The Lemelson-Illinois Student Prize, administered by the Technology Entrepreneur Center in the College of Engineering, is awarded on an annual basis to an innovative student passionate about solving grand challenges and striving to be entrepreneurial.
2013 Winner - Eduardo Torrealba
Eduardo Torrealba, a graduate student in Mechanical Science and Engineering, created his company Oso Technologies after a simple search to keep household plants alive. His first product, Plant Link, monitors the moisture needs of specific plants and can deliver water on an as needed basis using smart valves.
Finalists
2012 Winner - Kevin Karsch
Karsch, a doctoral student in computer science, has helped develop a technique for inserting objects and special effects into photos and videos without taking physical measurements of the scene. The technique can be performed by novices in a few minutes.
Finalists
2011 Winner - Scott Daigle
Scott is currently working on IntelliWheels, a new product that replaces manual wheelchair wheels and adds automatic gear shifting to reduce the amount of effort required to push the chair.
Finalists
2010 Winner - Jonathan Naber
Guided by his passion for helping those less fortunate, Jonathan has developed an affordable prosthetic arm for people in underdeveloped countries with the help of his team, Illini Prosthetic Technologies. Putting aside his initial focus to make a state-of-the-art prosthetic arm with electronic components, Jonathan has created an arm from off the shelf materials that is extremely functional, durable and easily manufactured.
Finalists
2009 Winner - John Wright
John has developed new mathematical tools that drastically improve the accuracy of facial recognition systems such as those used at Boston’s Logan airport, the 2001 Superbowl, and by the Tampa, Florida police department.
Finalists
2008 Winner - Patrick Walsh
Patrick Walsh is working towards changing the way 1.6 billion people light their homes. Patrick’s solar-powered LED lamps are a brighter, healthier, longer-lasting, and less expensive lighting option for people with unreliable electricity
Finalists
2007 Winner - Michael Callahan
Michael Callahan hopes to assist individuals without the use of speech and mobility to communicate through the application of neuroscience.
