SD Mines students using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream inside the state capitol in Pierre.
RAPID
CITY, SD (Feb. 28, 2018) – The South
Dakota School of Mines & Technology takes over the
capitol rotunda in Pierre from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday, March 1. The event
allows Mines students, faculty and staff to share their innovative work with
state lawmakers and state officials.
Campus organizations
on hand include the Professional Development Institute, Mines Advantage, the alumni association, the athletics department, the admissions office, as well as the Innovation Club for Entrepreneurs. Also, during the
event, the Aero Design Team will have one of
their radio-controlled aircraft set up. To top it all off,
Mines’
American Chemistry Society and the Society
of Physics Students will team up to make dry
ice root beer with liquid nitrogen ice cream. Joseph Wright, SD Mines associate vice president
for research and economic development, will also be on hand to speak about
efforts like the Entrepreneurs in Residence
Program (EIR). The program brings
seasoned entrepreneurs to SD Mines with a focus on new venture formation based
on technology created through SD Mines' extraordinary research.
Efforts
like EIR make SD Mines a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship in South
Dakota. In the last six years, Mines has fostered a number of successful
high-tech start-up companies including VRC Metal Systems,
Nanopareil
and CalxAqua.
The university not only creates jobs by nourishing high-tech start-ups, but
also by educating the science, technology, engineering and math labor force. In
the last six years, 272 graduates accepted jobs
with 142 employers in 28 South Dakota communities.
Over
the years SD Mines graduates have also gone on to establish well-known businesses
in the state. These companies have a global impact and employ thousands of
people in the region, companies like Daktronics,
RESPEC
and RPM Associates.