Garrett Academy student named a South Carolina Technology Champion

Karl Noble, a student at Garrett Academy in North Charleston, has been selected as a South Carolina Technology Champion for his academic performance, engineering know-how, and extracurricular initiatives.

For the 10th consecutive year, the most exemplary career and technology students in South Carolina will be publically recognized as ‘Technology Champions” during ceremonies at the Education and Business Summit in Greenville at the TD Convention Center.

Karl's academic performance (Top 5% of senior class, 4.0 GPA) speaks loudly to his intellectual prowess. In addition, Karl is actively involved at Garrett Academy. He is a member of SKILLSUSA, National Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society (School-President), and a member of the Football and Soccer teams. Karl has also been awarded Highest Average of the year in Biology (2009/2010), Highest Average of the year in Introduction to Engineering Design (2009/2010), Highest Average in Principles of Engineering (2010/2011), Athletics Directors Award, and been recognized as a Thursday Night Light Scholar Athlete.

“Technology Champions,” is a distinction bestowed only upon twelve 2009 high school graduates.  Each Champion was selected from a pool of nominations received from high schools and career and technology centers within each of the State’s 12 regions.  Regional selection was based upon such factors as GPA, attendance, awards and honors, leadership in school and service to the community.  To qualify for this honor, a nominee must be a graduating senior in a career and technology education completer program.

Garrett Academy Pre-Engineering Instructor Milton Howard nominated Karl to become a Technology Champion stating, "As a professional educator, I have the opportunity to interact with hundreds of students, but Karl stands out as one of the best."  Mr. Howard continued, "Karl is an excellent role model for his peers! I know he will continue to strive for excellence in all that he does and will one day be a successful engineer. "

Karl plans to attend Clemson University in the fall and major in Engineering.

High school teams showcase design and engineering skills at robotics competition with “Rebound Rumble”

Palmetto Partners announces “Rebound Rumble” as high-school students from six states and Charleston area schools gather to showcase their hard work in the 2012 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Palmetto Regional.

From Thursday, March 22, 2012 to Saturday, March 24, 2012 at the North Charleston Coliseum, over 1,000 students making up 42 teams, as well as engineering and technical mentors will demonstrate their skill for science, mathematics, and technology. They will compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, competitive play, sportsmanship, and high-impact partnerships between schools, businesses, and communities. The highly competitive, action-packed contest is described as a rock concert and sporting event rolled into one.

The Opening Ceremonies on Friday, March 23, 2012 at 9:00am will include South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Dr. Mick Zais, North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey, and The Citadel President, Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa. Afterwards, games will begin. A full schedule of events.

Over a six-week timeframe, students work with professional engineering Mentors to design a robot that solves a problem using a Kit of Parts and a standard set of rules. Once these young inventors create the robot, their teams participate in regional competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

The 2012 “Rebound Rumble” robotics game is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during the two minute and 15-second match. Balls scored in higher hoops score teams more points. Team Alliances are awarded bonus points if they are balanced on bridges at the end of the match. Game animation of Rebound Rumble.

Apart from the game itself, teams are judged on design, team spirit, professionalism, and perseverance.

Now in its 21st season, the FIRST Robotics Competition encompasses more than 58,000 high school students participating on approximately 2,343 teams in the United States and worldwide. The regional events will lead to the FRC Championship, an international competition, at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 25-28 April, 2012.

FIRST was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, developer of the first portable insulin pump and the first portable kidney dialysis machine, to “create a world where science and technology are celebrated where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.”

“The varsity sport for the mind,” the FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

This season, participating FIRST students are eligible to apply for more than $14 million in scholarships from 130 leading universities and colleges.

Students: 

Learn from professional engineers

Build and compete with a robot of their own design

Learn and use sophisticated software and hardware

Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments

Earn a place in the World Championship in St. Louis, MO in April 2012

Qualify for over $14 million in college scholarships

For more information on the competition, go to the FIRST website at: www.usfirst.org, FIRST Robotics Competition or http://www.palmettopartnersrobotics.com/

More FIRST Robotics Competition Rebound Rumble videos

A live Webcast will be available throughout the event and can be accessed from Palmetto Regional’s homepage.

Cummins Inc. announces expansion of test facilities

Flickr user mudmucks

Cummins Inc. announced today an investment of $24 million over three years to expand the research and development capabilities at its technical center in North Charleston, S.C.

The Cummins Technical Center will be capable of running a variety of engines and test a wide range of fuels. Plans call for hiring 31 new engineers, mechanical technicians and electrical technicians immediately with more potential hires in the future.

"The expansion nearly doubles capacity at this site with state-of-the-art facilities to enable testing on diesel, pipe line natural gas and non standard gas engines and help the Company in its drive to be the innovation leader in the industry," said Jim Trueblood, Vice President -- High Horsepower Engineering. "We are excited to be able to partner with the State of South Carolina and expand our testing facilities right here in North Charleston."

"A package put together by state and local officials, access to a skilled workforce and community amenities capable of drawing skilled workers in the future all played an important role in our decision," said Gary Johnson, Operations Manager, Cummins Technical Center, "Having a company facility that could be renovated was an important factor as well."

Representatives of Charleston County and the City of North Charleston participated in today's announcement. "As one of Charleston County's most long-standing corporate citizens, Cummins has been a major employer in our community for the past 30 years," said Teddie Pryor, Chairman of Charleston County Council.

"This exciting news concerning the growth of the Technical Center in North Charleston is a gratifying testimonial to the company's faith in our workforce," Pryor added.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said: "We thank Cummins Technical Center for their continued commitment to doing business in North Charleston. Cummins' research and development facility is a catalyst to our advancing high tech economy."

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance hosted the event. "Smart companies like Cummins are using innovation as a key driver of economic growth and we're pleased to celebrate their continued investment in our community," said CRDA Chairman R.M. Singletary.

Cummins is proud to be a valued employer and partner in the Charleston area and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the City of North Charleston, Charleston County and the State of South Carolina.

About Cummins

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 6,000 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.0 billion on sales of $13.2 billion in 2010. Press releases can be found on the Web at http://cummins.com .