by Cara Ramer, Student Public Relations Writer
Building an electric boat for competition is pushing Cedarville University engineering students far beyond the classroom and into complex problem-solving that is shaping the future of the maritime industry.
As the industry continues to evolve through artificial intelligence, green energy and automation, the students are gaining hands-on experience in design, manufacturing and testing through the Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) Workforce Development Competition on April 14-16, 2026, at Portsmouth City Park, Virginia. Sponsored by the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Office of Naval Research, the annual collegiate event challenges students to design, build and race electric boats while preparing them to tackle real-world maritime challenges.
Electric Boat Competition Connects Classroom Learning to Real-World Engineering
For the students, the competition is an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world environment.
Although Cedarville has decades of experience in solar boat competitions, this marks only its second year in a purely electric boat competition. The team must balance efficiency and performance across multiple events, including crewed and unmanned challenges, while building upon lessons from past successes at Solar Splash and its first year in the PEP competition.
“We’re not simply creating a new design, reworking and integrating systems in a way that reflects both past experience and present challenges,” said David Roer, a mechanical engineering senior from Marinette, Wisconsin. “We’re designing a single boat that can compete across multiple competitions, which has pushed us to think more holistically about how every system works together.”
PEP Competition Challenges Students in Design, Manufacturing and Testing
This year, the team is focusing on whole-system performance while navigating key engineering constraints like limited battery energy, overheating motors and inefficiencies in propulsion systems. These challenges are driving thoughtful problem-solving as students design, manufacture and test solutions to improve reliability and performance.
“The real goal is to prepare students for industry,” said Dr. Tim Dewhurst, senior professor of mechanical engineering. “Classroom work is valuable, but it’s controlled — you do this, this and this, and you should get a certain result. In this project, there’s no one right answer. Students have to design, figure out how to make the parts, discover what doesn’t work and redesign. That experience gives them confidence to take on new challenges, even when they haven’t done something before.”
Cedarville Students Prepare for the Future of the Maritime Industry
When Cedarville’s boat takes to the water in April, the race results will reflect months of design and testing. But whatever the final standings, the competition is already accomplishing something deeper: preparing students to enter a changing industry with the confidence and experience to meet its challenges head-on.
Engineering Team Members Bring Diverse Skills to Electric Boat Project
Team members include mechanical engineering seniors Roer; Kolson Kytta of Hancock, Michigan; Grant Luman of Rancho Cordova, California; Josh Martus of Russellville, Ohio; Elijah Otto of Scottsville, New York; Dawson Propes of Campbellsville, Kentucky; Jeremy Gonzalez Contreras of Mexico; and Timothy Wenger of Lititz, Pennsylvania; electrical engineering seniors Danny DeHimer of Ava, New York; Blake Doss of Smithville, Missouri; Jarod Savard of Fairborn, Ohio; and Hazen Swenson of Newport, Vermont; mechanical engineering juniors Matias Cavajani of Cortlandt Manor, New York; Johann Honegger of Columbus, Ohio; Ben Hubbard of Brighton, Michigan; Sam Madison of Rockaway, New Jersey; and Ryan Strellman of Hungary; and mechanical engineering sophomores Logan Montgomery of Vandalia, Ohio, and Joram Ramirez of Orange, California.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
