NMT “Power Rangers” Dominate Regionals, Advance to Finals
june 25, 2025
The New Mexico Tech “Power Rangers,” a team of an engineering and a management student, slayed the regional competition for the Department of Energy’s prestigious award, the EnergyTech University Prize. The team—Williams Utaman (graduate student in petroleum engineering) and Ashton DeGraaf (senior in management)—are now in one of 24 national finalists (out of 188 initial teams). Their mentor is Assistant Teaching Professor Suraj Ghimire.
The regionals were held virtually and asynchronously and the results announced on June 4. The finals are slated for June 30 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.
According to the DOE’s press release, the finalists are all multi-disciplinary teams and “were chosen from among many promising competitors. Each team identified a DOE National Laboratory-developed or other high-potential energy technology, assessed its market potential, and created a business plan for commercialization. Students then submitted video pitches to a panel of reviewers for assessment. Throughout the competition, competitors receive mentorship and materials to help them succeed.”
The stakes are high. The main prize is $100,000 shared among the top three national winners, but the DOE also offers additional prize opportunities in other categories during the final event.
The visionary technology that the Power Rangers will pitch is “a safe and efficient thorium-based molten salt reactor system, designed with increased fuel efficiency for grids, industries, and remote sites,” according to the DOE release.
DeGraaf, team captain, said, “I'm incredibly proud to be representing New Mexico Tech for the EnergyTech UP 2025 competition. We look forward to the competition, as well as the networking opportunity that this will provide. Go NMT!”
Utaman said, “I am deeply honored to represent New Mexico Tech, a hub of research excellence and industry innovation, at the EnergyTech UP 2025 grand final round. While this milestone is meaningful, the journey is not over yet. Every lesson from my petroleum engineering and elective studies has prepared me to push further, and I am focused on giving my best in the finals.”
This achievement and the lessons learned in the process underscore NMT's commitment to excellence in research, student innovation, and preparing students for leadership in technology commercialization. Overall, New Mexico Tech fosters an environment where students may develop cutting-edge solutions to real-world energy challenges, with the support of skilled advisors and coaches.
NMT News will follow up and report the results of the national finals.