MORRISVILLE, NY—A class project turned into an entrepreneurial venture for two Morrisville State College automotive technology students.
Greg Stallone, of Long Island, and Tyler Moravcik, of Nineveh, put a savvy spin on an assignment in automotive Professor Ron Alexander’s Advanced Powertrain Management class, which required them to disassemble and reassemble a transmission.
“Instead of just taking apart and rebuilding a transmission, we thought we would take our project a step farther and modify a transmission—one that gives the driver complete control of shifting,” Stallone said. Their project involved adapting a transmission’s valve body, with their own modifications, to build the manual-shifting piece.
Once it’s perfected, they plan to take their industrious venture out of the classroom and into the streets.
The concept, which Stallone said can cut down on fuel costs and appeals to performance car drivers, generated from a similar project he read about in an automotive magazine. “It’s exciting to think that something we are building could end up on the streets someday,” he said.
Work on the automotive innovation began after Stallone and Moravcik were selected to attend the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) show in Las Vegas last year. The show represents the most innovative and cutting-edge automotive aftermarket products.
“SEMA was a big influence in our plan to proceed,” Stallone said of the prestigious show that sets the standards for the automotive industry. “We thought, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and maybe our dream would be possible with Morrisville’s equipment and faculty expertise.”
Plans shifted quickly into gear when Stallone and Moravcik, both seniors in the college’s automotive technology bachelor degree program, decided to blend their backgrounds and skills to capitalize on the idea.
Morrisville provided them with all of the tools they needed to move forward with their concept, including access to a transmission dyno in the transmission lab of the college’s state-of-the-art automotive facility. The dyno, which acts as the engine in a car, allows them to test the transmission multiple times and make essential modifications.
“Because it is so labor intensive to swap transmissions, it would not have been possible without this equipment,” Stallone said.
Other departments also reached out to support their effort.
With assistance from MSC Professor John Giess, Stallone and Moravcik were able to tackle one of their biggest obstacles, machining a spool valve for the transmission.
While they are still working out some kinks, Stallone and Moravcik remain determined. “We are going to keep working on it until we perfect it,” Stallone said.
Their experiential spirit is evident in all corners of the college campus where students are immersed in hands-on learning, and utilizing entrepreneurial processes in order to solve problems.
A national leader in hands-on, experiential learning, Morrisville fosters the way for students aspiring to be entrepreneurs and business leaders through an array of classes where they create in-depth business plans, and also through running actual businesses at the college.
Stallone and Moravcik are soaking up all of the transformational experiences Morrisville is providing them, namely the unique opportunities to build and diversify their skills.
Their next stop is to venture out of the classroom and present their model at the new product showcase at next year’s SEMA show.
“I always thought I would be a mechanic or a technician, but now that I attended SEMA and saw the opportunities, I realize it is not impossible to be part of a big company or something bigger,” Stallone said.
And they plan to do it together.
Plans are in the works to start their own business in one-off custom cars. They hope their newest idea will be one of the products that steers them in that direction.
Morrisville’s auto programs prepare students for automotive careers, aligning them with the current industry.
Morrisville’s automotive facilities include an award-winning automotive technology building with nine state-of-the art laboratories, a showroom, and an auto body building with a lab containing superior air purification equipment, a laser device for measuring frame damage, and a Garmat Paint Station.
As the only campus with its own parts department and live service desk both run by students, students gain communication skills performing live work on faculty, staff and student vehicles.
Morrisville State’s curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2016 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings.