Alexander Saigh was in high school when he started inventing. After watching some MythBusters videos where the cast couldn’t get something to work, he was inspired to try it himself. 

“I decided that I could do a better job of it,” Saigh says. “I started making designs for things. It expanded from a few designs to a lot of designs, to me making my own inventions on paper.” 

Now at Missouri S&T, Saigh is pursuing a degree in business and management systems and will earn a graduate certificate in business project management. He’s also on the Grad Track Pathway pursuing an MBA. 

He decided that coming to S&T means more than just coming to class: it’s a place to turn his ideas into reality. 

Saigh, who is from St. Louis and chose S&T because he wanted an engineering degree, switched his major to business and management systems to better fit what he wants to do. Saigh doesn’t just want to invent things — he wants to start his own businesses.  

“I said, well, I’m going to be an entrepreneur. I’ll start a company where I can work on whatever I like,” Saigh says.  

One of his latest inventions is for a humanitarian project. With help from the materials science department, Saigh is creating a ceramic water filter system named “Oasis” to help families in countries with unsafe drinking water. 

“I care very much about using the work I do to help the world through social impact,” he says. “That ended up being a ceramic water filter. We don’t have to worry about where our water comes from here in the states. But in other countries, this is a serious problem.” 

Saigh says he basically redesigned the ceramic water filter so that it lets water run faster without sacrificing its effectiveness to provide clean water. Normally, the smaller pores give cleaner water but slow the flow, and larger pores speed things up but can miss contaminants. 

“This has gone through many evolutions,” he says. “Part of the biggest change is not actually the design itself, but the business model.” 

Saigh explained that giving away the filters for free, or even heavily subsidizing them, can backfire since people often perceive free products as low quality, and they will go unused or discarded.  

He also noted that selling them at a discount could unintentionally harm similar existing businesses in those communities. While these filters aren’t a new idea, his design stands out for its high flow rate and strong filtration. Still, he doesn’t want to put anyone else out of business. 

Rather than manufacturing the filters in the states, Saigh hopes to produce them within the communities that need them, using local labor to support their economy and create jobs. 

“This will allow these communities to get help and allow us to gain enough profit to be able to move on to the next idea,” he says. “There’s absolutely no reason why an entrepreneur can’t make millions of dollars on their ideas and also help the planet. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.” 

What inspired his Oasis project was a breakthrough during his time at the 2022 Ripple Fellowship, a New Jersey based social impact entrepreneurship program that pairs young innovators with mentors. 

“That was the time of my life,” he says. “It really opened the door.” 

Dr. Kelley Wilkerson, associate teaching professor of materials science, has assisted Saigh with the design of the filter. 

“There have been several other people who have helped me, and it’s really allowed me to progress this project,” he says. “Next semester, I plan to get back to testing the ceramic samples.” 

Once testing is done, Saigh plans to make the final filter and bring his product to potential investors. 

Also helping Saigh get business-related experience is S&T’s new Entrepreneurial Student Society (ESS), in which he serves as secretary.  

ESS collaborates with local businesses on specific projects to gain experience and networking opportunities. Right now, Saigh is managing a project with Rolla business Horses Healing Hearts to help them come up with a floor plan design. 

Saigh is gaining leadership skills through the Associated Students of the University of Missouri; representing ESS on S&T’s Student Council; and he serves on the Havener committee, the campus infrastructure committee and the Residence Hall Association dining committee.  

Saigh is not only involved in various committees and organizations but is helping make other campus improvements. 

“I’m working on a plan to bring therapy cats to Missouri S&T,” Saigh says. “It will be amazing because it’s one of the big voids on campus.” 

In the future, Saigh has big plans for business. He plans to start a technology company where he can bring his inventions to life, unrestricted.  

“It will essentially be a research and development lab that will allow me to take all these ideas in my head and start working on them,” he says. “I like taking on creative challenges, and I want a place where I can do that.” 

About Missouri S&T  

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.