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3 Team Organization

3.1 Mentors​

Our mentors consist primarily of undergraduate students from WPI, with industry professionals and WPI staff to guide and oversee the entire team. Most mentors are FIRST alum from diverse teams that bring unique perspectives and experiences to the group. The team is an important learning and growth experience for our college mentors as much as our high school students. Mentor participation and support is integral to the success of our team.

3.2 Students​

Our students consist of two core groups: Mass Academy of Math and Science Students - as the primary high school associated with our team, MAMS students are automatically granted membership on the team, although must still meet Varsity Team standards to be considered accordingly. Other High School Students - any other high school student is allowed to apply to participate in the team. It is expected that non-MAMS join the team with the interest and ability to meet Varsity requirements. If an abundance of applications are received, the Core Leadership may limit accepted students to those with no current access to robotics program, and a focus on freshman and sophomores. Non-MAMS students who meet Varsity requirements are guaranteed acceptance onto the team the following season.

3.3 Student Leadership​

Student Leadership typically consists of two Team Captains who are seniors on the team. If no suitable person(s) is available in any given year, it will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

3.3.1 Role of captain​

The Team Captains are responsible for keeping team unity, advocating for students and their experience, running team meetings, and being team spokespersons.

They work to ensure the team is a welcoming and supportive space.

3.4 Core Leadership Team​

The Core Leadership Team consists of the Team Leaders, Technical Leaders, and Team Captains. This group will meet on a regular basis to discuss and address any issues or improvements on the team. They will also coordinate upcoming events and make any necessary adjustments for the upcoming weeks of the season. The Core Leadership team consists of:

  • Colleen Shaver (she/her) - Operations & Team Leader

    • The Operations Director is responsible for the overall success of the team and the experience of its members. They manage the team budget and oversee safe and inclusive practices. They support global resource allocation and manufacturing prioritization & scheduling. They manage the team at competitions, Varsity Team process, and key role selection for events.
    • Colleen has been a member of FRC190 since 2001 as a WPI student. Since the 2009 season, she has served as a WPI staff leader of the team, and since 2019 as the main team leader. Prior to joining 190, she was a high school student on Team 126 and a college mentor on team 246.

  • Dee Wilhelm - Program Director & Team Leader

    • The Program Director oversees the FRC build schedule and daily tasks. They work with Ops and Tech Leads on allocating technical and team resources to ensure progress and timeliness for all subsystems. They also oversee safe and inclusive team practices.
    • Bio coming soon

  • Cam Wilhelm - Engineering Leader

    • The Engineering Leader oversees the robot design process, design integration, and technical standards. They give guidance on engineering best practices, provide regular design and code reviews, and are responsible for the quality of the robot. They oversee prototyping and supports subsystem design, integration, and manufacturing. They work closely with other leaders on resource allocation, schedule management, and design scope management.
    • Bio coming soon

  • TBD - Team Captain

    • Bio coming soon

  • TBD - Team Captain

    • Bio coming soon

3.5 Industry Mentors​

Industry members support the team by offering experience, insight, and guidance based on their time in industry and experience in competitive robotics. They provide advice to college mentors and students.

  • Justin Tervay - Software and Scouting Mentor
    • Justin has been involved in FRC since 2012. Prior to joining 190, he was a student on 2791 and a mentor of 340, 5254, and 2713. He is a software engineer professionally and has worked on all facets of an FRC team.
  • Seth Dalmacio - Awards Mentor
    • Bio coming soon

3.6 Opportunities to Lead​

Everyone on the team has the opportunity to lead, with or without a title. This can range from leadership on a subsystem to simply setting an example of attitude. Well-respected leaders remain positive when working with their teammates, take initiative, and lead by example by following policies, helping to educate their teammates, not pushing others aside, keeping our workspace tidy and respectable, etc.

We strive for all students and mentors to become ambassadors of our team who share our goals, core values, philosophies, processes, experiences, and enthusiasm to those outside of our team. Ambassadors are informed, experienced, well-spoken, positive, friendly, and engaging.