Ben Houle

Ben Houle is currently the Vice President of the Michigan Mars Rover Student Project Team and serves as a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan, focusing on experiments related to a friction stir welder and its applications in additive manufacturing and aluminum-steel joining. As a Research Assistant, Ben designs and manufactures test fixtures, upgraded the friction stir welder for enhanced testing, and compiles mechanical property data for material selection. Additionally, Ben will intern at Eli Lilly and Company, contributing to the analysis of tensile test methods and the development of a device for lab technicians. Ben is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a Business Minor at the University of Michigan, expected to graduate in May 2025.