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Leadership Honors Experiential Learning Proposal Form

Basic Information
Full Name: Zachary Hase
UC Email: hasezh@mail.uc.edu
College: College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Title of Project: Xtreme Bots Leadership Proposal
Thematic Area (choose only one): Leadership
Expected Project Start Date: Winter 2015
Expected Project End Date: Spring Competition 2015 (March 21nd?)
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
WHAT?
I have always had a passion for designing/making things. The Xtreme Bots organization holds a
competition in the spring and fall in which participants make a 15 lb. battle bot. A very specific,
detailed list of the rules is on their website. I want to start a team here at UC which will bring together
various types of engineers such as electrical, computer, mechanical, etc. and be competitive in the spring
competition.
WHY?
I participated in this competition while I was at high school, and the opportunities that it opened
for me were priceless along with the skills gained. I feel that bringing this challenge to the university level
could spark great interest in the engineering fields and possibly open more doors (that arent even known
yet) for its members. In addition to the challenges of the competition and being the leader, I must find and
coordinate a team in a new environment which will be a great learning experience.
HOW?
There is no better way to become a better leader than by doing and leading. I have met a few
people in the machine shop, but I will talk with the machine shop steward to get the okay that we can
utilize their equipment. I will then go about advertising the team and getting people to become a member
of the team.
TIME?
With my experience in the competition, I understand the great time commitment it takes to
design/build/troubleshoot a fully functional battle robot. I will want to start as soon as possible to get a
head start on the Spring Competition, but I expect to work on this project over 6 hours a week until the
competition. The first month would be spent getting the team organized and brainstorming designs. The
next few weeks will be spent modeling the final design in SolidWorks and making drawings for
manufacture. Building and problem-solving the robot is the most time consuming part of the project. You
never know what will go wrong. This would give the team approximately a total of 4 months to get ready.
With 6 hours a week for 4 months, this puts the time spent well over the 75 hour minimum (96 hours). In
the month leading up to the competition, I know from past experience that 6 hours can be easily done in
one day due to the hard deadline of the competition. Unfortunately, I dont know the exact date of the
spring competition yet, but it will probably be sometime late in March. (Last years was March 22)
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area

Has the ability to relate, communicate and work effectively with peers
Without being able to relate, communicate and work effectively with peers, this project wouldnt
get very far. I am forcing myself to communicate the ideas of the project to get the best teammates. This
is crucial to success from the start when putting together a team. In the past, I have been the chief
engineer for the project, but I was never tasked with being the leader of the whole project. This entails
coordinating times to work on the robot, getting all the materials and dealing with the financials of the
project.
Develops a vision of the future and acknowledges the impact of decisions (as applicable to the
individual and affiliated organizations)
This competition is all about developing a vision for the future and acknowledging the impact of
these decisions. In the past, I have a good understanding of this concept. It is very easy to think that a
simple decision in the design process wont matter when building the robot later. The competition is a
very stressful environment to learn about mistakes, but that is how people learn and more importantly,
remember from their past mistakes. It sure is memorable when you see a small mistake cause destruction
in front of your eyes. In terms of a vision of the future for the club, I can see the club generating
significant interest in the future if the project is successful in the competition. In addition, a strong social
media presence can create more interest similar to President Onos #HottestCollegeinAmerica.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
A. This project relates to my development in many ways such as:
Like stated in the learning outcomes, this project is similar to the one I participated in high school
in the aspect that it is the same rules for the competition, but that is the extent of the similarities. I will
starting from scratch. There will be different people, working in a new environment, and more
responsibilities. I will be taking over the tasks that my teacher in high school took care of like the budget
of the robot, coordinating time/place to work, etc. in addition to starting a brand new organization at UC.
B. Theories and Readings I plan to explore in my project:
Shifting to a Strategy of Innovation: The Key Role of Leadership in Consumer Packaged Goods - From
Penn State Executive Programs in the Smeal College of Business, The Pennsylvania State University
Leadership That Gets Results by Daniel Goleman
Advice From The Most Innovative Leaders Forbes
Theories and Types of Leadership Leadership-with-you.com
Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
What is the Difference between Management and Leadership - the Wall Street Journal
Being an effective leader is not just being the person that tells everyone else what to do. It
requires being involved in even the most inner-most details if thats what it takes to keep moving forward.
From talking to various company leaders and people near the bottom of the totem pole, I have gathered
that the best leaders have a strong understanding of what goes on throughout the company on each level,
department, etc. This is one idea of what I think a leader should be, but through my research of various

leadership styles, I will expand this knowledge. In combination with researching and being a leader, I will
gain significant experience as an effective leader.
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
I feel that being innovative is crucial to making the competition worthwhile. I have seen many teams
come to the competition with a robot that was already made for them. The most important thing in this
competition is not the final result. Although the competition can be very rewarding or disappointing, it is
the journey that is of utmost importance. What learning can be found when there isnt any design,
manufacture, or troubleshooting to do? This is why I whatever design is chosen for the competition, it
will be different from the rest. It may not work and be a complete failure, but everyone who participates
in the project will learn something which is more important.
5. Reflection
Each day of work will be documented with pictures, social media, and notes. Not only is this
important for reflection, but there is also a part of the competition that involves being the most organized
team in respect to the drawings, budget, etc. The reflection may overlap with the competition
documentation, but the honors paperwork will be more personal on my own growth throughout the
experience. The competition will be an important test for how well the decisions turned out, and after the
competition I will analyze what I would do or not do again in regards to my leadership style for future
competitions.
6. Dissemination
I plan on sharing my learning from this project through social media, my learning portfolio, and a
presentation to the members of the Xtreme Bots team, CEAS Tribunal, and in my hometown physics
classroom which has an Xtreme Bots team. From my experience in high school, reflection and learning
from the past was prevalent, but not utilized to its full potential. By presenting my learning experience
from this project, I hope to make their team more excited for the competition and challenge them to think
outside of the box. It will be important to instill in their minds that its ok to fail. Its not all about the
competition and winning: its about the journey and the learning that takes place to get there.
7. Project Advisor (list the persons name, title, and contact information)
UC Machine Shop Steward
513-556-3179
598 Rhodes
Rory Korzan
Physics Teacher at Springboro High School
Email korzanr@gmail.com & rkorzan@springboro.org
8. Budget (if applicable)
Unfortunately, without the final design completed, there isnt much of a way to estimate the cost
of the robot. From past experience, I can see a design costing anywhere from $500-$1000. If there is
scrap metals or parts laying around the machine shop, it is possible that they could be used. At this time,
there isnt any money to buy parts, but when the design is finalized the budget should get narrowed down
to a number.