Viola Named Outstanding Vocational Faculty Advisor

Doc Viola photo next to Outstanding Vocational Faculty Advisor during the Year Three logo

Arapahoe Community College (ACC) Faculty Chair of Skilled Trades Doc Viola was honored as the Outstanding Vocational Faculty Advisor during the Year Three competition of the Battery Workforce Challenge (Batt Challenge) held April 27 – May 7, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan.

BattChallenge, which launched in the fall of 2023 and concluded in May 2026, charged 12 teams of paired university and technical schools to design, build, test, and integrate advanced electric vehicle battery packs into Stellantis vehicles. Automotive Service Technology students from ACC collaborated with Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering students at Colorado School of Mines as the PackMules.

The PackMules also earned the following accolades during the Year Three competition: 

  • PMAC: Award for Exceptional Performance 
  • PMAC: Award for Notable Portfolio Execution 
  • Spirit of the Challenge 
  • Award for Notable Work Documentation
  • Excellence in Communications
  • Digital Twin Innovation & Simulation Excellence 
  • ABTC Steward of Recycling 

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and Stellantis, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory, BattChallenge was developed as an immersive hands-on learning opportunity for students to gain the hands-on experience and knowledge necessary for in-demand positions throughout the electric vehicle / battery industry.

The PackMules were recognized as the Year One champion in the spring of 2024 before going to place 4th in the Year Two competition in the spring of 2025.

Archive