GM Systems Engineer Visits ECE Class and EcoCar
March 8, 2022
General Motors System Engineer Gary Rushton recently spoke to one of Mississippi State University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s classes.
Rushton presented an overview of the EcoCar competition and his work in advanced forward lighting technologies to Dr. John Ball’s Sensor Processing for Autonomous Vehicles class. Rushton serves as the mentor for Mississippi State University’s EcoCar Mobility Challenge Team, and he is a product manager in the General Motors (GM) systems engineering group and a feature owner for vision and visibility.
In the class visit, Rushton discussed GM’s Advanced Forward Lighting, which adapts the vehicle’s low beam based on exterior lighting conditions, other vehicles, and the driving situation for optimal lighting for the driver. The company is introducing a new technology in the United States, Glare Free High Beam, which uses cameras to detect other vehicles and automatically reacts to give better visibility to the driver and reduce the glare for other drivers.
In addition to sharing his insight into the field, Rushton invited students to consider opportunities for internships, co-ops, or full-time employment with General Motors. He is in his twelfth year as an EcoCar mentor, which involves meeting with teams, participating in workshops, and answering questions. His trip to campus included interacting with the EcoCar team and a visit with MSU administration.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University consists of 27 faculty members (including 6 endowed professors), 7 professional staff, and over 700 undergraduate and graduate students with approximately 100 being at the Ph.D. level. With research expenditure of the department in excess of $11.94 million, the department houses the largest High Voltage Laboratory among North American universities. For more detailed information on the department, please visit www.ece.msstate.edu.