Before the West Virginia University Mountaineers begin racking up yards against Georgia at the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl, WVU engineering students will look to make some mileage promoting their efforts to design a more fuel-efficient sport utility vehicle.
The WVU Challenge X Advanced Vehicle Technology Team is taking its show on the road as part of the Mountaineer Fan Center at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Sunday and Monday, Jan. 1-2. The exhibit will be located in the pre-event area, outside the hotels Imperial Ballroom.
WVU is one of 17 schools from North America taking part in the automotive student design competition. The team received keys to a Chevrolet Equinox in July, with the goal of re-engineering the sport utility vehicle for reduced energy consumption and decreased emissionswhile maintaining the vehicles performance and other features.
The Challenge X teams display area at the Fan Center will provide photos and literature on the project, information on the competition, and hands-on opportunities for children to build and race miniature cars. Aspiring engineers can assemble a car from a kit provided at the booth, then race them against their friends down a ramp.
Heather Johnson, Challenge X outreach coordinator and a senior in mechanical and aerospace engineering, will be on hand to answer questions.
The U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors are the headline sponsors of the Challenge X program. Nigel Clark, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at WVU , serves as team adviser.
The Mountaineer Fan Center will run in the Atlanta Marriott MarquisImperial Ballroom from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on New Years Day and on game day, Monday, Jan. 2, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
In addition to the Challenge X exhibit, the Center will showcase WVU s forensic and investigative sciencewho done itexhibit, interactive displays, video sports and academic accomplishments, exclusive WVU giveaways each day, photo opportunities, aMountaineer Marketto purchase official WVU bowl merchandise and more.
Admission is free, and all Mountaineer fans and the general public are welcome.
The Marriott Marquis is located at 265 Peachtree Center, in the heart of downtown.
Fans: Call toll-free, 1-888-988-2269, for updates on fan activities while in Atlanta for the Nokia Sugar Bowl.