Mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech

Hi, I’m Nathaniel.

I like engineering projects that end with something real in front of me—a part, a working machine, or a race car ready to get back on course.

Most of my time outside class goes into Blizzard Baja. I work on the driver protection system, help lead the team as Vice President, and handle timing and communications for Winter Baja. I have also worked on industrial automation and robot tooling at Mayfair Plastics.

See my Baja worknaskiera@mtu.edu
Nathaniel Skiera standing by the Michigan Tech Husky statue
Michigan Tech, Houghton, Michigan

Main project

Driver Protection System — Nemesis

Our goal is straightforward: build a safe driver environment that fits the car, works for different drivers, can be manufactured by our team, and passes technical inspection. The details are where it gets difficult.

Blizzard Baja vehicle airborne during testing near Toivola, Michigan
Vehicle testing near Toivola, Michigan

What I worked on

Seat design, manufacturing, and cockpit integration

I helped develop the composite bucket seat and worked through how it fits with the firewall, harness, head restraint, mounting tubes, and driver envelope. A change to one part usually affects three others, so this has been as much an integration project as a seat project.

The final seat uses a molded shape taken from the previous Matador seat. We built it with a purple carbon outer layer, fiberglass through the middle, and carbon on the inside. That gave us a practical way to make a stiff, lightweight seat in-house while keeping a shape we already knew worked for drivers.

The checks I kept coming back to

  • Can drivers enter and exit cleanly?
  • Does the harness route correctly without the seat redirecting it?
  • Are the mounting points strong, accessible, and rule-compliant?
  • Can the firewall still seal the cockpit and be removed for service?

Ohio 2026 design review

From driver measurements to vehicle CAD

For the submitted design review, the team measured drivers, compared seat geometry, and checked the seating position against the steering, pedals, harness, and available cockpit space. My driver-protection work focused on how those pieces fit together safely and could still be manufactured and serviced by the team.

Isometric CAD view of the Baja SAE seat, steering, and pedal system
Integrated ergonomics package — isometric view, Ohio 2026 DRB
Side CAD view of the Baja SAE seat, steering, and pedal system
Seat and control relationship — side view, Ohio 2026 DRB
65°–90°Allowed seat-back angle from horizontal
Six mountsAt least four on the bottom and two on the back
0 to 4 in belowShoulder-belt mounting range relative to the shoulders
0.50 mm metalMinimum firewall thickness
A Baja vehicle competing at Winter Baja
Winter Baja competition

Winter Baja

I also work on the systems behind the race.

As IT Officer, I helped set up the timing loop, decoder, transponders, timing computer, Race Monitor, livestream, and radios. Before the event, that meant checking equipment and making sure transponders were reading. During the race, it meant watching the system and fixing problems quickly enough that results stayed useful.

1Vehicle transponder
2Track loop and decoder
3Timing computer and network
4Live timing and race results

This is a different kind of engineering than designing a part, but I enjoy it for the same reason: the system has to work in the real world, with limited time and no interest in excuses.

2026 competition

Baja SAE Ohio

The Ohio design review gave us a clear record of the engineering behind the car, including driver measurements, seat selection, CAD packaging, testing, manufacturing, and serviceability. I am keeping this section focused on work I can document accurately while I gather the final event results and repair notes.

What went into the car

  • Driver measurements and seat-selection work
  • Seat, steering, pedal, and harness packaging in CAD
  • Manufacturing and serviceability planning
  • Driver-protection preparation for technical inspection

What I am still documenting

  • Inspection attempts and any changes required
  • Events completed, endurance laps, and final placement
  • Failures, root causes, and repair turnaround times
  • Clear photos of the finished DPS and work at competition

Teamwork

Most good engineering is not a solo project.

Baja has taught me to explain decisions, ask for help early, and stay useful when a test or repair does not go according to plan.

Blizzard Baja members working around the competition vehicle
Working through a vehicle issue during testing
FIRST Robotics team with the 2025 Lake City Event winner banner
2025 FIRST Robotics Lake City Event

A little more about me

Experience outside the car

I am interested in mechanical design, manufacturing, testing, automation, and race engineering. I learn fastest when I can move between the computer, the shop, and the actual hardware.

Vice President & IT Officer

Blizzard Baja

Team leadership, driver protection, race timing, transponders, radios, livestream, and event troubleshooting.

Automation Engineering Intern

Mayfair Plastics

Designed robot end-of-arm tooling and part-validation equipment that reduced manual work and improved the validation process by up to 50%. Supported CAD, controls, troubleshooting, and hands-on implementation on the plant floor.

Resident Assistant

Michigan Technological University

Community leadership, communication, problem solving, and being dependable when something needs attention.

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Michigan Technological University

Coursework in mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials, MATLAB, CAD, and manufacturing.

Skills I use

Tools are useful when they end in working hardware.

I am most comfortable moving between CAD, manufacturing, troubleshooting, and testing. These are the areas I have used in Baja SAE, industrial automation, coursework, and hands-on projects.

CAD & mechanical design

  • SolidWorks, Creo, and Siemens NX
  • Part and assembly modeling
  • Design for manufacturing and serviceability
  • Packaging, fit, and cockpit integration

Manufacturing & prototyping

  • Carbon-fiber and fiberglass composite layup
  • Machining, fabrication, and shop assembly
  • 3D printing and laser-cut components
  • Fixture, mounting-tab, and tooling development

Automation & troubleshooting

  • Robot end-of-arm tooling
  • Part-validation systems
  • Pneumatics, sensors, industrial wiring, and controls
  • Hands-on fault finding and root-cause work

Testing & technical work

  • Driver ergonomics and safety requirements
  • MATLAB analysis and technical documentation
  • Baja SAE inspection preparation
  • Race timing, transponders, radios, and livestream systems

Get in touch

If you want to talk about racing, manufacturing, or an engineering opportunity, I’d be glad to hear from you.

Email meView my résumé
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