MOTOR BIRDS: RACING INTO THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

NORMAL, Ill. – After introducing its College of Engineering in the fall of 2025, Illinois State University has seen a rise in Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) focused on engineering. 

One of these RSOs is the Motor Birds, an organization aimed at building a functional Formula 1 style racecar by the end of the semester, according to Gavin Borne, Chief Engineer for the Motor Birds.  

The car will then compete in the Formula SAE competition, hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers International in June each year.  

Borne explained the importance of the competition and the experience it gives to students. 

“You get [such] good hands-on experience and real industry experience building a car,” said Borne. “That just doesn’t compare to anything else.” 

He also added the importance of working in a team to accomplish a shared goal, a skill that is pivotal in the engineering field.  

Another new addition to the engineering program at ISU is the Aero Birds, an RSO aimed at giving students experience in Aerospace Engineering practices and technologies, according to their website.  

Even just being a part of the engineering program at Illinois State, however, is a valuable experience, according to Borne.  

“We built robots literally the second week of classes,” Borne said. “A lot of schools don’t do hands-on things right away, but ISU definitely has.” 

The College of Engineering welcomed 168 students in its inaugural class and is continuing to grow in numbers.  

Any student interested in engineering should “definitely come to ISU, because we are doing some pretty awesome things,” said Borne.  

For more information on the engineering program and related registered student organizations, visit the College of Engineering website.  

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