A Kansas University engineering graduate recently finished near the top in a national design contest.

John Cunningham took second place at the 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers National Student Design Contest for individuals.

Students competed to design a process to recover spent uranium from nuclear power plants so it could be concentrated and reused in power plant fuel.

The contest involved designing the process, evaluating the safety, environmental impact and economics and comparing it with a more complicated existing technology.

“Problem-solving skills were the most important thing I took from this competition,” Cunningham said. He also received a cash prize and the A.E. Marshall Award.

Cunningham graduated last spring and is now a chemical engineer for Koch-Glitsch in Wichita.