Student Organizations
Students in Automotive Technology have the opportunity to participate in the following organizations and events:
- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) - International Web Site
- Pitt State Dragster
- SkillsUSA
PSU SAE Annual Car Show
The Pittsburg State Car Show is held every year on the third Saturday in April. It is hosted by the local Society of Automotive Engineers chapter. It is free to the public and open to anyone who is interested in showing their car for a registration fee of $10. PSU's car show has a great atmosphere appealing to the whole family. Music is usually played by a local band or radio station that takes you back in time by playing classic rock and those great 60's songs you haven't heard in forever.
SAE Mini Baja
PSU has a Society of Automotive Engineers(SAE) chapter. Students who enroll in the special topics Mini Baja course will raise money to build a car, design a car, fabricate a car and compete against other schools from across the United States, including Wisconsin, Ohio, and Utah. Some of the competitions consist of: maneuverability, hill climb, sled pull, endurance race, and design. Dr. Roger Adams and Mr. Trent Lindbloom are the faculty advisors for PSU's Mini Baja teams.
Last year PSU stepped up to a new level of Mini Baja. In late February PSU sent a team comprising of four students to South Korea for five months to compete in the international Korean SAE Mini Baja series. This was a whole new world for PSU as we were the first team in Mini Baja history to not only build and complete a car in Korea, but to live in a foreign country for the five month period. Our team won 1st place in the endurance race, 1st place in cost report, won the Henkel-Locktite Design Award for best designed vehicle, scored top 15 in design report, and received 2nd place overall. Learn more about Mini Baja at Pittsburg State
PSU has its own dragster that is powered by a alcohol injected Chevy 350 built by PSU students. Mr. Perry Cummins who teaches in Automotive Service is the faculty advisor. Students from the 2 year Automotive Service and the 4 year Automotive Technology programs enroll in the special topics dragster course.
SkillsUSA
Students at PSU have the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA. The mission of the organization as stated on their web site is as follows: "SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. We help each student excel."
PSU students have been very successfully at SkillsUSA competitions. Students have finished first in national SkillsUSA-VICA in '98, '99, & ‘01, and finished 2nd in '97, '00, & '02. PSU student Rusty Brown was the Silver Medallist (2nd Place) in June, 2003 World Skills Competition in Switzerland and was noted as "America's Best of the Best" (Gold Medal) in technical competition.
For more information, please contact:
- Jack Fredrick, President - SKillsUSA PSU jfrederick86@cox.net
- Mr. Ron Downing, PSU Faculty Sponsor, rdowning@pittstate.edu
- SkillsUSA Kansas
- SkillsUSA (National web site)