PEP25 Celebration
PEP25: April 15-17, 2025 Virginia Beach
Our community connects hundreds of students to jobs and internships each year while giving them the
hands-on learning
experiences to be successful. It takes dozens of volunteers to support the dozens of boats that race
each year. These craft competed thanks to the Office of Naval Research and support from Naval Surface
Warfare Center Carderock
Division (NSWCCD). We are extremely thankful for their support.
We could not execute this program without workforce partners like Build Submarines, GE Vernova, and
hiring managers from
across our industry. In addition, the volunteers from ASNE Tidewater, the naval community, and our
friends and families
ensure the students have a tremendous experience while onsite.
You can click each image below to see the papers, videos, and pictures of each teams' efforts in the PEP Workforce Development
program.
Interested in hiring these students? Check out resumes for students seeking internships and graduates seeking full-time jobs.
Jump
to: Planing
Teams Uncrewed
Teams Thanks
Volunteers Industry
Connections
Displacement:
Boats that sit in the water rather than ride on top of the water for 5-mile heats.
The excitement was high and the waters were windy and challenging at this year’s national Promoting Electric
Propulsion (PEP)
Competition! Taking first place with an impressive 81.67 points and a commanding 5-mile run in just over 40
minutes, the
University at Buffalo powered to
victory with excellence and endurance. Arkansas Tech University secured second
place
with 45.33 points, cruising through 1.75 miles in 15:12. Princeton University earned a proud third place finish, scoring
43.00
points over a strong 2.25-mile run in 12 minutes flat. Rutgers University also put forth a commendable showing
with
25.67 points while starting a brand new PEP club to carry the mantle forward in PEP26.
We applaud all the Displacement teams for taking on the challenge of creating a manned boat
operating with a maximum of 55.% volts. Congratulations all competitors!
Planing:
Boats that ride on top of the water for 5-mile heats.
Cheers to the 2025 PEP Competition Planing Division Competitors!
The wind and waves put up a good fight but were no match for the innovation and determination on display in
the Planing Division of the national
Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) Competition! Leading the fleet, the Stevens Institute of Technology
clinched
first place with a blazing time of 20:06 and an outstanding 92 points. Wake Forest University followed
with a powerful showing, earning 82.5 points and second place with a time of 25:40. Rounding out the podium,
the University of Georgia took third
place, crossing the line at 1:02:38 with 66 points overall. Princeton University’s Planing Team delivered an
impressive 2.25-lap run in just 12:10, earning 57.5 points. The
Stony Brook University manned entry
also impressed with 55.7 points and running for over 3 miles. Captain Douglas Hewes of the Washington College team took
their hydroplane into the middle of Broad Bay and raced through challenging elements, and the IDEAWORKS team
tied for Top Video across all 43 teams. Cedarville University, first-time competitors, exemplified engineering as they
worked a micro-controller problem from every angle. University of Tennessee-Knoxville made notable efforts and contributions
to this exciting race with a foiling design that was challenged by the gusty winds.
Congratulations to all competitors for driving innovation forward and electrifying the future of
maritime technology!
Uncrewed:
Thirty competitors raced remote-operated boats for 2-mile heats.
The Uncrewed Division of the 2025 Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) Competition brought out the best in
innovation and engineering as teams raced 2.0 miles through the challenging waters of Broad Bay, Virginia.
Auburn University stole the spotlight,
clinching first place with a lightning-fast time of 5:28 and a top
score of 95. Close on their wake, the Arkansas Tech uncrewed team surged to second place with a strong 91.3
points, racing in the windy bay course. They edged out College of the Florida Keys, a first-year team with a tremendous surfboard design,
that earned third place by virtue of scoring 91.0 points. The
University of Rhode Island and Vanderbilt University rounded out
the top five with scores of 82.5 and
82. URI finished with the second fastest time, 7:09, while Vanderbilt earned tied for Top Paper across all
43 competing teams.
William & Mary, The University of Alabama, Virginia
Tech, Gato Del Baro of University of Kentucky, and North Carolina State rounded out the Top 10. William & Mary posted an excellent time
of 14:30 and shared the ONR Special Award for Propeller research with seventh place, University of Alabama.
The Tide Chasers put in a solid competition across all aspects of the comeptition. Virginia Tech finished
the competition with 76.0 points and are set up with a tremendous opportunity to electrify a jetski for
PEP26. UK's Gato Del Barro took a Zodiac Milpro around the back-bay course in 17:02. North Carolina State
finished tenth by completing the course in 23:55 and an overall score of 74.0 points.
First-year Elon University finished 11th
with a metal craft they fabricated themselves. Virginia Commonwealth University put in a great time of 23:13 to finish with 68.4
points overall. Howard University, Madison College, and Stony Brook all finished within a
point of VCU. Howard's craft overcame a challenging qualification day to power through the course on race
day. Madison College repurposed a children's canoe to move quickly through the back-bay course in 25:41.
Stony Brook's uncrewed team solved a series of problems to run a great race Thursday midday.
A total of 19 teams were able to qualify and complete the two-mile course in Broad Bay. The first-year team
from University of Delaware had the
tenth fastest time on course, 25:46. The new PEP Club at University of Virginia totaled 65.0 points while solving numerous challenges on the
beach to have a successful run. UCONN's
uncrewed hydroplane was a sight in rough conditions and the 18-member club will look to build upon this
successful start. The University at
Buffalo seniors constructed their craft from scratch and navigated the back-bay course in 35
minutes.
All the competing teams contributed their unique energy and passions to the competition. University of Illinois students
completed a two-year odyssey by driving from Urbana-Champaign with the USS Illini for a successful
first run in Virginia. Two more teams from University of Kentucky, the Hydro Hustlers and Deciduous, earned a university-wide
prize from ONR for "best built from scratch"- a true honor! Representatives of Northeastern's 200-person
robotics club worked tirelessly to get their craft on the course. Clubs at Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, and Iowa all recruited great teams and worked
on impressive builds; next year, these teams will continue to grow the number of student engineers
addressing this problem. The University of
Central Florida club went so far as to fully 3D print their hull by creating two 6.5-foot sections
that fit along an Aluminum rod to create a 180-pound hull capable of great speeds.
These teams exemplified the future of maritime technology with
electric propulsion systems that are powerful, efficient, and ready for the next frontier. These clubs and
engineers are going places!
Uncrewed Competitors
Industry Reception:
300+ students, faculty and industry representatives networking.
We are deeply grateful to the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program and Build Submarines for their generous
sponsorship of
the PEP25 reception through BlueForge Alliance. Their support helped create an unforgettable evening
where student
engineers from across the country had the rare opportunity to connect with leaders and professionals
from across the
maritime sector. The energy in the room was electric as students shared their project experiences and
learned about
real-world applications from those actively shaping the future of naval engineering and technology.
A special thanks to the industry representatives who took the time to speak directly with students and
faculty about their builds,
offer feedback, and share their professional journeys. Conversations flowed for over three hours,
bridging the gap
between academia and industry. Katherine Dames and Dr. Carrie Curtis were among those who engaged
personally with
students, offering not only valuable insight into career pathways but also encouragement and mentorship.
Their presence,
along with that of so many others, demonstrated the industry's commitment to nurturing the next
generation of
innovators.
Finally, we extend our sincere appreciation to the MIB for their ongoing and
enthusiastic
support of student-driven engineering programs like PEP. Events like this reception are vital for
fostering a sense of
purpose, direction, and belonging for students entering a demanding but exciting field. By facilitating
this kind of
engagement, the MIB and its partners are helping ensure a strong, skilled, and inspired future workforce
for the
maritime and defense industries.
Volunteers:
The key component of a successful PEP. Thank you so much!
Thank you volunteers for making this possible!
See you next year at PEP26!
Want to see
more? PEP21
Teams PEP22
Teams PEP23 PEP24