STEMWERX owners turn passion into impact

Wright State alumni Beth and Todd Hanning use their passion for motorsports to inspire young people to pursue STEM careers in motorsports and the aerospace industry.

As a youth growing up near Mansfield, Ohio, Todd Hanning visited the racetrack there with his father and fell in love with roaring cars speeding to the finish line. Todd ’00 has become such an enthusiast that he rebuilt a Toyota Celica GT and jokes about his wife, Beth, a fellow 2000 graduate of Wright State University, graciously allowing the newly rebuilt and polished motor to be stored in their first home.

It was an early sign of a match well made. In 2018, Todd invited Beth to camp overnight in the infield during the Rolex 24-hour race. A team owner invited the Palm Coast, Fla., residents into the pit, where eight huge monitors hung in an array displaying live telemetry data. As an electrical engineering major with a focus on digital signals, Beth was enamored by the behind-the-scenes aspects of racing, particularly the tech and data acquisition aspects.

“The role of the data engineer and pit crew are impressive. As a robotics coach, I particularly admire the behind-the-scenes team dynamics,” Beth said. “Everyone tends to focus on the driver, but many others contribute to the win. Data engineers are in the ears of the driver, advising when they need to pit, conserve fuel, or push the car to the limit.

“They would not be successful without people behind the scenes making critical calls and providing actionable data.”

Now the Hannings, married for 37 years, share a passion for motorsports. And they are using their passion to inspire young people to seek science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers in motorsports and the aerospace industry.

Leveraging Beth’s engineering background and Todd’s M.B.A. earned at Wright State, they co-founded STEMWERX, a mobile education lab experience for K-12 students where they learn aerodynamics, robotics, and 3D printing with a backdrop of motorsports.

Young and aspiring innovators benefit from curriculum and resources that provide advanced technology education opportunities.

The STEMWERX vehicle travels to racetracks such as Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach and Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama. It also went to the Rolex 24, the weather tech challenge series with International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in January. At these events, STEMWERX interviews drivers from teams such as Corvette Racing and WTR Andretti.

The Hannings offer students real-world, hands-on experience to help prepare them for tech schools, college, and subsequent careers. They become aware of STEM opportunities in the automotive industry and related fields, such as aerospace and other manufacturing industries that require skilled professionals. Students get to code and test robotic cars at many of the STEMWERX events.

“We generate interest in the physics and aerodynamics aspect. Our goal is to paint a picture and let them know they could be in this position someday,” she says. “It is a vision of STEM opportunities that could be available to them in the future.

“I’m grateful to Wright State teachers and staff, who provided leadership opportunities, opened the doors to an Air Force Research Lab internship, and provided a capstone opportunity with National Cash Register,” Beth said. “We want to offer real-world experiences like these to our interns to present a vision for their futures.”

STEMWERX partners with NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway, IMSA racing teams, and Talladega Superspeedway to impact thousands of students. The Hannings host drivers who teach students about various aspects of racing cars, including programming and digital systems. Students benefit from technology sponsorship through the Emerald Coast Robotics Alliance from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Defense Industry Association.

Beth and Todd Hanning pose in front of their educational wind tunnel from Interactive Instruments.

“We teach them hands-on coding to program lights and sensors on educational robot cars,” Todd said. “We tell them, ‘You just programmed a feature your parents might have if they drive an Acura, GM, or Toyota. You have a career waiting for you.’ It is real-life experience that drives home the importance of what they learn at a STEMWERX live session.”

The Hannings mesh their skills and knowledge to inspire students to seek technical careers in the motorsports and aerospace industry. Together, they lead STEM workshops and develop STEM-based curricula and camps. Beth writes children’s STEM novels. For older students, they form university partnerships, generate college internship opportunities, and provide mentoring.

Beth and Todd are inspired to provide the mentoring they did not receive as youths. And now they pay it forward by sharing lessons of success.

Beth struggled to find direction in her life and career after graduation. She enlisted in the Air Force and met Todd, now a retired Air Force officer. She returned to college 10 years later, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and later a master’s degree in instructional design and technology.

“We always tell people that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams,” she said. “You just need to be driven to do it and surround yourself with encouraging people. Todd was very supportive and encouraged me not to give up when Physics III was kicking my butt.”

“The Air Force is a great place to receive experience. You are handed a lot of responsibility quickly,” she said. “It provided me my first technology positions in the workforce. Engineering Headquarters hired me as a full-time civil servant after I graduated from Wright State, and I soon moved to the F-16 program as a systems engineer.”

Beth has served 24 years in advanced technology for the Air Force, industry, education institutions, and DEFENSEWERX, supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology programs in promoting innovation in Florida and Las Vegas.

Todd also gained a new direction through the Air Force and some great mentors. He enlisted in the Air Force and attended college classes at night before attaining his commission. He said the military presented opportunities that steered him in the right direction.

Todd also said Wright State professors created a positive learning environment for him and helped create a custom M.B.A. plan focused on small-business consulting.

“Beth and I were both enlisted and going to night school together,” he said. “I had some pivotal leaders who saw true potential in me, and I started believing and expecting more from myself. You can do some amazing things with the right opportunity and mentors who break down perceptions of a normal path.

“It does not matter where you come from; that is an important lesson for anyone. This hit home for me as a late bloomer in life.”

Todd said neither he nor his wife took the traditional road, but they both found a successful career path through Wright State and the Air Force.

Todd and Beth demonstrate the interactive Instruments wind tunnel. Students at their STEM education events learn how aerodynamics and aeronautical engineers use wind tunnels to collect data on race car and airplane designs.

Todd was a career Air Force acquisition officer who developed advanced technology and had several deployments supporting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After several years in the unmanned aircraft industry post-retirement, he helped found U.S. Special Operations Command’s innovation lab SOFWERX in Tampa and designed and built the AFWERX innovation hub in Las Vegas.

He has also put his Wright State M.B.A. to work. Todd has been a consultant for various companies after completing his commitment to the military. His entrepreneurial spirit and Beth’s science background meshed while they built innovation labs together.

The two graduated together in 2000 and, in the process, grew their family while in school. They describe their two daughters as “very talented artists.” Their oldest, Erica, was born while they were stationed at Goodfellow AFB in Texas, and Kelly, their youngest, during their respective time at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University. Erica works in online marketing and sales and assists her parents with marketing and graphic design efforts.

Their youngest, Kelly, earned a Master of Fine Arts at Ohio University, teaches art entrepreneur classes at Columbus School of Art and Design, and is a lead designer creating robotic monsters at The Scare Factory.

The Hannings provide mentorship they did not receive until later in their lives. It drives them to continue offering learning opportunities for motivated youth.

They speak fondly of those who have been part of the STEMWERX team as interns. The first motorsports intern, Richie Leyton, a graduate student of Oxford Brooks in England, inspired students to learn aerodynamics concepts during Scout Days at Daytona International Speedway. Todd connected Richie with race teams and manufacturers, which led to several racing team opportunities, including a stint as a data engineer with Ian Lacy Motorsports, Toyota Gazoo Racing, and a recent opportunity with General Motors.

“Richie has been passionate in saying he wants to work in this business. He interviewed and was hired by a small Mustang racing team in Utah,” Todd said. “Richie started as a tire guy and later became a lead data engineer. Our mission is to make these connections and present opportunities.

“We stay in touch with many of our interns. Some have told us their involvement was a transformational experience in their careers and lives.”

“Mentoring rocks!” Beth said. “I’ve formally mentored more than 60 high school and college students to inspire them to pursue STEM careers. “The best part is when you’ve invested your time and energy in a student, and years later, they share their life events with you, letting you know they are starting their first job, coaching their own robotics team, starting their Ph.D., or starting a family.”

She concluded, “It is truly rewarding for both of us.”

This article was originally published in the 2024 issue of the Wright State Magazine. Read more stories at wright.edu/magazine.