The Purdue Solar Racing team's solar-powered urban commuter car achieved the equivalent of almost 2,200 miles per gallon in the 2011 Shell EcoMarathon international competition this week in Houston.

Purdue University has been selected as one of 16 teams to participate in EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future, an international competition to develop advanced automotive technologies. Greg Shaver and Peter Meckl will both be members of the core-faculty team.

Purdue University will break ground Friday (April 1) on a project to expand the university's Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, a hub of industry-oriented research in areas ranging from advanced automotive technologies to "smart" buildings.

Laura Edwards, director of development for the School of Mechanical Engineering, would rather spend her free time volunteering than doing any other activity.