Cal State Northridge’s College of Engineering and Computer Science is on a roll. Named the fastest growing undergraduate engineering program by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2010, its students recently won two important competitions, one international and one regional.

In June, the 18-person team that developed the Red Raven (Robotic Autonomous Vehicle Engineered at Northridge) won top honors in the 19th annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition, held on the campus of Oakland University in Michigan. The CSUN students, mainly seniors in electrical and mechanical engineering, developed a dynamic frame with a low center of gravity inspired by the Mars Rover.

In May, a student team of mechanical engineers took home honors in the Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Western area competition in Bozeman, Mont. The team won first place in the design event and second place overall in the speed class, which is the highest that a CSUN team has placed in this national competition.

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