Ophir Vermesh has won the first $30,000 Lemelson-Caltech Student Prize, and William Chueh takes honors, and $10,000, as runner up.

Today's young inventors are tomorrow's technological and entrepreneurial leaders. The $30,000 Lemelson-Caltech Student Prize seeks to recognize and inspire these burgeoning innovators and inventors.

The Lemelson-Caltech Student Prize will be awarded to a Caltech undergraduate or graduate student who has created or improved a product or process, applied a technology in a new way, redesigned a system, or in other ways demonstrated remarkable inventiveness. Students will gain invaluable exposure to the science, business, and investment communities through participation in this competition.

Eligibility Requirements
All Caltech undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to compete for this award regardless of major. Applicants must be individual inventors; teams are not eligible.

Two letters of recommendation from Caltech faculty or Caltech or JPL research-scientist staff must be included as part of the application.

Award Process
Interested students may apply by completing the online application form. A distinguished panel of Caltech alumni including scientists, technologists, engineers, and entrepreneurs selects the winner. Applications are due December 31, 2008. The winner will be announced on March 5, 2009.

This award is part of a comprehensive program established by the Lemelson Foundation to raise the stature of inventors and to inspire invention among young people.

The Lemelson-Caltech Program is funded by the Lemelson-MIT Program, which also funds the $30,000 Lemelson-Illinois Student Prize at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The Caltech program has been further underwritten by a generous contribution from Dr. Michael W. Hunkapiller (PhD '74).