Purdue to show up in force for annual Purdue Day at the State Fair

This is the fifth consecutive year for universitywide participation in Purdue Day. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 16, visitors can get a closer look at the university's schools, departments and achievements at more than 50 tents and exhibits located on Main Street.

"For 150 years, Hoosiers have been traveling to the state fair to experience the latest and greatest Indiana has to offer," said Victor Lechtenberg, vice provost for engagement. "This is the most natural place in the world for Indiana's land-grant university to share our contributions with our neighbors face-to-face. It's the kind of interaction we seek year round."

Purdue's College of Engineering will bring several vehicles to the fair to highlight university-driven advances in automotive technology. S.P.O.T. II, Purdue's $100,000, 65 mph Solar Powered Overland Transportation vehicle, will be on display. The Purdue Baja car that the U.S. Army studied as it seeks new off-road transportation solutions also will be available for close inspection.

Purdue also will display an autonomous vehicle it helped fund and design. Known as "PAVE," the vehicle incorporates technology the U.S. Department of Defense needs to meet its goal of having one-third of all military vehicles be able to operate without a driver by 2015.

Visitors to Purdue Day also can see the racecar of NASCAR driver and Purdue alumnus Ryan Newman.

Purdue's FIRST program will display robots that were created by Tippecanoe County middle and high school students who are mentored and coached by Purdue engineering and technology students. The "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" program pits the robots against each other in competitions that require team members to increase their science, strategic thinking and life skills.

Purdue Day events, exhibits and interactive displays that will take place on the Main Street stage from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. include:

• 9:30 a.m. — Groove Theory Entertainment, Purdue University student musical group.

• 10:30 a.m. — ASABE 1/4-scale pulling tractor, Purdue Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

• 11 a.m. — Analyzing and correcting posture and body alignment, Department of Health and Kinesiology.

• 11:30 a.m. — Robotics demonstration, Purdue FIRST program.

• 12:30 p.m. — Safe milk from healthy cows, Simon Kenyon, School of Veterinary Medicine.

• 1 p.m. — Cooking demonstration, Purdue University chef Sean McNerney.

• 2 p.m. — Kriss the Snake, School of Veterinary Medicine.

• 2:30 p.m. — Robotics demonstration, Purdue FIRST program.

• 3 p.m. — ASABE 1/4-scale pulling tractor, Purdue Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

• 3:45 p.m. — Musical entertainment, Purdue Alumni Pep Band.

• 4:30-5 p.m. — Purdue pep rally featuring the Purdue cheerleaders, Purdue Pete, Boilermaker Special and President Martin C. Jischke.

Also, Purdue Agriculture will have a variety of exhibits in the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. including animal surgeries, cockroach races and cricket spitting.

Purdue Day at the State Fair events are free with admission to the fair.

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jsschenke@purdue.edu

Sources: Victor Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu

Amy Hinds, special events planner, (765) 496-2169, arhinds@purdue.edu

Geni Greiner, director of special events, (765) 496-6911, ghgreiner@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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