Show Notes
In this episode of Beyond the Competition, hosts Mike Sorg and Scott Schultz sit down with three engineers who have taken different paths from university engineering programs into industry careers. Joining the show are Ben Baize, Controls Engineer at Pratt Miller, Evan Wiedemeier, Rotational Engineer at Oshkosh Corporation and former AutoDrive Challenge student, and Land Barnum, Electrification Engineer at Oshkosh Corporation.
The conversation explores how hands-on student competition experiences—and in Land's case, a more traditional engineering path—helped prepare them for careers in vehicle development, electrification, controls engineering, autonomous systems, and commercial vehicle innovation.
Key Topics
Formula SAE career preparation
AutoDrive Challenge experiences
Engineering leadership and teamwork
Vehicle controls and software development
Electrification and EV technologies
ADAS and autonomous vehicle systems
Working across engineering disciplines
Advice for current engineering students
Career opportunities at Oshkosh and Pratt Miller
Networking at Formula SAE competitions
One additional correction from the transcript: the company name should be Oshkosh Corporation, not "Ashkosh," throughout all descriptions.
More from Beyond The Competition
Can an EV battery cooling system stop thermal runaway?
Get ready for Baja SAE Ohio 2026 with everything you need to know before arriving at Briarcliff!
What happens when the lessons learned building and competing with a Baja SAE vehicle carry over into a professional engineering career?
Recorded live during Formula SAE IC 2026 at Michigan International Speedway, this special panel discussion brings together accomplished leaders from across motorsports, automotive engineering, mobility technology, and manufacturing to share their career journeys and lessons learned along the way.
As teams prepare for Baja SAE New York 2026, Mike Sorg sits down with Baja SAE Program Manager Damon Andring and event organizers Steven Shurski and Andrew Beckmann to discuss everything competitors need to know before arriving at Hogback Hill.