Minda Hazlett
About Minda Hazlett
Minda Hazlett is a Research Engineer at Ford Motor Company, where she has worked since 2021. She has a background in Mechanical Engineering, holding both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree, and has gained diverse research experience across several institutions.
Work at Ford Motor Company
Minda Hazlett has been employed as a Research Engineer at Ford Motor Company since 2021. In this role, she has contributed to the development of virtual vehicle prototype models for model-based calibration and controls development. Additionally, she has implemented driver models in traffic simulation environments using PTV Vissim and SUMO. Hazlett has also conducted functional validation tests and correlated models to data during the design verification stage, and has built mechanical, electrical, and thermal subsystems using various software programs.
Education and Expertise
Minda Hazlett earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama, where she also completed minors in the Randall Research Scholars Program and Mathematics from 2015 to 2019. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2019 to 2021. During her master's program, she gained experience in modeling and control algorithms through the Alleyne Research Group and the Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) Engineering Research Center.
Background in Research and Internships
Prior to her current position, Minda Hazlett held various research and internship roles. She served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2019 to 2021 and as a Graduate Student Intern at CU Aerospace for five months in 2020-2021. Additionally, she worked as a Graduate Student Intern at Southwest Research Institute for two months in 2019. Her undergraduate research experience includes roles at The University of Alabama, University of Michigan, and The Johns Hopkins University, focusing on biomechanics, photovoltaics, and green-engineered transportation technologies.
Teaching Experience
Minda Hazlett has experience in teaching, having worked as a Teaching Assistant for the ME349 course at The University of Alabama for four months in 2017. In this role, she supported the educational development of undergraduate students and contributed to the academic environment of the engineering department.