Two alumni of Purdue Polytechnic celebrate the victory of the world championship of the Robotics of Robotics of the Lycée where they serve as coaches. Zach McKeever and Mike McKee are coaches for the McCutcheon high school robotics team In Lafayette, Indiana. They were also majors in terms of technological education in Purdue who have supported Purdue since their diploma.
McKeever graduated from Purdue 2014 and McKee graduated in 2016. The two say they grew up in appreciation of the program and saw how dedicated students are.
“Not only did their efforts have led to this enormous success with their students, but Zach and Mike were pivotal partners on several sponsored projects in collaboration with Purdue over the years,” said Greg Strime, deputy chief of the department and associate professor of leadership and technological innovation.
Strimel says that McKeever and McKee supported the National Science Foundation Trails Project, which represents teachers and researchers who advance integrated lessons in STEM. The two alumni are also teacher scholarship holders for the Ministry of Defense Scale K-12 Microelectronics integration project in schools and reaching students much earlier to maximize their potential.
First Robotics Competition
McCutcheon’s Robotics Maverick team collaborated with others from Washington and California to win the World Robotics World Championship in 2025 in April. The students of the competition designed, programmed and built industrial -size robots. Robots then contributed As part of an alliance with three teams.
McCutcheon reported A “final nail tour”, which led to a breaking match against two California teams and one from Israel, the 2024 world champion. The victory occurs at the end of the season after months of extracurricular work where students met in the school’s technological wing to use equipment, tools, computers and standard industry software.
McKeever said that the team uses the CAD to design the parts, then the materials are cut in laser or cut with prefabricated tubes, integrated, cut on a CNC, assembled, wired and programmed. They carry out in -depth tests to ensure that robotics is ready for all scenarios on the ground.
“What we do would not be possible without the support of our mentors, sponsors and the community. We have so many mentors – Several are Purdue students or alumni who help teach our students complex engineering concepts and help them solve problems while we design and build our robots, “said McKee.
Each first team of robotics competition creates a team identity, collects funds to achieve its objectives and works to assert the assessment of the STEM in its community alongside its adult mentors. McCutcheon qualified for the first time for the world championship competition in 2017.
“Without significant financial contributions from sponsors and subsidies, we would not be able to support our program. We are very grateful to all the support we have received over the years, ”said McKee. “We are only one of the four teams in the Lafayette region, and we have all worked together and we support over the years. It’s a big victory for everyone! ”
McKee said that funding is essential to keep the program in McCutcheon. This year, the funding was provided by Caterpillar, Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation, Indiana Department of Education, Maverick Robotics Alumni Network, Tipmont REMC: Operation Round UP and sponsors and donors of the team’s Gofundme campaign.
FIRST OF ALL is a global non -profit organization that prepares young people through Stem education with robotics programs for young people who strengthen skills, confidence and resilience.
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