Maria Aguiar is the vice-captain of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT), and an undergraduate student pursuing Materials Science and Engineering. MIT SEVT is an entirely student-run team of undergraduates under the Edgerton Center, with the goal of designing and constructing a road-legal, solar-powered vehicle to race in the American Solar Challenge.

SEVT provides its members with the opportunity to learn design, manufacturing, and project management firsthand in multiple fields. Members also learn to integrate different systems together and to problem-solve often, in the shop or on the road. With over 30 years of building single-occupant vehicles, SEVT has now transitioned to building its first multi-occupant vehicle, Gemini. Sharing many practical features with regular cars used today, Gemini is designed to show the promise and functionality of electric vehicles, especially those powered through unconventional means.