26 September - 2 October, 2018
Fostering design talent
By KYLIE WILSON
WITH student engineers from across Australia and 12 different countries set to descend on the North East this December for design competition Formula SAE Australia, Wangaratta’s Geoff Pearson is looking forward to helping others foster their engineering skills. “Hands-on work gets people together and creates real relationships,” Geoff said. He has been engrossed in engineering since his youth, when he worked in the motorcycle industry straight out of high school. At the age of 30, he decided to go back to university, and began attending RMIT in 1998 to study mechanical engineering, concentrating on automotive engineering. During a gap in his studies, he spent time working at Holden, which piqued his interest in working with design engineers themselves and leading people. “I like to look at design from a creative point of view, and learn how you encourage creativity,” he said. Geoff joined RMIT’s Formula SAE team in 2002, which gave him a practical outlet for his engineering expertise and helped him hone his leadership skills. Formula SAE cars can be either combustion engine or electrically powered, and all aspects of the project must be completed by the students. In 2003, he became the chief engineer of the team, and they competed in the Australasian event.
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◆ SHARING HIS PASSION: Geoff Pearson, seen here in Wangaratta manning an information stand on Formula SAE in early September, enjoys encouraging creativity and engineering talent. PHOTO: Mel Guy.
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