US University Innovation Award Winner
In 1965, The McCoys had a #1 hit with the song “Hang On Sloopy.” It soon became the unofficial anthem of The Ohio State University marching band, which has now played it at all home football games for 60 years to rev up the crowd and the Buckeyes gridiron squad. It must be working since Ohio State just captured the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship.
There is now another team at Ohio State with its own “Sloopy” hit. This one seeks to win much more than a collegiate championship. Indeed, The Sloopy Works is the university’s team competing in the GoAERO Prize, the global challenge to create a whole new class of emergency response vehicles—flyers that are more efficient and effective than helicopters, drones, and ambulances during wildfires, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events, as well as medical emergencies.
And while it has a ways to go to capture this worldwide competition, The Sloopy Works is already a winner: it is one of 14 universities from the United States to be awarded funds from GoAERO with support from NASA’s University Innovation project.
“When I first learned of the GoAERO Prize, I immediately thought back to my own experience as an undergraduate participating in NASA Aeronautics University Design Challenges,” relates Dr. Kevin Disotell, research scientist and educator in aerospace engineering at the Ohio State Aerospace Research Center who is serving as captain/managing director of The Sloopy Works. “I knew our Ohio State students needed to be in this. What are we doing in aerospace engineering if we pass on an opportunity to save lives through flight?"
He adds that the GoAERO funding “will help us buy materials to build our wind tunnel test model.” Varun Chitiveli, an Ohio State junior studying aerospace engineering, echoes this sentiment, while quipping that there is another prize that he and his 14 other student teammates will also enjoy: “We will all get extra pizza from Dr. D!”
Beyond the food for nourishment, GoAERO provides The Sloopy Works with food for thought – how the team can best use the lessons team members are learning in the classroom for the betterment of humankind.
“Recent events, including natural disasters and wars, have strengthened my resolve to help those in danger, whether by transporting cargo, essential supplies, or wounded individuals,” asserts Jace Park, a senior aerospace engineering major and student president of The Sloopy Works. “We anticipate more wildfires around the globe, so we must be prepared.”
Julia Taylor, who is a doctoral student in aerospace engineering working jointly with Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research and Center for Aviation Studies, agrees with her teammate. She says that what excites her most about GoAERO is “the prospect of seeing what you design come to life and then to show the potential of saving lives with it. I don’t think there’s much that can beat how cool aircraft are and especially to help vulnerable people.”
Growing up, she was inspired by her grandfather, who instilled in her a love of learning and the importance of curiosity. “He had this natural ability to ask questions about how things worked and always encouraged me to explore beyond the surface. Whether it was tinkering with old gadgets or diving into complex problems, he was a true believer in the power of STEM. His mindset shaped my own approach to problem-solving, and from a young age, I started to see engineering as a way to bring ideas to life and make a tangible impact on the world.”
Aerospace engineering, in particular, “opened my eyes to how I could apply my skills to change the world in profound ways. It connected the dots between my childhood curiosity and the goals I now have to create solutions that could one day help people in critical situations, like we’re doing with GoAERO.”
Connecting the dots this way is also what drew Waleed Jamshaid to GoAERO. The senior aerospace engineering major relates that his father wanted him to become a doctor. “But this is the perfect way for me to tell him that aerospace engineering can have the same objective of helping people and saving lives.”
Both Varun and teammate Spencer Berry, the team’s treasurer and a junior aerospace engineering major, say that applying their classroom lessons to real-world situations is how they connect the dots for their GoAERO participation. “I wanted the hands-on experience,” Spencer explains. Varun adds, “I just couldn’t turn down this opportunity.”
To fulfill this opportunity, the team is developing STUART – its Small Transportable Uncrewed Aerial Rescue Technology vehicle, which Dr. Disotell describes as a ducted-rotor, electrified vertical takeoff/landing vehicle with real-time autonomous flight controller. It combines UAS technology with an existing helicopter fuselage while remaining compact enough to be transported on a trailer. Part of the enabling technology is based on Ohio State's 2017 world-record-setting jet-powered drone, which set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) record for speed and distance by an autonomous aircraft. The co-creator of that vehicle, Prof. Matthew McCrink, is now chief engineer of The Sloopy Works GoAERO team at Ohio State.
In Spring 2024, Dr. Disotell asked his faculty colleagues for their "all-star" list of students. Then, he hosted a student information session to present the opportunity. The team started meeting on summer evenings while the students were scattered for their various “day job” summer internships.
He notes that GoAERO resonates with a deep history of aviation innovation in the “Buckeye State.” Ohio is the birth state of aviation dating back to the Wright Brothers, and the world’s first hospital-based medical helicopter rescue program was established at Ohio State in 1967 by Dr. Stuart Roberts, a trauma surgeon at Ohio State’s College of Medicine, operating from The Ohio State University Airport. “Today, more than 57 years later, our team seeks the next advancement of life-saving aerial rescue capability with STUART, the name of which pays homage to Dr. Roberts. We know that ideas for technology can grow here and there are multiple ways to make an impact by getting involved.”
Indeed, just getting involved is something so impactful, and that is what drew all the members to GoAERO, according to Aditya Chittari, the team’s vice president and a junior studying aerospace engineering.
“I wanted to join with like-minded students to build something with our own hands and take what we’ve been learning in the classroom into the real world,” Aditya says, adding that the end goal makes it more important. “There are so many extreme weather disasters these days. There are so many natural and man-made disasters. To be able to take what we’re building and respond to them and rescue people is so exciting.”
Anthony Pisano, a Ph.D. candidate in aerospace engineering, is especially excited that the STUART design seeks to incorporate space for “a full-size stretcher in the fuselage as well as a crew seat to carry a first responder into the situation. That’s a really important design driver.”
To be able to further Ohio State’s outstanding legacy in the aviation space is also a “real inspiration for me,” Anthony notes, citing the fact that Ohio State is home to the largest university-operated hypersonic wind tunnel in the U.S. and holder of world speed & distance records in autonomous flight. “That’s a pretty historic base to build upon.”
Each member of The Sloopy Works team has a strong foundation in aviation-related disciplines and activities. Jace, for example, started flying remote controlled toys and helicopters as a child. His interest grew substantially during his free time between high school and college. “I was on the Ohio State team that won first place in the Vertical Flight Society’s design/build/fly competition in 2022. At the same time, I started a research role at the Ohio State Aerospace Research Center, conducting research on the acoustic effects of propellersfor UAS and AAM. I presented my findings at the AIAA Region III conference under Dr. McCrink. Now, I am blessed to be working with a team of highly competent engineers in The Sloopy Works.”
Julia knew she wanted to be an engineer by the time she reached 6th grade. Then in high school, she was part of an Upward Bound math/science program and each summer “we would conduct our own research in a different field. I did projects in coding, biology, and bird behavior. It wasn’t until my last summer project that something really clicked for me. We were designing and 3D printing our own gliders. Learning fundamental aerodynamics and being able to mockup designs was cool enough but to be able to throw our gliders off buildings to see how they performed sealed the deal for me.”
Even with their experience, The Sloopy Works’ students acknowledge that there are still challenges to overcome. The biggest challenges, as with any enterprise, are time and funding, Jace cites. “We have been doing our own fundraising in parallel with an accelerated development schedule, and piecing together every bit of support from our large university network helps to get flight hardware.”
It is also fortuitous that Sloopy Works is comprised of a group of passionate students, each at a different stage of their professional development and academic careers. In addition to Jace, Julia, Varun, Aditya, Spencer, Waleed, and Anthony, student members include Alyssa Brucchieri, Jude Gill, Leah Hall, Alex Holthouse, Rachel Jarvis, Carson Nietert, Arushi Sharma, and Beibei Wang.
Between all this, there is a balance between teaching new concepts, gaining experience from internships or industry, and finding everyone’s strengths to ensure the whole design is cohesive. With classes, jobs, graduation, research, and personal lives, the best solution presents itself when every member knows their priorities and can always find the bigger “why.”
As Jace exclaims, “We’re all in. Let’s go!”
To highlight your GoAERO Team, contact us at info@goaeroprize.com.
REMINDER: Stage 2 Registration Documents are available here.
Benefits for Teams can be found here.
Team Summit: Let us know if you can join here.
