Mechanical engineer

Nathaniel Skiera

I study mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech and serve as Vice President and IT Officer for Blizzard Baja.

My work includes driver protection, composite manufacturing, CAD, industrial automation, and race timing systems.

Projectsnaskiera@mtu.edu
Nathaniel Skiera standing by the Michigan Tech Husky statue
Michigan Tech, Houghton, Michigan

Baja SAE

Driver Protection System — Nemesis

I work on the seat, harness, firewall, and mounts for Nemesis, our Baja SAE car. The driver needs room to get in and out, reach the controls, and stay properly restrained. The parts also need to meet the rules and be practical for our team to make.

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

What I worked on

Composite seat design & manufacturing

I helped design and build the composite bucket seat and check its fit with the firewall, harness, head restraint, and mounting tubes. We had to leave enough room for the driver while keeping the mounting hardware accessible.

We used the shape of the previous Matador seat, with a purple carbon-fiber outer layer, fiberglass in the middle, and carbon fiber on the inside. That let us make the seat in-house using a shape we already knew worked for our drivers.

Design checks

  • Can drivers get in and out without catching on anything?
  • Does the harness follow the right path without the seat redirecting it?
  • Are the mounts strong enough, accessible, and within the rules?
  • Does the firewall seal the cockpit and come out for maintenance?

Ohio 2026 design review

Seat and control layout

The team measured drivers and compared seat geometry, then checked the seating position against the steering wheel, pedals, and harness in CAD. These views are from our submitted Ohio 2026 design review. My work focused on driver protection and how the seat, restraints, and firewall fit together.

Isometric CAD view of the Baja SAE seat, steering, and pedal system
Team cockpit assembly, isometric view · Ohio 2026 DRB
Side CAD view of the Baja SAE seat, steering, and pedal system
Seat, steering, and pedals, 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

Race timing & communications

For Winter Baja, I helped set up the timing loop, decoder, transponders, timing computer, Race Monitor, livestream, and radios. Before the race, I checked equipment and transponder readings. During the event, I monitored timing and helped troubleshoot problems.

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

2026 design review

Baja SAE Ohio

For the Ohio competition, our team documented the driver measurements, seat selection, cockpit layout, testing, and manufacturing in a design review briefing (DRB). The CAD views above come from that submission.

Design work

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

Design considerations

  • Driver clearance and harness routing
  • Access to mounting hardware
  • Firewall fit and removal for maintenance
  • Parts the team can manufacture in-house

Baja & FIRST Robotics

Team projects

My team experience includes vehicle design and testing with Blizzard Baja and competition robotics through FIRST Robotics.

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

About me

From northern Michigan

I grew up on my family’s farm in northern Michigan.

Outside engineering, I like skiing and spending time outdoors. Houghton and the Keweenaw are a big part of why I enjoy Michigan Tech.

Background

Experience & education

My experience includes Baja SAE, industrial automation, and student leadership. I’m interested in mechanical design, manufacturing, testing, and race engineering.

Vice President & IT Officer

Blizzard Baja

I help lead the team, work on driver protection, and handle race timing, transponders, radios, and livestream support.

Automation Engineering Intern

Mayfair Plastics

I designed robot end-of-arm tooling and part-validation equipment that reduced manual work and improved the validation process by up to 50%. I also worked on CAD, controls, and equipment troubleshooting on the plant floor.

Resident Assistant

Michigan Technological University

Community leadership and day-to-day problem solving as a resident assistant.

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Michigan Technological University

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

Tools & methods

Technical skills

Software, shop skills, and equipment I’ve used in Baja, at Mayfair, and in coursework.

CAD & mechanical design

  • SolidWorks, Creo, and Siemens NX
  • Part and assembly modeling
  • Design for manufacturing and maintenance
  • CAD layouts, clearances, and driver fit

Manufacturing & prototyping

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

Automation & troubleshooting

  • Robot end-of-arm tooling
  • Part-validation systems
  • Pneumatics, sensors, industrial wiring, and controls
  • Equipment troubleshooting and root-cause analysis

Testing & race operations

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

Contact

Get in touch

If you’d like to talk about a project or an engineering opportunity, send me an email.

Email meView my résumé
QR code linking to Nathaniel Skiera's portfolioPortfolio QR code