Florida Christian School physics students were awarded first place for their entry in the 2015 Wall of Wind Mitigation Challenge at Florida International University on May 20th. This year’s challenge was to design and construct a model wind barrier that would shelter a beachfront hotel’s leisure area from strong winds off the ocean. The students submitted a technical paper describing their solution, and the methods used to develop it. On the day of the competition, students presented their design to a panel of judges. Each team’s design was then physically tested in FIU’s Wall of Wind hurricane simulator. Scoring for the competition was based on a combination of the written paper, oral presentation, and physical test results.
Coral Park High School’s Engineering Magnet Program students placed 2nd and North Miami High School’s Aerospace and Engineering Academy placed 3rd at the competition.
The FCS physics students are taught by Mr. James Erwin, who holds a Masters in Science degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Erwin was employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) before being led to teach at his alma mater; he is an FCS class of 2002 graduate.
Congratulations to the FCS Physics team and to Mr. Erwin, for their efforts and on their first place win!
