Braun Student Inventor Award
The Ann and Dave Braun Student Inventor Award was established to recognize a South Dakota Mines student who has made a significant discovery or invention as a student at Mines. The selected recipient of this award will be recognized at the Research Symposium, will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a free patent application from Goodhue, Coleman & Owens, P.C. and McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC.
Eligibility Requirements
Must be an individual or student group from South Dakota Mines.
Submissions/Judging Criteria
Each student must email or deliver a signed invention disclosure to the office of Economic Development. You will be judged on the completeness and clarity of the invention disclosure (40%) and the utility, novelty and non-obviousness of the invention (60%).
Timeline
| Date | |
|
Information Session #1 |
January 22, 2025 |
|
Information Session #2 |
January 23, 2025 |
|
Deliver or email a signed original invention disclosure to: Economic.Development@sdsmt.edu |
February 28, 2025 |
| Students Notified of the Winner | March 17, 2025 by 5PM |
Braun Inventor Award Winners
2023 Braun Student Inventor Award Recipients
Kathy Mathieu, R3 PLA Recycler
Mathieu along with a mechanical engineering senior design team of students won the
undergraduate award for an invention that improves the recycling of plastic used in
3D printers. The system includes a grinder to shred plastic for melting in an extruder
and a spooling system that allows extruded plastic thread to cool before being wound
on a spool for later printing. Other students on the team include Andy Perez, Kelvin
Su, Blake Hyla, Taylor Kirkvold and Macauley Haag
Sam Ryckman, Differential Belt Speed Reducer
Ryckman's invention is a very high reduction gearbox that can fit in an extremely
small footprint. By mounting an electric motor inside a gearbox, he solved several
problems associated with more conventional gearboxes. His differential belt speed
reducer invention can support a wide range of applications from robotics to multiple
forms of automation.
2022 Braun Student Inventor Award Recipients
Whytneigh Duffie, Disappearing 4D Advanced Materials
Duffie's invention is a new type of high-resolution 3D printer resin that dissolves
in water. The product can be used in the injection molding process for manufacturing
in a wide range of industries. The applications could include precision casting of
parts that are difficult to machine, end-of-life disposal of a part or device to prevent
reverse engineering of sensitive technology, and a wide range of medical uses from
new types of casts for broken bones to wound coverings to drug delivery.
Kaleb Roth, Forever Fire
Roth's invention is new and innovative campfire starting device he invented called
Forever Fire. It uses human-powered generator to power electronic parts, which can
produce an electric arc in all weather conditions.
2021 Braun Student Inventor Award Recipients
Kim Yip Chiok, BioTape
His invention is a medical bandage for wound care made from cellulose biofilm. The
biofilm has a 98% water holding capacity to retain medicine and offers a 50% increase
in the wound healing rate with fewer dressings.
Kristie Gildemeister, Itty Bitty Acre, LLC
Her invention provides an innovative solution to address reliability of electrocatalysts
used in fuel cells through novel use of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coating
methodologies using nanoparticles to produce a far superior electrocatalyst compared
to those commercially available today.