October 12, 2009

Recently the Southern Indiana Director for Senator Lugar's office came and visited Pike Central High School, later an article was posted in The Lugar Letter and here is a copy of what was written.


Larry Ordner, Senator Lugar's Southern Indiana Director, visited with students at Pike Central High School, near Petersburg, who have partnered with Navla Surface Warfare Center Crane to convert a diesel-powered military Humvee into a hybrid electirc vehicle.

The partnership between one of the U.S. Navy's premier research facilities adn a rural southern Indiana high school has challenged twenty-five students, ranging from seniors to frechmen, to put their math, writing, science, public speaking, adn chemistry skills to work on a high-level, real-life engineering project.

"You actually see your ideas come off the paper," said Alex morton, a senior," It has reassured me that I wnat to be an engineer." Among a long list of goals, the students are determined to increase fuel mileage and torque adn decrease vehicle noise, which should result in significant operating savings.

Students are putting long hours on the project, including after school and on weekends, adn hope to have the Humvee retrofitted and fully operational by next April. They also presented their research at the recent Society of naval Engineers convention at Bloomington, Indiana. The project has garnered strong community support from area industries, which supplied tools, equipment and parts.

Teacher Ray Niehaus believes that hsi student will benefit for years to come. "It puts them on the leading edge of battery and electric technology, and in the forefront when they go to college." Pike Central is an active participant in Project Lead the way, a national project and program-based education curriculum to promote careers in engineering.