courtesy of James Madison University
Margaret Beckom of Midlothian, who is majoring in statistics, was part of an eight-member team that represented James Madison University at the 5th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, D.C., April 18-20. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A total of 43 teams from around the country competed in the Expo, which was held in conjunction with other Earth Week festivities on the National Mall. JMU’s team presented the results of their EPA P3 Award Phase I project, “Promoting Sustainability on Campuses: A College Student Run, Electric-Assisted Bicycle Competition for High Schools.”

Supported by a $10,000 grant awarded by the EPA in June 2008, the JMU students designed a competition that would have teams of high school students design and build electric-assisted bicycles to meet the needs of commuters on college campuses. The goal of their competition proposal was twofold: to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in the high school population and to promote sustainable transportation in the community. Competition events and judging criteria within the proposal were based on the responses of JMU students to a survey of their transportation habits and requirements.

The team from JMU presented the results of their Phase I project and proposed Phase II project to two sets of judges and also talked to members of the public about their work.  As part of Phase I, the team built three electric-assisted bicycles using the facilities of the Alternative Fuel Vehicle lab at JMU. These bicycles were available for demonstration rides throughout the weekend.

The JMU team’s project was not among those receiving further funding from the EPA, but the students gathered valuable information and gained project design experience through their participation, said Dr. Samantha Bates Prins, an assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, who with Dr. Rob Prins, an assistant professor of engineering, served as a team advisor.

Undergraduate students from integrated science and technology, mathematics and statistics, secondary education and engineering made up the JMU team.