Two USD Students Win South Dakota Governor’s Giant Vision Competition
Jain – a Ph.D. candidate in sustainability – and Chandel – a Master of Science student in sustainability – won first place in the Giant Vision Competition for their project, EarthMaze, a platform designed to track agricultural management practices and other environmental factors. This tool assists agribusinesses that are working with farmers to monitor sustainable farming practices and generate carbon credits, leveraging geospatial analysis and landscape modeling to promote environmental sustainability.
This is not the first time the pair has received funding for EarthMaze; Jain and Chandel also received $10,000 from the South Dakota Biotech FAST Launch, a program supported by the Small Business Association and America’s Seed Fund to assist the state’s entrepreneurs with training and funding.
Jain and Chandel also participated in the National Science Foundation I-Corps, receiving entrepreneurial training that helps facilitate the transformation of inventions to impact.
“It’s been a transformative experience, allowing us to bridge the gap between our research and the agricultural technology market. The availability of such funds enabled us to explore opportunities beyond our lab, engage with industry professionals and gain confidence that our research can address real-world problems,” said Chandel.
Jain and Chandel applaud programs like the South Dakota Governor’s Giant Vision Competition, South Dakota Biotech FAST Launch and the NSF I-Corps for helping entrepreneurs launch their businesses.
“These initiatives connect entrepreneurs with investors, stakeholders and the general public, who provide essential feedback and insight into the field’s inner workings, current market challenges and the various types of in-demand solutions,” said Chandel. “They have equipped us with the skills and knowledge to effectively navigate the business landscape and translate our scientific research into impactful solutions.”
“It allows students to transition from lab-based research to entrepreneurial ventures, in addition to initial funding to develop minimum viable products and attract early customers, helping students turn their innovative ideas into tangible products and services,” added Jain.
Jain and Chandel attribute their achievement to the USD sustainability program and university support, particularly from mentors Ranjeet John, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biology, and Meghann Jarchow, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Sustainability & Environment. They also credit the entrepreneurial training provided by the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs staff.
“Our time at USD has been fundamental in supporting our endeavors. The university provided us with access to cutting-edge research facilities, a supportive academic community and opportunities to engage in programs like the NSF I-Corps,” said Jain. “These resources have been crucial in transforming our research into a potential product that can make a meaningful impact on sustainable agricultural practices.”
In addition to Chandel and Jain, USD students Gopala Krishna Murthy Kalapala, Zishen Yang – along with their mentor Chaoyang Jiang, Ph.D., coordinator of graduate programs and professor in the Department of Chemistry – placed second in the competition, winning $4,000 for their DPUF product. The technology uses a unique, digital finger pattern to prevent intellectual property violations by securing against counterfeit or tampered products.
About the USD Sustainability Program
The Department of Sustainability & Environment encourages students to use innovation and entrepreneurship to address sustainability challenges and offers students funding to compete in sustainability-focused innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Sources of funding include departmental mini-grants, Council for Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship mini-grants for undergraduate students and graduate school grants for graduate students.
USD sustainability students can also take advantage of professional development opportunities like IdeaFest, the Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability conference, the Three Minute Thesis competition and the Hult Prize.
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