Sarah Spitzer from West Bloomfield and Mackinac Island, Michigan is a junior majoring in Computer Engineering.  She will be one of the race crew members this summer as part of the micro-electrical division, updating and debugging the car’s systems before and during the race.  She quotes Edsger W. Dijkstra, who said, “Program testing can be a very effective way to show the presence of bugs, but is hopelessly inadequate for showing their absence.” In preparation for the race, she and others are working hard to test many different scenarios. Sarah plans to take an extra semester to complete her degree and minors in Multidisciplinary Design and possibly Near Eastern Studies and to eventually get a PhD.

She reflects about joining the team:

Since I first heard about the team before attending the university, I thought it sounded really neat and interesting and have always considered getting involved; however, I got busy with school and other groups and never got around to joining. At the beginning of this school year, I stood in the student section of the Big House at a football game cheering on the Solar Car Team and wondering why I hadn’t just joined yet. After that, I found the team at Festifall and told them I wanted to get involved; they welcomed me in and I have been involved ever since. I am so glad I found this amazing team.

In her role as a micro-electrical engineer, she mainly works on the electrical systems of the car, such as making circuit boards, programming, and debugging.  But she feels as she, like all the team members, has other roles, too.  She made clear that whenever something has to be done, like transporting Infinium to and from Ricardo, she can still help. Sarah really believes in the team aspect of Solar Car.

Besides Solar Car, Sarah is also involved in the Women’s Glee Club at Michigan.  In addition, she is a representative for the College of Engineering in Central Student Government.  She likes sci-fi books – The Lord of the Rings, His Dark Materials, and the Ender’s Game series are among her favorites.  One very interesting fact about her is that she has had her private pilot’s license since she was eighteen.

Finally, Sarah recalls her favorite moments with the team:

I have loved all of the opportunities to interact with people on the team and I think I have learned a great deal since joining Solar Car. I am really excited to get to devote my whole summer to Solar Car and to get to work on the project without the stresses of classes and schoolwork. I think this is a great opportunity and a great experience and being a part of Race Crew really makes me feel like a part of this incredible team.

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