Lauren McIntire

During this time of year, many people enjoy the spring weather by taking a drive. Whether it's putting the top down on a vintage Mustang or rolling down the windows of a Honda Civic, we like to feel the wind in our hair and see the trees going by in a blur.

But our transportation habits may be gradually destroying the environment we love. Lauren McIntire, an NAU senior, hopes to change this.

"Like most Americans, I associate the automobile with freedom," she said. "However, we cannot go on using automobiles as we have for decades." Her goal is to find answers to America's transportation needs in the natural environment.

Lauren McIntire, center in sunglasses, sits on top of the mini-baja vehicle with other members of the NAU student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers who built it.

McIntire, an environmental engineering major and chair of the student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers at NAU, has been chosen by the society as an intern for the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering program in Washington, D.C. this summer, ranked as one of the nation's best internships by the Princeton Review.

During her stay in D.C., McIntire will be responsible for researching and writing a technical paper on alternative energy. Her paper could then be selected for the SAE International Detroit Congress event in 2008.

John Tester, associate professor of mechanical engineering, recommended McIntire for the internship and describes her as "a ball of energy and a good all-around person" with great organizational skills.

McIntire's ideas regarding alternative energy include matching technologies to the climates that support them. She also said that these technologies, such as "solar panels in the Southwest" and "wind turbines in the Midwest," will work best in small communities, "or even on a house-to-house basis."

But during her stay in D.C., McIntire will have time not only to use her ideas to craft her technical paper, but also to see the sites—and more.

"I look forward to biking around the monuments [and] taking time for myself to think and relax by the reflection pools," she said. McIntire also plans to attend the free weekly concerts put on by the military, enjoy foods "from all cultures," and experience the local nightlife. "I plan on learning a lot about politics, myself and about life," she said.

McIntire credits the SAE with giving her "excellent opportunities to develop as a leader among her peers," as well as a great deal of hands-on experience in mechanical engineering. "SAE has been so much more for me than I had ever anticipated, and I have a deep respect for what it does for young mechanical engineers," she said.

Whether she becomes an engineer or a politician, McIntire wants to help lead America toward "re-establishing our independence from foreign nations, making us efficient and, quite rightly, proud to be American. We've lived inefficiently long enough."