Q&A with David Rizkalla - Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

We sat down with David Rizkalla, a transfer student to the University of Michigan, who shared his journey from studying pure physics at a small liberal arts college to finding his place in our Engineering Physics program. Through exploring internships, David discovered his true interest lay in engineering, leading him to U-M, where he could bridge his passion for physics with hands-on applications in various engineering fields. This path ultimately guided him to specialize in controls engineering, a field where he’s already making an impact.

Q: Can you tell me about your decision to pursue Engineering Physics at the University of Michigan?

A: I transferred to the University of Michigan from a small liberal arts school at which I was a Pure Physics major. It was through pursuing potential internship opportunities that I realized the careers I was genuinely interested in were within the engineering fields and decided I wanted to pursue a degree in engineering. At the time, though, I was unsure what type of engineering and all I knew for certain is that I had a passion for physics. Engineering Physics was therefore the perfect medium for me to continue learning the fundamental physics that I find so interesting while gaining exposure to different fields of engineering until I choose one to concentrate in. It just so happened that I found my concentration in controls engineering very quickly.

Q: How has your experience been with the curriculum and coursework in the Engineering Physics program?

A: My experience with the curriculum and coursework of Engineering Physics has been extremely positive. I love that it allows me to continue down parallel paths of theoretical physics and a more applied engineering field. Further, I greatly appreciate the ability to pick and choose which engineering courses fit my concentration, which really enables me to only take courses I am genuinely interested in.

Q: Have you been involved in any research or special projects at U-M?

A: I have been a member of the MRacing Formula SAE team since my first semester at U-M. We design, build, test, and race a formula-style electric race car.

Q: How do you think your background in Engineering Physics has influenced your approach to design and innovation on the MRacing team?

A: MRacing is such an applied team in which the focus is getting things done and creating high-performing systems that function robustly. This mindset has supplemented the theoretical learning in my Engineering Physics background to create an approach that attempts to use the fundamental laws of physics combined with a pragmatic understanding of real-world limitations to eek out optimal performance in the imperfect world that our systems operate in.

Q: How did you first get involved with the MRacing team?

A: I went to the team meetings and talked with the current members. I was lucky enough to meet Jeremy Kay, who taught me everything I needed to know about controls and brought me in to the team. He is now my partner working on the control systems of our vehicle.

We are an open organization which means that we welcome anyone who comes and puts the time and effort into learning and contributing to the team. It certainly takes a significant time commitment and genuine intellectual effort to get over the hump of contributing meaningful work to the team but anyone with the drive to do so, can.

Q: Can you describe your role and responsibilities within the MRacing team?

A: I am the Vehicle Controls Lead, as which I am responsible for the real-time software algorithms that control the torque production of our 4 in-hub motors. The bulk of the technical output of my role is to model and understand the physics of vehicle dynamics and our 600 volt battery pack in order to control them effectively. This includes significant digital signal processing and state estimation, producing signals which are used in control algorithms within the “torque path.” Some of the notable control algorithms are Traction Control, Torque Vectoring, Regenerative Braking, Launch Control, and Current Control. All these algorithms need empirical testing, which is the next main portion of my role. We test our vehicle in a parking lot on campus which provides valuable opportunities to test each of the algorithms. Writing and leading these test plans, and then iterating (many times within the hour) to improve vehicle behavior is a quintessential part of creating and calibrating a successful vehicle control system. Testing days are a lot of fun, not only because we get to see the car drive, but also because as the controls engineer I have to communicate with the driver to receive their feedback about what a certain change felt like and correlate that subjective feedback with the objective feedback seen in sensor data, then make the appropriate decision on how to address the feedback in the moment. This process repeats itself many times in a single testing day in an attempt to hone in on the fastest control system.

Q: What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had while working with the MRacing team?

A: I would speak about 2 most memorable experiences working with the MRacing team. The first is not a specific moment but rather the expanse of time spent in the shop. Being on MRacing really isn’t being on MRacing without late nights in the shop working with teammates to solve some problem. Whatever the problem is, whatever broke and needs fixing or whatever it is we are trying to optimize. There is always work and there are always teammates eager to be there with you, contributing to the same goal. The little moments that add up in this time spent with my teammates are memories that I will hold with me for the rest of my life.

In terms of a larger, singular experience, our Endurance run at MIS 2024 was significant to me and the team. We faced a lot of adversity going into the competition and weren’t running the car under our ideal circumstances which heightened the stress level. The endurance run, for those who don’t know, is a 22 kilometer race which tests not only the performance but also the reliability of all systems on our car. I was trackside during this run monitoring our real-time telemetered data to ensure everything was running smoothly and make strategy decisions to communicate to our drivers. It was an overwhelmingly rewarding experience to see our car cross the finish line and witness all of our work culminate into that minor success for our team.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced while working on the MRacing team, and how have you overcome them?

A: I believe the biggest challenges of being a part of the MRacing team are those of willpower. It is a law of nature and motorsport that something will break. Often. Entropy always increases and a racecar is no exception (especially a student-built one). These things take time to handle properly. A lot of time. And to succeed, one must muster the mental and physical strength to remain sharp and practice sound decision-making through the many hours spent working. To do this, a strong sense of drive and love for the work coupled with determination are necessary.

Another significant challenge is one of communication. Our team, as students, are obviously still learning the technical aspects of the engineering problems we work on. One of the more significant facts that is often overlooked is that we are also learning the communication skills of working on a team. Both the technical and interpersonal communication can be difficult to navigate on a student team and differences of expectation and understanding can arise. It is certainly a challenge to manage this, but provides a great opportunity for leadership to actively create an environment which fosters clear and constant communication among team members. Doing so not only improves the way the team functions but also teaches all of our team members how to engage in a professional group setting with proper communication.

Q: How has being part of the MRacing team enhanced your overall educational experience at the University of Michigan?

A: I learned the fundamental physics and system analysis concepts in classes which provide me with the background knowledge to succeed. But I really learned to be an engineer on MRacing. It taught me so much of the non-technical aspects of being a good engineer that typically you don’t learn in class. Things like communication, a wider perspective on viewing the greater goal of your work, and organizational/management skills.

In terms of technical gain, MRacing allowed me to delve so deeply into a field that excites me. I attribute almost all of my knowledge and intuition about controls (and specifically electric vehicle controls) to my time on MRacing. Within that, I learned the functional aptitude of how to implement algorithms on a real system existing in the un-ideal world that we all live in, something that is difficult to pick up from classes.

Q: What are your goals and aspirations for the MRacing team in the upcoming season?

A: First and foremost, to win MIS.

Another main goal for this year is to teach the team all of the knowledge necessary to maintain and continue to develop our control system. Knowledge transfer is paramount for the lasting success of a student project team and controls is an area which needs young members of the team to take ownership of because Jeremy (my co-controls lead) and I will be graduating at the end of this year.

Q: How do you think your experience with the MRacing team will influence your future career path in Engineering Physics or related fields?

A: It already has. I attribute MRacing with providing me the space to gain the qualifications to receive the offer I signed to join Tesla as a Powertrain Controls Engineer following my graduation. I would not be knowledgeable or experienced enough to graduate into this role without MRacing, in either the technical ability necessary or the soft skills to be a high-performing engineer.