In addition to the First Place Student Prize, Harmon was presented with the Hydro Sustainable Design Award for her Modular Arch Construction Set, which earned her an additional $2,000 cash prize. "While the designer outlined a wide range of potential applications for this system, its use in disaster relief situations was obviously a driving force in its development," commented Sustainable Design Award judge Lynn Brown, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs for Hydro Aluminum North America in Linthicum, Maryland. "From the emphasis on an assembly process that eliminates the need for tools, to providing for the use of readily available tarps for "roofing," the realities of disaster situations were clearly reflected in the end design. With this focus, we felt the design best yielded the societal or environmental benefit which the Hydro Sustainability Design Award was created to address. We were similarly impressed by the rigor of the thought process and the creative use of extrusion's properties to create versatility in application."

Jared Crooks, a senior mechanical engineering student from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, won the Hydro Sustainable Design Award, earning $2,000, for his design of a Mobile Sediment Pond Barrier.  “The aluminum extrusion design of the sediment pond barrier is the next step in sediment pond technology,” explained Crooks.  Lynn Brown agreed.  “He has addressed the challenge of improving the runoff water quality around landfills.  Today, cement walls are used as a sediment barrier.  Jared’s extrusion design is a portable, longer lasting, and more cost-effective solution.  The grooves incorporated in the profile design enhance the sediment retention ability of the barrier,” noted Brown. 

2005 Honorable Mention: Salmon Ladder, submitted by Adam Bancroft, Purdue University

Adam Bancroft, a graduate student studying industrial design at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, was recognized with a Hydro Sustainable Design Honorable Mention for his concept of a salmon ladder.  The design provides several advantages over those made of concrete or wood, according to Bancroft.  Aluminum offers reliable corrosion resistance, and the modular, portable design allows the salmon ladder to be moved, taken down in the off-season, shortened or lengthened, or reoriented for more effective use.  “This replaces permanent concrete structures typically used to provide access for salmon to their spawning grounds,” commented Brown.

2005 Honorable Mention: Produce Container, submitted by Paula Martins, Caldas da Rainha

Paula Martins, a student studying for her Masters Degree at ESAD in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, received an Honorable Mention for her aluminum container used for transporting and displaying fresh produce.  The recyclable containers, consisting of two aluminum profiles and two plastic caps, can be easily assembled and stacked replacing single-use wood and cardboard containers.  “The design and ‘stackability’ make this an effective merchandising system for produce at market,” noted Brown. 

2005 Honorable Mention: Thermoelectric Device, submitted by Eric LaFay, Ohio University

Eric LaFay, a senior studying mechanical engineering at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, was recognized with a Hydro Sustainable Design Honorable Mention for his concept of an extruded aluminum thermoelectric device.  “The device joins two extrusions to generate or remove energy,” explained LaFay.  “Cooling [is provided] without moving parts or refrigerant; power [is generated] by just having a temperature gradient,” according to the designer.  “LaFay has designed a clever integral hinge assembly and uses the tight tolerances, thermal properties, and design flexibility of extrusion to create this pollution-free, energy-efficient device,” Brown remarked.

The First-Place winning entry in the Student Category was an extruded aluminum traffic light post submitted by Shivangi Narke, a graduate student in industrial design at Purdue University in Indiana. Narke was awarded $3,000 as First-Place winner for her traffic signal system previously considered outside the realm of either affordability or capability for aluminum extrusion technology. The innovative, sleek design is aesthetically pleasing yet pragmatic in its function and capitalizes on new lighting technologies allowing for inventive designs.