Academics
Kelly Burgess (BST '01), a representative of Case New Holland, presented a T6.180 Methane Power Tractor to the program as a way to give back.
“I went to school here, and they invested so much in me that when I saw an opportunity to give back, I took the opportunity,” he said.
The tractor is the world’s first 100 percent methane-powered production tractor. Farmers grow crops, use the waste products to generate biomethane, which powers the tractor, which in turn helps grow crops.
The tractor produces 98 percent less particulate matter and reduces C02 emissions and overall emissions by 80 percent.
Professor Tim Dell, who heads up the university’s Diesel and Heavy Equipment program, said it will be used by multiple faculty and many students in:
• alternative fuels class“It’s not just diesel equipment, it’s also hybrid electric,” he said.
Professor John Thompson said it is a rare piece of equipment for a university to have.
“It will give Pitt State students unparalleled opportunities for learning so they’ll be ready for careers in industry,” he said.
Among those students: senior Joseph Carey, who said “It’s super advantageous to get this now, before my career even starts.”
This is one of several pieces of equipment Burgess has arranged to be donated to Pitt State in recent years, including a New Holland Speedrower 220, a 2011 Chevy Volt, and a Case 521 F Wheel Loader.
Pitt State is recognized by the industry as offering one of the best Automotive Technology programs in the nation. It is part of the College of Technology and is housed in the Kansas Technology Center.
Pitt State is fundraising for a diesel heavy equipment building to expand the footprint of lab space for students to train on heavy equipment, including diesel engines, hydraulic systems, powertrains, electrical and electronic systems, and hybrid and electric vehicles.
