes, I just opened them up to look at the beautiful circuits inside the broken appliances. I started with simple toys like fans, flashlights, and motorboats. Eventually, I progress to bigger projects like a water pump run by a big motor that I got from a broken fan. My parents used my water pump to water their plants. This makes me want to invent more mechanical devices, so that farmers can get their work done faster.

To learn more about the 2017-2018 Spartan Superway team, visit their team blog below.

2017-2018 Team Blog