Masters ID Student Takes First Place in Annual Top Ram Competition

By Zach Samalonis

Seven teams of Jefferson students from the East Falls and Center City campuses recently pitched their ideas in the DEC Center Forum to a panel of judges for the annual Top Ram Competition. This year’s winner was Masters Industrial Design student Julia Anthony, whose idea was “SOLU-tion”, a dual chamber auto-injector for people with adrenal insufficiency disorders. The device is designed as a fast and effective way to dispense medication in emergency situations.

After the presentations, a Q&A with the judges followed. Finalists were scored on concept, research, storytelling, business model design/feasibility and innovation.

After finding out she had just won the Matt Glass Award for Entrepreneurship Anthony said, “I’m really excited – I’ve had this idea for a long time.”

The Award comes with several benefits including a $1,000 prize. Julia said she plans to use the funds to prototype more generations of the device. In addition, she also will receive a free consultation with a lawyer to support her idea, as well as meet with Dr. Steven Glass, who sponsors the competition in memory of his son Matthew Glass.

This is the second time an Industrial Design student has won the competition. The first was in 2015 when Renee Kakareka (BsID’16), won for her smart glasses to help the hearing impaired. She was accepted into the Angel Venture Fair the following semester and went on to win the $5,000 JAZ Tank pitch competition. Development of the concept is now in the final prototype stage through her company Olive Devices.