Information technology and management graduate student Smit Shah (left) volunteered to help distribute information to fellow students, including EMAC senior Brian McCollum, about Toyota’s upcoming events.
Toyota will showcase its latest engineering technology for students and celebrate the company's corporate headquarters move to Plano with a “Hello Texas” event Tuesday, April 5 on the UT Dallas campus.
The event will include displays of the latest Toyota vehicles and appearances by key executives and engineers who will discuss how the North Texas region will play a key role in sharing leadership, innovation and technology ideas.
A highlight of the day will be a visit by Simon Nagata, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Toyota North America, who is leading the company’s headquarters transition to Plano. Nagata will participate in an evening panel discussion at 7 p.m. in the ATEC Lecture Hall.
“We are looking forward to meeting the students and faculty at UT Dallas and introducing them to Toyota. Our vision is to lead the way to the future of mobility by enabling safe, clean and convenient mobility solutions for a changing society,” Nagata said. “With our culture of openness and inclusion, we are committed to recruiting a diverse group of talented people who have the skills, insight and spirit of collaboration that will allow us to grow together.”
Events on April 5
Ask an Engineer Session
2:45 p.m., Trellis Plaza
Toyota senior engineer Jackie Birdsall will discuss her work on the fuel cell hybrid vehicle team during a question-and-answer session. Food and music from Radio UTD are planned before and after her remarks from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free, no registration required.
“Driving the Future” Panel Discussion
7 p.m., Edith O’Donnell ATEC Lecture Hall
Top executives from Toyota will participate in a panel discussion.
Registration
The evening event is free, but registration for open seating is required by March 31. Guests with reservations are encouraged to arrive early.
The talk also will be live broadcast on screens in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building lobby for overflow guests. If seats become available in the lecture hall, overflow guests will be invited to fill them.
Parking
Lecture guests are asked to park in Lot B, where shuttle service to and from the lecture hall will begin at 6 p.m.
Future of Mobility
8:15 p.m., Chess Plaza.
See demonstrations of technology of the future on the plaza.
Other Toyota representatives on the panel will include Cheryl Hughes, group vice president, human resources; chief information officer Zach Hicks; chief social innovation officer Latondra Newton; and senior engineer Jackie Birdsall. The panel discussion, led by WFAA reporter Jobin Panicker, is free; and registration is required. The discussion will also be live broadcast in the lobby of the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building for overflow guests.
“UT Dallas is pleased to welcome the leadership of Toyota North America to our campus and for the opportunity to introduce them to the talented students and faculty who are leading the charge for innovation and discovery in the North Texas region,” said Dr. Kyle Edgington, UT Dallas associate vice president for development.
“Founded by engineering and business visionaries, UT Dallas has long responded quickly and efficiently to industry’s workforce development and research needs," Edgington said. "We look forward to extending that benefit to Toyota as both a resource and a partner in the years ahead.”
The focus on engineering and future technologies is of particular interest to many UT Dallas students. The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science is the University’s second-largest school, with a fall 2015 enrollment of more than 6,200 students and programs that include biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, analog electronics, cybersecurity and control systems.
Birdsall, a senior engineer at Toyota Technical Center, works on the team that developed Toyota's new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the Mirai. She will conduct a walk-around of the car and discuss how her team overcame the vehicle’s engineering challenges at 2:45 p.m. under the Trellis. A question and answer period for students will follow. The Mirai is not yet available in Texas. Toyota staff had the vehicle driven here from New York City to share the technology with the UT Dallas community.
Activities will also include food booths and music from Radio UTD on Trellis Plaza before and after her remarks. In case of inclement weather, the event will move inside the Student Union.
Toyota will be displaying various technology on campus during the week leading up to April 5. Students will be able to drive and ride in the Mirai from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 5. Sign-ups begin April 4 at an information tent on Trellis Plaza, where the car is staged.