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Posted On: October 13th 2026, 06:15 pm
As a young man in Italy, Giorgio Rizzoni spent his free time taking apart his motorcycle to understand what made it go.
He’d remove the carburetor. Clean it. Put it back together. Then do it again — learning, piece by piece, how every part worked.
Growing up in a country where auto racing is woven deeply into the culture, Rizzoni fit right in.
Since arriving on campus in 1990, Rizzoni has helped build his own kind of coliseum for the automotive industry: the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). Founded in 1991, CAR has grown into a national leader in automotive research, tackling challenges in sustainability and safe mobility while preparing the next generation of automotive and mobility leaders. Rizzoni became its director in 1999.
Through partnerships spanning the automotive and aerospace industries, Rizzoni has guided CAR through groundbreaking research while creating a hands-on environment where students work alongside researchers and industry leaders to imagine and build the future of mobility.
“I have the best job at Ohio State,” he says with a smile. “It’s a dream come true.”
He recently spoke about the evolution of CAR, the future of mobility and the students who bring his dream to life. Learn more at the link in our bio.
Story by Ross Bishoff | Video by Sebastian Kleihs
He’d remove the carburetor. Clean it. Put it back together. Then do it again — learning, piece by piece, how every part worked.
Growing up in a country where auto racing is woven deeply into the culture, Rizzoni fit right in.
Since arriving on campus in 1990, Rizzoni has helped build his own kind of coliseum for the automotive industry: the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). Founded in 1991, CAR has grown into a national leader in automotive research, tackling challenges in sustainability and safe mobility while preparing the next generation of automotive and mobility leaders. Rizzoni became its director in 1999.
Through partnerships spanning the automotive and aerospace industries, Rizzoni has guided CAR through groundbreaking research while creating a hands-on environment where students work alongside researchers and industry leaders to imagine and build the future of mobility.
“I have the best job at Ohio State,” he says with a smile. “It’s a dream come true.”
He recently spoke about the evolution of CAR, the future of mobility and the students who bring his dream to life. Learn more at the link in our bio.
Story by Ross Bishoff | Video by Sebastian Kleihs
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