Students from West Virginia University and Morgantown High School will work together on a WVU project to improve fuel economy in a sport utility vehicle. Officials from the two schools will announce their partnership on the University’s FutureTruck 2000 project at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, on the WVU Evansdale campus.

The announcement ceremony will begin in Room 125 of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy, then move to the FutureTruck workshop in the high bay area of the building so the Morgantown High students can examine WVU ’s entry, a 2000 GM Chevrolet Suburban.

WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. will welcome the participating high school students and their teachers. Don Lyons, chairman of WVU ’s Department of Mechanical and Engineering, and WVU Professor Chris Atkinson, adviser to the FutureTruck team, will go over the project.

FutureTruck 2000, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors, is a successor to the FutureCar Challenge. The object is to modify the existing powertrain of a GM sport utility vehicle to increase fuel economy. Students participating in the project gain valuable hands-on experience in advanced vehicle technologies. WVU is among 15 universities competing in this year’s event, which will be June 8-15 in Mesa, Ariz.

This year’s competition includes a School Partnership Program to interest high school students in pursuing careers in engineering, math or science. Under its partnership with WVU , Morgantown High students will have the opportunity to help work on and test ride the University’s vehicle.