| Jan. 22, 2010 COPY BY: Rhonda Dittfurth, outreach coordinator, 806-651-2510, rdittfurth@wtamu.edu WTAMU Receives Texas Youth in Technology Grant CANYON, Texas—The Department of Engineering and Computer Science at West Texas A&M University has been awarded a $77,000 Texas Youth in Technology (TYT) grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. The grant will fund an 18-month project to design and construct three 1-2Kw wind turbines. Leading the project will be Dr. Emily Hunt, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Dr. Matt Jackson, assistant professor of engineering, along with Rhonda Dittfurth, outreach coordinator for the department, and Ken Starcher, assistant director of training, education and outreach at the Alternative Energy Institute. “We are very excited about this project, and the opportunities it presents for our WT students,” Dr. Freddie Davis, head of the Department of Engineering and Computer Science, said. “One of the greatest values our program has is the numerous opportunities for students to be involved in hands-on projects, and this is a great addition to our selection. Extremely important to us is the chance to work with our area schools and give these younger students a chance to participate in a project. During the initial phase of the project, a team of WTAMU engineering students will design and construct one turbine for the campus. Later in 2010, the team will work with students at two selected area high schools to design and construct wind turbines for their school. In addition to the construction of the wind turbines, the grant also will fund the development of lesson plans concerning wind energy and a workshop for area high school teachers who would like to incorporate wind energy into their curriculum. The workshop will be held this summer and will be offered at no cost to participating teachers. According to Dittfurth, the department is currently in the process of selecting the two area high schools. “We will be contacting several schools within the next few weeks to determine their interest in participation. A focus on renewable energy should be considered a paradigm shift in secondary education, and we are very excited to be bringing this opportunity to our area.” Schools or teachers interested in learning more about the TYT program can contact Dittfurth at rdittfurth@wtamu.edu or call 806-651-2510 for more information. —WTAMU— | 