Meet the 2024 Outstanding Recent Graduate Award Recipients
Sean Bestgen, P.E. (EE 2013) grew up in Sturgis, SD, and attended the South Dakota School of Mines. His professional career began at Caterpillar’s proving grounds in Tucson, AZ validating machine controls. Sean transitioned to DGR Engineering as a consulting engineer, working on power substations. Sean currently works for West River Electric in Rapid City as a system engineer, helping navigate the exciting growth of the utility. He and his wife Janile (EnvE 09, MSCE 14) have four children and enjoy living in the Black Hills.
Ben Johnson (IEEM 2014) serves as an inventory analytics manager at Caterpillar Inc, where he leads a team of data scientists focused on researching and developing new inventory planning processes. His efforts aim to achieve higher inventory turns, improve parts availability, and reduce handling and transportation expenses. Ben's journey at Caterpillar began as an intern in logistics, and he advanced to his current role by showcasing his creativity in devising innovative demand forecasting and process automation solutions. In 2019, Ben's exceptional contributions led to him receiving the Caterpillar CEO Award for spearheading the development of the Parts Inventory Collaboration (PIC) Simulator.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Ben actively engages with the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), earning a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) designation in 2017. He also serves as the student liaison for Bradley University, connecting students with the local Lincoln Land chapter. Additionally, Ben is dedicated to community service, teaching Financial Peace University at Elevate Church and participating in the Morton Mentor program, where he mentors high school students in a job shadowing curriculum. Ben loves spending time with his wife Bri and daughter Quinn by playing pinball and visiting local coffee shops.
Kelby Wilkison, P.E. (CE 2014) is a dedicated civil engineer and leader who has made significant contributions across multiple sectors within the civil engineering industry. As the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Services Group Manager at Trihydro Corporation, Kelby has led innovative initiatives and complex projects across the United States, consistently pushing the boundaries of traditional engineering practices to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enhance project efficiency, stakeholder engagement, and community impact.
Kelby's approach to his work is deeply rooted in the values instilled by his family. His father's dedication to service and integrity, his mother's unwavering kindness and belief in the potential of every individual, the mutual support with his siblings, and his wife Brooke's passion for justice and helping others have all profoundly influenced his professional character. These guiding principles, combined with the resilience and strategic thinking skills honed during his time playing football at SDSMT, have shaped Kelby into a collaborative leader who integrates advanced technologies to drive positive change.
Beyond his technical expertise, Kelby is committed to the advancement of his profession and the well-being of the communities he serves. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Wyoming, Iowa, and Indiana, and serves on the board of the Wyoming Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Kelby actively participates in employee-giving campaigns, mentors aspiring engineers, and champions sustainable practices. His dedication to making a lasting impact exemplifies the spirit of the Outstanding Recent Graduate Award, as he continues to contribute to efficient, environmentally-friendly projects that benefit society.
Lindsay Jo Kirby (ChE 2014) is a Business Development Manager at the newly-formed Glycolic Acid-spinoff from DuPont: PureTech Scientific, specializing in developing strategic R&D and marketing programs for a multi-million dollar product line within the personal care industry. Hailing from Legacy High School in Broomfield, CO, Lindsay Jo embraced South Dakota Mines' smaller, more intimate engineering classroom environment to pursue undergraduate research in energetics formulation compositions under direction of Dr. Lori Groven. This inspired her following career path in formulation and scale-up manufacturing of energetics compositions as a Chemical Design Engineer at Owen Oil Tools, followed by progressing technical sales roles where she leveraged her formulation expertise to drive growth in new markets for specialty chemistries. Lindsay Jo lives by two rules: 1. Don’t let anyone outwork you. There will always be those more talented, but hard work is a better teacher. 2. Stumble your way through life confidently. Plenty of people less qualified than you are doing the things you’d like to be doing; reach out and SNATCH opportunities.
Lindsay Jo looks forward to building upon the foundation provided by her time at Mines to bring forth new & improved chemical technologies from legacy chemical giants.
LT Tim Fountain (MetE 2014) was born in southern California but grew up in Sioux Falls, SD. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 2014. As a student, he performed and participated in several research projects involving advanced materials processing, friction stir welding of high-strength steel, and laser cladding of steel cutting implements. In 2012, he completed an internship with Nucor Steel, Utah and worked on several projects including reduction of gas porosity in wire grade steel, process optimization for production of high strength steel structural members, development of heat treatment processes for proprietary alloys, and several failure analysis projects. His postgraduate education includes a Naval Engineer’s degree and a Master of Science in Materials Science & Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His graduate research focused on design and production of alloys, ships, and submarines. He was accepted into the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program and commissioned in 2014.
After completing initial training in Newport, RI, LT Fountain reported to Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC) for initial assignment as an instructor. He taught over 600 future nuclear operators the fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, water chemistry, materials science, radiological fundamentals, and basics of machine theory and operations. During his tour, NNPTC underwent the first major training program conversion the nuclear Navy had been through in several decades to update all curriculum products to match the plants on new Moored Training Ships. In 2017, he was selected for lateral transfer to the Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) community.
LT Fountain completed his submarine qualification ride on USS NEWPORT NEWS (SSN 750) homeported in Groton, CT. Upon detaching from NEWPORT NEWS, he reported to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility for his EDO qualification tour. He served as Ship Safety Officer during the undocking and end game of the Engineered Overhaul of USS TUCSON (SSN 770) and later as the Senior Shipyard Representative during her Sea Trials. Additionally, he serves as the Division Officer for Sailors assigned to the shipyard Quality Assurance Department and has overseen several key initiatives in improving Sailor utilization at the shipyard and retention in the Navy. He is now a Deputy Project Superintendent for USS ILLINOIS’s 33.7 month Extended Dry-Dock Selected Restricted Availability.
LT Fountain is married to Kirsten Glaser of Barnstable, MA and has a son, Kellan and a daughter, Amara.