William Blanchard
  • integrated science & technology
  • Class of 2017
  • Chester, VA

Chester student headed to Chicago for Collegiate Wind Competition

2018 May 2

Will Blanchard of Chester, a senior majoring in integrated science and technology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is part of a team of 30 JMU students competing next week in the Collegiate Wind Competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The team has been preparing for the competition for about a year and the final phase, the judging, will take place May 8-10 in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Wind Energy Association.

JMU is one of 12 schools across the country invited to compete. Teams were required to conduct a market analysis, design and construct a wind turbine, develop a comprehensive business plan and execute an in-depth siting analysis for a hypothetical 100 megawatt power plant within 100 miles of campus. The JMU team consists of students majoring in business; engineering; industrial design; integrated science and technology; and public policy.