Michelle Everett, IGERT, (top row, first left) and Dr. Paul Frymier, PI, (top row, second left) are part of an interdisciplinary team engaged in a unique college competition for designing solutions for sustainable futures. Fourteen University of Tennessee students from five departments are using hand-on experience to bring their classroom learning to life.
The 14-member team is working on a battery electric vehicle that could take the place of a gas car for short, in-town, single passenger commutes of 30 miles per day. The 15 mile one way/30 mile round trip commutes cost only $65 a year to run 30 miles a day, 5 days a week. The team is also building a hydrogen fuel cell version of the same vehicle.
The next step is to write the Phase One report, complete with public opinion on the alternative vehicles, and to develop a Phase II proposal. This team proposes to develop teaching modules for the Tennessee state curriculum that will educate middle school students about how science and technology can be applied to the development of sustainable transportation
The team will travel to Washington, DC to compete with 55 teams on the National Mall April 16-17. Scores from the report, proposal and presentation are combined into a final overall score for the team. Winners will be awarded additional grant funds for the next portion of their projects.
|
