South Dakota Mines Annual Leadership Awards Celebrate Student Initiative and Achievements
Spring at South Dakota Mines marks a time to celebrate achievement and recognize the student leaders who have made a lasting impact on campus and the community.
The university recently held its Hardrocker Honors ceremony, a combined version of the 75th Annual Honors Convocation and Leadership Hall of Fame awards. Each year, the ceremony recognizes students for their distinguished academic and leadership achievements.
“This is one of the most meaningful times of the year at South Dakota Mines,” said Mines President Brian Tande, Ph.D. “We have the opportunity to recognize students who not only excel academically, but who lead with purpose and leave a lasting impact on our campus and community. Their contributions help shape the future of Mines, and we are proud to celebrate all they have accomplished.”
More than 160 students were honored for achievements spanning academics, research, leadership and personal growth.
Joseph Tunge, a sophomore biomedical engineering major from Sioux Falls, S.D., received the Cushman Clark Rising Star Award. The $400 scholarship, funded by Samuel Cushman Clark, honors his grandfather, Samuel Cushman, who served as the university dean from 1890 to 1891.
Victoria Verhey, a junior pre-professional health science major from Rapid City, S.D., received the CHAD Award - Caring, Helping, Aspiring and Developing. The award, named in honor of Chad Nienhueser, a distinguished student leader and 2005 Leadership Hall of Fame inductee, recognizes individuals who embody Nienhueser's passion for leadership and service.
Grace Pridgeon, an electrical engineering major from Gillette, Wyo., was awarded the $600 Gustafson Student Leadership Scholarship. Established by Jim Gustafson, a 1987 electrical engineering alumnus, recognizes a junior or senior who excels academically and in leadership roles.
The Leadership Hall of Fame, a prestigious award established in 2000, honors individuals whose contributions have significantly shaped the Mines campus community.
Each year, four to six students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and have made a meaningful impact on and off campus are chosen for the Leadership Hall of Fame. Portraits of the 2026 inductees will be added to the Leadership Hall of Fame display outside the Beck Ballroom in the Surbeck Center.
The impact of this year’s inductees touches nearly every area of the university and community, ranging from community service, peer mentorship and youth outreach to Student Associate Senate, CAMP and Greek Life.
The 2026 Leadership Hall of Fame includes:
Allan Dade Gomez – Gomez is a mechanical engineering major from Kersey, Colo. His university involvement includes president of Triangle Fraternity, where he logged more than 600 hours of community service, founded the Cornhole Club, was the brakes design lead for the Baja team and participated in the President's Leadership Academy.
Duram C. Kelly – Kelly is a mechanical engineering major from North Mankato, Minn. His involvement includes Supermileage, Circle K International, Swing Dance, Wind Ensemble and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. During his time, he also helped organize six blood drives and collected more than 1,000 pounds of food for Feeding South Dakota. As philanthropic chair for Lambda Chi Alpha, Kelly revitalized a declining fundraiser, created a new event and oversaw more than $2,400 raised for charity and over 1,300 hours of community service.
Bayler J. Larson – Larson is a metallurgical engineering major from Ethan, S.D. Over his four years, Larson has served as a peer mentor and a first-year master mentor, guiding incoming freshmen. He also held several leadership roles on the Baja SAE team and shared his skills and craftmanship at the Foundry and Makerspace.
Madelyn “Maddy” Siekmann – Siekmann is a biomedical engineering major from Chaska, Minn. She served on the Student Association Senate, vice president of the South Dakota Board of Regents Student Federation and served as a student representative for the 2024 Presidential Search Committee. She was also president of the Hard Rockin’ Drama Club, a Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) peer mentor and a student ambassador.
Clive E. Uy – Uy is a mechanical engineering major with minors in aerospace and systems engineering from Bellingham, Wash. He served as vice president of the Student Association Senate, chassis subsystem lead and media manager on the university’s Baja team and worked on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) where he developed tools that improved laboratory efficiency. Uy also mentored youth through Campus Kids, served as a mechanical engineering ambassador, participated in the President’s Leadership Academy and contributed to SOUL’s charitable outreach in the Rapid City community.
Jacob Vostad – Vostad is a chemical engineering major from Sioux Falls, S.D. He served as president of the Student Association Senate, founded SOUL, a service club that connects students with underserved community members, and headed up the creation of the Hardrocker Huddle and IN PHASE. His vision and leadership also helped to bring back the community Rocker Days Parade.
You can find the full list of award winners here and view a photo album of the Hardrocker Honors here.