South Dakota Mines Student Wins Braun Award for Ethanol Dishwasher Invention

Innovation was not always part of Roberto Perez Torres’ plan.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, he was searching for direction, never imagining that he would one day become an award-winning inventor. But Perez Torres is the first to point out that life has a way of opening unexpected doors, especially when people believe in your potential.

Now, the South Dakota Mines senior electrical engineering major has earned the 2026 Braun Student Inventor Award and $5,000 for his ethanol dishwasher.

Perez Torres was in Florida visiting his two-year-old son, Mateo, when the email arrived announcing him as the Braun Award winner. “I was overwhelmed,” he said. “I felt humbled, speechless, thankful and validated. It added wood to the fire.”

The Ann and Dave Braun Student Inventor Award includes $5,000 in cash and a free patent application from McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. This award was established to recognize a Mines student who has made a significant discovery or invention while enrolled at the university.

“As founders of the Mines student inventor award, my wife, Ann, and I are very pleased to see the wonderful and commercially significant results by all of the 2026 participants,” said Dave Braun. “We know that many of these students will start their own companies or join innovative companies as skilled inventors.”

The idea to create a dishwasher powered by ethanol rather than traditional detergent took shape during Perez Torres’ time as an electrical and electronics technician at Genesis Farms, South Dakota’s leading cannabis producer. While maintaining the facility, he noticed employees routinely washing equipment by hand using ethanol. “I wondered why there was not a method to do this automatically,” he said. “It takes time, is tedious and not everyone washes the same.”

Ethanol is commonly used in botanical extraction processes, such as cannabis, peppermint and vanilla, because it is food-safe and allows for the recovery of extracts while preserving them.

“Roberto’s invention is grounded in real-world experience and directly addresses a problem he encountered,” said Jonathan Kennedy, a patent attorney with McKee, Voorhees & Sease and a judge for the competition. “Having the ingenuity to see the issue and then the diligence to work toward a solution embodies the drive of an inventor.”

While Perez Torres had the idea last fall, it was not until the start of the spring semester that his idea took shape. "I knew it could have real-world potential and could be turned into a company,” he said. “There are so many production facilities that would love to do less, use less and get more out of their stuff, and this is going to do it all automatically. That is the goal.”

Perez Torres is now working on his second prototype, and after graduation, will begin working as an engineer for Northern Geo, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of geothermal heat pumps and renewable energy products. Aside from his full-time employment, Perez Torres will have his own space in Northern Geo to work on his startup. “The owner is an entrepreneur and has opened several successful companies,” Perez Torres said. "When my best friend Eli Lowry (a Mines junior mechanical engineering major) told him about my invention, he extended his hand out, understanding what it is like working on a startup.”

That door is not the first to open for Perez Torres.

He describes himself as a “problem child” growing up, a path that led him to a military youth academy where he earned his GED before enlisting in the Air Force, a decision that brought him to the Black Hills.

After leaving the Air Force, Perez Torres began working at Phase Technologies, where he met Peda Medagam, chief technology officer (CTO) at the local electronics manufacturer, who encouraged him to enroll at Mines.

“Tears come to my eyes when I think of these things,” he said. “I am just so grateful.”

His success is also a testament to the support available to him and other student entrepreneurs at Mines. “Roberto’s achievement showcases the power of student innovation, and we are incredibly grateful for generous donors and partners such as Dave Braun and McKee, Voorhees & Sease for helping bring ideas like this to life,” said Beth Lambeth, associate vice president for research-innovation and entrepreneurship.

Looking ahead, Perez Torres is excited about what comes next. But his biggest driving force is supporting Mateo, and his grandmother, mother and sister, who all still live in Puerto Rico.

“They are my everything,” he said.