ASME NEWS
ASME Sponsors Formula Hybrid + Electric Competition
A roundup of recent Society events
Hybrid + Electric Competition
ASME has become a platinum sponsor of the Formula Hybrid + Electric (FH+E) Competition. The student engineering program, founded and operated by Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering, brings multidisciplinary teams together to design, build, and race hybrid and electric vehicles. The 2026 competition was held in April at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., as part of the Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series.
“FH+E puts emerging technology in the hands of the next generation of engineers in a way that mirrors real-world engineering—across disciplines, with rigor and teamwork,” said ASME Executive Director and CEO Tom Costabile.
The interdisciplinary challenge requires undergraduate and graduate students to collaboratively design and build a formula-style hybrid or electric-only race car, then compete in events emphasizing drivetrain innovation, fuel efficiency, and high performance. The hands-on experience spans mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering.
Organizers said the competition’s cross-disciplinary approach is a key reason engineering firms and automotive manufacturers support FH+E and attend to recruit future engineers. “ASME’s cornerstone support helps expand our ecosystem and connect students to the broader mechanical engineering community,” said FH+E Director Mike Chapman.
Students and instructors work closely on their vehicles at the 2026 Formula Hybrid + Electric (FH+E) Competition.
Hostos Community College in the Bronx.
Community Colleges Key to Closing Engineering Gap
A new ASME white paper highlights the critical role community colleges can play in closing the U.S. engineering workforce gap. The report, “Bridging the Gap: Accelerating Engineering Pathways through Community College Engagement and Work Based Learning,” documents results from the Society’s Accelerating Engineering Pathways (AEP) initiative.
The research showed that two-year institutions can serve as scalable, equity-centered pathways into engineering careers, particularly for students historically underrepresented in STEM. Over two years, AEP engaged nearly 400 students and faculty across 15 community colleges. More than 60 percent were Minority Serving Institutions. Participating colleges saw a 37 percent increase in engineering-related enrollment, with women representing more than half of students.
The program has been funded by the ECMC Foundation and implemented through ASME’s Community College Engineering Pathways program. Central to the initiative is ASME’s EMPOWER work-based learning model. This initiative connects students to industry through project-based work, mentorship, and structured career readiness support. Building on these outcomes, the Society aims to expand the effort to more than 80 community colleges and 3,000 students by FY28.
ASME Enters Agreement with Wiley
ASME announced an agreement with Wiley, a global leader in research and content, to operate a significant portion of ASME’s publishing business for journals and conference proceedings. This agreement includes sales, marketing, and management of the related digital collection.
ASME will continue to manage its book publishing program, a collection of nearly 400 print and more than 200 digital titles serving mechanical engineers. All ASME publications remain ASME products, with ASME retaining copyright, while its mission, editorial governance, and peer review authority remain unchanged across all publication types.
ASME said the collaboration supports long-term stewardship of its publishing program while meeting the needs of the global engineering community. The agreement allows ASME to focus on editorial leadership, volunteer engagement, and advancing engineering knowledge.
Wiley will assume ASME’s customer relationships with libraries, universities, and other organizations around the world. This arrangement will help ensure continuity of service and expand the discoverability and impact of ASME content through its publishing expertise and technology.
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