On Saturday, April 13, Oregon State’s Global Formula Racing (GFR) team unveiled their 2013 race car. Having three world championships under their belt, the unveiling was a highly anticipated event.
A 30-minute meet and greet preceded the unveiling, where attendees could ask questions about race car models that were on display from the three previous years. Attendees then had the opportunity to view a promotional video with highlights from the past four years with the GFR team.
McAlexander Fieldhouse was filled with excitement on the final day of the conference as 17 schools from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana participated in the steel bridge competition. Each team practices and then brings their skills to see who can build the lightest bridge in the least amount of time. After the bridge is complete, 2,500 pounds of weight is put on it. The bridge that fares best under the massive weight is considered the better model. University of Alaska Fairbanks came in first place while Oregon State took fourth place. The contest is a great opportunity for some friendly competition, networking, and a little showing off between civil engineers from different universities.
It used to be that students wanting to work off campus from their personal computer and take advantage of specialized software for a project were out of luck. This is no longer the case for engineering students using Citrix XenApp. Using their own devise (computer, tablet, even smart phone) students can now access the applications they would normally find in engineering computer labs.
The software program allows engineering students to work on projects from the comfort of their own home, or anywhere that has wifi for that matter. It eliminates the need for long hours in computer labs and decreases unnecessary time on campus.
Nuclear energy has grown in popularity over the years due to its low-carbon footprint, reliable energy supply, and upstanding safety reports. Yet public perception of the energy source got a little shaky after the March 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged a nuclear power station, resulting in a leak of radioactive nucleotides onto the shore and into the ocean. As the world was second-guessing nuclear power, victims, the media, and researchers alike turned to an institution on the forefront of researching the increased dependability and safety of nuclear power: Oregon State University.
Read the whole story by Kathryn Higley in Terra.
–Chelsi Rayford
Whether it’s to boost your resume, make friends, or learn more about a topic you find interesting, Oregon State has many student clubs for a variety of interests. One club that deserves some attention is the OSU Hydrogen Club. The club aims to raise awareness about hydrogen, consider the production, transfer, storage and consummation of hydrogen, and to develop hydrogen-based projects.
The hydrogen club already has some exciting projects lined up for this term including work with an electrolyzer to generate hydrogen and using the OSU Hydrogen Trailer for some community education projects!
If you’re hydrogen curious, check them out at:
http://groups.oregonstate.edu/hydrogen/
–Chelsi Rayford