Daniel Clare, a third-year student majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering, has worked late into the night many times at Case Western Reserve University. But it’s not just his studies that keep him up. 

As the suspension and steering lead on the CWRU Motorsports Baja SAE team, Clare has often stayed awake machining parts for the off-roading vehicle well after most have gone to bed. And his hard work has paid off. Alongside his teammates, Clare and the CWRU Motorsports Baja SAE team finished in sixth place overall at the Baja SAE Williamsport event last spring, coming in 10th place in the suspension category.

A lifelong car enthusiast, being part of the award-winning motorsports team at CWRU was a natural fit for Clare. Originally from New York City, Clare was a member of his high school’s robotics team and always knew he would go on to become an engineer.

For Clare, CWRU seemed like it would be a great place to do that. Now, at the start of his third year, he knows he was right.

Learn more about his experiences at CWRU.

Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

1. What drew you to Case Western Reserve University?

I really wanted to find a school that not only had great academics, but also ways I could apply the skills we learn in our classes to solve engineering problems in the real world, allowing me to gain valuable engineering experience. 

Having access to Sears think[box] as well as the many design teams that fill its fifth floor stood out to me as far beyond what is normally available to engineering students at similarly sized schools. 

Additionally, I really love having the opportunity to take classes in subjects far outside of my major. CWRU offers an incredibly wide array of classes and students can choose to take almost any of them, regardless of their major.

2. What do you enjoy most about mechanical and aerospace engineering?

Since mechanical engineering is quite a broad area of study, almost everyone is able to find the area of specialization they’re passionate about. As a result, you can end up with a lot of very different kinds of people specializing in very different areas of mechanical engineering doing very different things, but all working toward the same end goal.

3. Can you tell me a bit about your involvement on campus?

As the suspension and steering lead with CWRU Motorsports Baja SAE team, I’m responsible for the design, validation, manufacturing and testing of all the suspension and steering related components on the car. I really enjoy the opportunity to not only work on my skills designing and manufacturing these components, but also helping to teach younger members so that they can do the same.

Additionally, I play bass guitar for Lake Effect, which is a rock band I helped to start with a couple of the friends I’ve made at CWRU. Since we started, not only have all of us gotten much better at our instruments, but we’ve also gotten far more comfortable performing for crowds, something we hope to continue to do more of over the coming school year.

4. What have you enjoyed most about these experiences? Are there any standout moments?

Being a part of Baja, I really enjoy the late nights spent machining parts for the car as well as the time we spend at competitions. Seeing the project everyone’s been pouring so much time into over the past year come together and do what it was designed for is one of the most rewarding feelings ever!  

As an engineering student, it can be difficult to find an opportunity where you have control over not only the entire design process but also the ability to see firsthand how your designs will perform when subjected to real-world conditions. Even more rewarding though is watching the entire team come together to work past the challenges that arise during competitions. Having so many talented people all working toward a common goal allows us to achieve the amazing accomplishments we’ve acquired throughout the team’s history.

5. Can you also share a bit about your internships or other experiential education opportunities?

This past summer, I was an intern at BMT Aerospace, an international manufacturer of gears and shafts for aerospace applications. Working as a process engineer, I designed the manufacturing processes for a few of the new products they’ll be mass producing over the coming years. I also helped to resolve issues that arose with the manufacturing processes for some of the more complicated parts they were producing for the first time. I really loved the experience of working alongside seasoned engineers, who helped me put into practice a lot of the skills I’ve learned throughout my time at CWRU so far.

I also have been working as a student technician on the fourth floor of Sears think[Box], helping oversee the weld room, wood shop, metal shop and waterjet. Think[Box] is a really great environment for an aspiring engineer because not only are there the tools required to bring almost any idea into the real world, but the building is constantly filled with innovative thinkers eager to share their ideas and help you bring yours to the next level.

6. What have you learned from these experiences? Are there any moments that standout most?

So far, my classes have told me how to face the problems I’ll encounter as an engineer and equipped me with the tools to solve them, but between my experiences as an engineering intern, a student technician at Sears think[box], and a design lead on CWRU’s Baja SAE team, I have firsthand experience solving these kinds of problems in the real world and have allowed me experiences as an engineer simply not available to many students at other schools.