Ruhland is finalist for NDSU Innovation Challenge ’16

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Emilee Ruhland of Snoqualmie, now a graduate student in English at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., has been selected as a finalist for Innovation Challenge ’16, a competition for student innovators.

Innovation Challenge ‘16 is an annual competition featuring new, unique or re-imagined products and services designed by NDSU students.

The students compete for a total of $27,000 in cash prizes. The Innovation Challenge is presented by the NDSU Office of the Provost, in partnership with the NDSU Research and Technology Park.

Ruhland and teammates Patricia Schnase, a graduate student from Fargo; and Samantha Hamernick, a sophomore from Lino Lakes, Minn., entered “AuSome Environments” in the social track of the competition. The other three tracks were products, services and agricultural.

AuSome Environments is a project to address educational needs of students with autism.

According to Ruhland, “To create sustainable, positive classroom environments, AuSome Environments will be a website that not only houses resources and information for teachers and their classrooms, but also functions as a place for teachers, local organizations and experts to network and share ideas central to student success.”

Ruhland is the daughter of Michael and Sara Ruhland of Snoqualmie and a Mount Si High School graduate.

Twenty-five projects were selected as finalists.

“The purpose of Innovation Challenge is to encourage students to be innovative thinkers,” explained Chuck Hoge, interim executive director at the NDSU Research and Technology Park.

“We want to enhance student awareness for innovation as a precursor to entrepreneurship and empower them to pursue entrepreneurship as a career choice. At the same time, this is an effort to engage the business community with our students. ”

The teams are scheduled to give final presentations on Thursday, Feb. 25.

An awards luncheon is set for Tuesday, March 1.