The Shell Eco-marathon—with its goal of spurring the youth to design, build, and drive their very own vehicles that can run the farthest using the least amount of energy—is one of the global platforms that drive female student engineers to make waves in their chosen field.
The presence of Filipino women is particularly something to watch out for in the Asian leg of this year’s energy efficiency competition in Singapore this March.
Kirsten Caldez Despi, for one, is the team manager of University of San Carlos’ Team Lahutay, which has always been noteworthy for producing sleek car designs in their over five years of joining the competition.
“I joined the team in 2016. I viewed it as an opportunity to see theories put into action. For this year’s race, I was appointed team manager. I did find it a challenge to balance school and work since this is also my graduating year. But I see this as a stepping stone for better learning, and to give me more confidence when I face the world outside of school,” she shared.
Another female leader is Rangel Daroya, manager of Team Dagisik from the University of the Philippines. Although their school is a veteran contender in the competition, Team Dagisik is composed of all-new members and their car, Siglo, is also built from scratch.
“Joining a regional competition such as the Shell Eco-marathon takes a lot of determination and commitment. When you think you already got it figured out, new problems will come up. But it’s all worth it when your car finally runs the track,” said Daroya. As team manager, it is her task to motivate the group and make sure everyone keeps on going for gold despite the challenges.
As proof that hard work pays off, Team Dagisik won in the Urban Concept–Battery Electric category during the local rendition of the competition held in Clark International Speedway in Pampanga earlier this year. They chalked a mileage of 110.03 km/kWh, and they are determined to exceed this record in the regional event.
Women from other countries—even those that have always been known to be male-dominated especially in the science and engineering fields—are equally making strides at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia. Team Megalodon from The German University of Technology in Oman is one example of a student team that, for the first time in three years, has recruited two women to play key roles in the team.
Arjawan al Hajri, a third year Process Engineering student who has always loved driving cars, is the team’s designated driver. The second female student member, Al Shifa al Hadi, helped develop an innovative automatic control programming solution that is designed to enhance the car’s performance by sensing and reporting car-related parameters to the driver.
Meanwhile, Team Panthera from the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women in India, is an all-girls team. It is made up of students pursuing bachelor of technology degrees in the mechanical and automation fields, from both rural states and cities in India.
Female engineers are indeed playing an increasingly vital role in the making the future of energy through Shell’s renowned smarter mobility competition.
