The William A. Demmer Engineering Center at Michigan State University reflects a commitment to providing students hands-on opportunities to turn ideas into real-world solutions. Funded by longtime MSU supporters Bill and Linda Demmer, the 10,000-square-foot, $4 million facility opened its doors to MSU student competition teams in 2023.
The MSU Baja Racing, Formula Racing, Solar Racing, Rocketry and STARX teams attribute much of their success to having an environment that offers an ideal workplace and fosters cross-team collaboration and community.
“The Demmer Center makes a significant difference for our student teams because it provides a physical community,” said Amanda Idema, assistant dean for undergraduate student affairs in the College of Engineering. “In the space, students share knowledge with each other, collaborate on projects, and develop valuable expertise that contributes to becoming practice ready. The on-campus location ensures all students have access, and the open and flexible workspace allows the teams to achieve their best outcomes”
This fall, the teams are focused on projects ranging from off-road, electric, and solar racing to high-powered rockets and mobility-focused exoskeletons.
Everything in one place
Thomas Gilbert, senior mechanical engineering major and project manager for MSU Baja Racing, describes the advantages of the facility. “It's everything we need in one place – conference rooms, the computer lab and shop space,” said Gilbert. “We are also able to work with other teams and give support where they need it and get support in areas that we are not as developed.”
In 2025, MSU Baja Racing will celebrate its 50th anniversary as a competition team. Most recently, the group competed in the final race of the season at SAE Baja Carolina, where they placed eighth in Suspension and Traction, ninth in Hill Climb, 10th in Acceleration, and 19th in Endurance. Out of 66 teams, MSU Baja Racing came in 15th overall.
Close to home
Nathan Marchywka, third-year electrical engineering major and project manager for MSU Formula Racing, cited the facility’s proximity to campus as a major plus.
“The Demmer Center being so accessible means more productivity for our team because we can just go to Demmer and do work without having to worry about commute times. It's just accessible,” said Marchywka.
That productivity came in handy during a year of transition for MSU Formula Racing as they built a new all-electric vehicle. At the Oakland University Grand Prix, in Rochester, Michigan, they successfully passed inspections and were able to compete, marking a significant milestone for the team in this new era.
Community building
Owen Winegar, fourth-year electrical engineering major and president of MSU’s Solar Racing, said the facility has been helpful building community both inside and outside the university.
“With the open floor plan at Demmer, it has allowed us to be a lot more communicative with each other and a lot more collaborative with the other teams,” said Winegar. “We invite sponsors out because it is a lot nicer than our previous facility and they've all been pretty impressed. It's even nice showing off the other teams there too.”
At the Formula Sun Grand Prix collegiate race in Bowling Green, Kentucky, MSU Solar Racing learned what works and what doesn’t. The team went from not having a running car in 2024 to passing nearly all the dynamics testing in 2025. Moving forward, MSU Solar Racing is using those lessons to build a brand-new car they are calling Lysander. Although the typical build cycle is at least two years, the goal is to complete the build in one year and race Lysander at the collegiate level on expressways across multiple states in the 2026 American Solar Challenge.
Promoting growth
Wiley Smith, fourth-year mechanical engineering major and president of MSU Rocketry, \ said, “My freshman year, I think we had about 10 consistent members, so we've grown the team three times the size in three years. And Demmer was honestly a big reason for that. Now that we're in a dedicated space where we can store our stuff and have access to the tools we actually need, it's been a huge help in growing the team.”
At the 2025 International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC), teams compete to reach an altitude of 10,000 feet above ground level using a commercially available motor rather than a customized one. MSU Rocketry’s Spartacus MK III was first to launch off the pad but didn’t make the 10,000-foot mark. Fortunately, the rocket was recovered and is now being redesigned for next year’s competition.
Hands-on experience
MSU’s STARX (Strength-Augmenting-Robotic-Exoskeleton) aims to design and build an exoskeleton suit that can enhance the strength of the user.
Ryan Monaghan, third-year mechanical engineering major and MSU STARX president, was able to capitalize on his team experience to find an internship.
“Working at Demmer is very helpful with manufacturing training,” he said. “I recently applied for an internship, and one of the skills they were looking for is having time on the computer numerical control machine or CNC. We have access and training on those machines through Demmer, so I had an advantage going into the process.”
Although the team did not participate in 2025 Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton Competition, they are working hard to get ready for the 2026 event. In the meantime, MSU STARX featured its latest exoskeleton design during MSU Family Weekend at the William A. Demmer Engineering Center in Sept. 2025, highlighting how the team uses the collaborative space to advance robotics and biomedical engineering goals.
Read Student teams shine at William A. Demmer Engineering Center during MSU Family Weekend to learn more.
Contact Development and Alumni Relations at egrdevel@egr.msu.edu to learn about supporting the competition teams.
Written by Judi Melena Smelser
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page