Team Ingenuity aims to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Meet the people who make it all possible:
Coaches and Mentors
Haitao Dai
he/him
Head Coach
Coach Dai is in his third year coaching the Ingenuity FTC team. He earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Boston University and currently works as a Senior Staff Engineer at Northrop Grumman. He is passionate about circuit design, control systems, and automation, and enjoys sharing that enthusiasm with students. His goal is to guide the team through the entire engineering process—from concept and design to testing and refinement—while ensuring they have the support and resources they need to learn, grow, and succeed.
John Wan
he/him
Assistant Coach
John Wan is a Supervisory Data Scientist at the U.S. FDA and an experienced FIRST mentor. He coaches FTC and FLL teams with a focus on engineering design, autonomous strategy, and data-driven problem solving. John also teaches data science at UMBC and brings real-world analytics and leadership experience to youth STEM education. He holds an MBA from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Computer Engineering.
Baoshe Zhang
he/him
Software Mentor
Dr. Baoshe Zhang is a software mentor for Team Ingenuity. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. With a background in software engineering and expertise in programming and automation, he helps guide the team's software development.
Team Leadership
Elaine
she/her
Team Captain
Elaine is a sophomore and third-year team member with seven years of experience in FIRST. With past experience in hardware, software, and outreach, she is eager to assist her team in any aspect. In her free time, you can find Elaine hiding in a corner or managing her minions.
Software Team
Constance
she/her
Software Lead
Constance manages the software side of Team Ingenuity, having worked on the TeleOp and Auto code for the robot, as well as some aspects of the robot's vision system. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and playing tennis.
Rainger
he/him
Software
Rainger works on the software side of Team Ingenuity, having worked on the robot's vision system along with maintaining and building out the website as it stands today. In his free time, he likes to code projects, mostly in Python or Javascript, and work on running events with Hack Club.
Hardware Team
Erik
he/him
Mechanical Lead
Erik is the Hardware Lead of Team Ingenuity, overseeing the mechanical design and construction of the robot. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for engineering, Erik ensures that the robot is built to perform at its best during competitions. Erik is currenlty a sophmore at Gilman and enjoys playing squash in his free time.
Nathan
he/him
Electrical Lead
Nathan is a 3rd year FTC student on team Ingenuity 24220. He also participated in 4 years of FLL even going to nationals once. He enjoys playing soccer and spending times with his friends and family.
Sherry
she/her
Hardware
Sherry works on the hardware and portfolio, where she leads design initiatives, active building, and portfolio development. In her free time, she enjoys reading, fencing, and exploring cool concepts.
Vincent
he/him
Hardware
Vincent is a member of Team Ingenuity's hardware team, where he helps with robot construction and assembly. He enjoys working hands-on with mechanical components and collaborating with teammates to bring designs to life.
CAD Team
Zilong
he/him
CAD Lead
Zilong is the CAD Lead of Team Ingenuity, specializing in computer-aided design and 3D modeling, helping out with creating parts which are not available off the shelf. His high level of CAD skill and creative problem-solving skills helps to bring the robot to life.
Outreach & Strategy
Max
he/him
Outreach
Max works on outreach for Team Ingenuity, helping to connect with the community and spread awareness about FIRST robotics. He assists with events, coordinates with sponsors, and works to inspire the next generation of engineers.
Jonathan
he/him
Strategy
Jonathan, a new addition to Team Ingenuity, focuses on the completion of various tasks necessary for the team, ranging from hardware roles to mission strategy. In his downtime, he enjoys associating with friends and family.