QUEST Annual Report - 2021

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND | QUEST HONORS PROGRAM

2021 Annual Report

Table of Contents 2

A Note from the Director

3

A Note from the Deans

4

Program Leadership

5

What is QUEST?

6

Students

8

Core Courses

17

Electives

18

Student Organizations

20

Sophomore/Juniors

22

Seniors

28

Alumni

33

Corporate Partners

34

Donors/Support QUEST

QUEST Honors Program

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR Thank you for taking the time to read the 2021 Annual Report for the QUEST Honors Program at the University of Maryland. On behalf of our QUEST community of students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and corporate partners, we are proud to share with you all of the developments that have shaped and defined our learning community over the past year.

The world changed in 2020, and QUEST changed with it. I think you will find in the pages that follow that QUEST reaffirmed our commitment to multidisciplinary, team-based, and experiential undergraduate education in spite of the pandemic. We, as a community, found new ways to provide a classroom experience conducive to creativity and teamwork. We adopted new communication and collaboration tools to engage with our corporate partners and apply classroom learning to real-world practice. We leveraged our strengths of resilience and continuous improvement to adapt to our new learning environment. Moreover, the nature of our experiential learning projects changed because the pandemic affected our corporate partners as well. QUEST was there to help them.

As you read the pages that follow, I ask you to focus on what we do each and every day: our students. Our mantra has always been “students first,” and I think you will better appreciate what that means as you read the incredible stories from our current and former students in this report.

The pictures throughout include screenshots of Zoom classrooms and group photos with masks and social distancing. But I suspect that we will look back at this year’s annual report the way we look back with wonder at old photos of the 1918 pandemic. As I write this today in May 2021, this all seems so normal.

As we emerge from the pandemic, we are poised and ready to resume our in-person experiences. However, because of the pandemic, we are also ready to embrace new experiential learning opportunities and ways of collaborating to engage with new partners and address grand challenges. I hope that you will consider partnering with us.

Sincerely,

7699 Mowatt Lane 1407 Van Munching Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-1815 questhonors@umd.edu 301-405-0534

go.umd.edu/QUEST facebook.com/QUESTumd twitter.com/QUESTumd instagram.com/QUESTumd blogs.rhsmith.umd.edu/questpress Joseph P. Bailey

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QUEST Honors Program

A NOTE FROM THE DEANS The QUEST Honors Program at the University of Maryland continues its tradition of excellence. In spite of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, QUEST has stayed committed to multidisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning. High-achieving undergraduate students in business, engineering, and science have engaged with QUEST’s corporate partners for some of the most meaningful and impactful learning on campus. In doing so, QUEST students have provided significant value to these companies and organizations while adjusting to the new communication and collaboration norms. In many ways, this past year has been the most exciting and innovative for QUEST since its founding at the University of Maryland in 1992.

As deans, we are committed to innovative and impactful undergraduate education. We are fortunate to have QUEST lead the way. It not only serves as a model for how to deliver on the commitment of President Pines to interdisciplinary education, it serves as a model for all programs in our three colleges. We are proud to have QUEST students and alumni lead the way in transforming higher education!

Thank you to all of the students, alumni, staff, faculty, corporate partners, parents, and benefactors who have contributed to the success of QUEST. We look forward to your continued participation in the future!

Robert Briber Interim Dean, A. James Clark School of Engineering

Prabhudev Konana Dean, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Amitabh Varshney Dean, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

Annual Report 2021

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QUEST PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

Page 4

Dr. Joseph Bailey Executive Director

Rachel DiDonna Program Coordinator

Dr. Pamela Armstrong Associate Director

David Ashley Affiliated Faculty

Jessica Roffe Assistant Director

Dr. Jim Purtilo Affiliated Faculty

QUEST Honors Program

WHAT IS QUEST? The Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST) Honors Program is a challenging, hands-on program for University of Maryland undergraduates from three participating schools. Students complete five courses over three years and work on team-based, experiential learning projects with clients in each course. Students who complete the program gain skills in teamwork, process improvement, systems thinking, product design and development, data analysis, and oral and written communication in addition to a network of passionate and motivated peers, alumni, faculty, and administrators.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY QUEST students are from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. In a highly competitive process, 90 new “QUESTees” are admitted each spring as freshmen.

COLLABORATION & TEAMWORK QUEST students work in multidisciplinary teams on client projects and are fully comfortable navigating team dynamics, working with individuals with diverse skill sets and talents, and inspiring an environment for collaborating on ideas and tactical strategies.

COMMUNITY OF LEARNING QUEST is a dynamic community of learning where students, faculty and staff, alumni, corporate partners, and University colleagues contribute to and benefit from the interactions and lessons learned.

HANDS-ON QUEST projects focus on real challenges facing organizations and society today. Students apply total quality tools, design, and systems thinking principles and engage in customerdriven initiatives. Project outcomes develop real and immediately-applicable innovations that improve processes, drive productivity, and reduce costs for clients.

QUEST LEARNING OUTCOMES Apply quality management tools, improve processes, and design systems Communicate ideas effectively in professional environments through oral presentations Communicate ideas effectively in writing Manage projects and people using effective project management tools Manage the new product development process for a new product or service that addresses an opportunity or problem

Annual Report 2021

Use business etiquette skills to network and communicate in diverse professional settings and behave in a professional and ethical manner Use quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques Work in multidisciplinary teams with an understanding of different roles and how to negotiate conflict in these situations Work in multidisciplinary teams to evaluate, analyze, and recommend solutions to real-world problems provided by corporate sponsors

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2020-2021 QUEST STUDENTS

252 STUDENTS

31% A. James Clark School of ENGINEERING

35% College of COMPUTER, MATHEMATICAL, AND NATURAL SCIENCES

37% Robert. H Smith School of BUSINESS

1%

OTHER

*Percentages total over 100% because some students are pursuing majors in multiple colleges

Cohort 31

Cohort 32

Cohort 33

Cohort 34

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QUEST Honors Program

NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS This year, QUEST received 230 applications for its incoming cohorts. With the help of QUEST alumni and current students, we reviewed each application and invited 159 applicants for virtual interviews. QUEST staff, faculty, and QUEST Recruiting members worked together to recreate the traditional in-person group interviews seamlessly on Zoom, and we were able to admit 90 new students in March. We are very excited to welcome Cohorts 37 and 38 into the QUEST community!

230 APPLICATIONS

90 NEW STUDENTS

159 INTERVIEWS

3.74 AVERAGE GPA

A. James Clark School of ENGINEERING College of COMPUTER, MATHEMATICAL, AND NATURAL SCIENCES Robert H. Smith School of BUSINESS

STUDENT MAJORS* MAJOR Accounting

8

Aerospace Engineering

10

Biochemistry

2

Bioengineering

12

Biological Sciences

1

Biomolecular & Chemical Engineering

2

Chemistry

2

Civil & Environmental Engineering

4

Computer Engineering

6

Computer Science

38%

32%

30%

# OF STUDENTS

80

Dance

1

Economics

3

Electrical Engineering

6

Environmental Health Policy & Decision Making

1

Finance

40

Fire Protection Engineering Information Systems

25

International Business

3

Journalism

1

Management

9

Marketing

Cohort 35

1

20

Materials Science and Engineering

1

Mathematics

11

Mechanical Engineering

37

Microbiology

1

Neuroscience

1

Operations Management & Business Analytics

35

Psychology

2

Supply Chain Management

4

Systems Design and Analysis

1

*Numbers total to more than 252 because some students are pursuing multiple majors

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Cohort 36

CLASSES QUEST professors and teaching assistants drew on their creative and innovative spirits in order to pivot our four core classes to virtual experiences this school year. As hands-on coursework is key to all QUEST classes, we strived to recreate these experiences through use of breakout rooms, Google Jamboards, guest speakers, and more to keep the cohorts fully engaged in our new virtual world. Students in each class were still able to complete their clientbased projects through Zoom meetings, phone calls, surveys, and interviews, and all end-of-the-semester presentations were held virtually through online platforms such as Zoom and Hopin. The virtual world even offered some benefits such as the ability to engage alumni from afar as project advisors and bring in guest lecturers from locations across the country and the world.

190H students present their product innovations on Zoom

190H: INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN AND QUALITY In this first QUEST course, students practice structured problem solving using design thinking and lean six sigma methods. There is also an emphasis on teamwork. Given that the course was online this year, the instructors created new activities to help foster team spirit and close collaboration. To get to know their teammates, students played a game in which they were asked to share a variety of experiences with each other. This activity also set the stage for the first design challenge, where the teams had to design an experience. The students also used the online collaboration tool Mural to capture and develop their ideas. Teams applied design thinking methods including interviews, journey mapping, personas, prototyping, and testing to create a variety of customer-centric experiences, such as using virtual reality experiences for nursing home residents. In the second project, teams helped on-campus clients revise their operations to create the best outcomes during the pandemic. Examples of these projects include improving the virtual new hire orientation for new employees and revising online tutoring processes. The students also learned how to work effectively on a remote team and work professionally with a client in a virtual environment.

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“Coming into college, I felt confused and stressed about what I wanted to study and what career path I would take.

However, through working on process improvements with oncampus organizations in 190H, I was able to find my passion for data analytics, and now, I can set clear goals for myself.”

Shiv Rathod Computer Science ‘23, Cohort 35

“Through the hands-on and team-based project experience embedded with design thinking skills, 190H has encouraged me to be innovative and strategically-driven on my journey to learn more about improving the systems of everyday life. My experience has been defined by QUEST's culture of exploring ambiguous problems to challenge my peers and myself to discover solutions for development and quality beyond our disciplines."

Alexia Ayuk Operations Management and Business Analytics ‘23, Cohort 36

QUEST Honors Program

190H Project Spotlights

Administrative Modernization Program: Improving the Major Change Process

Dining Services: Improving the Campus Pantry Volunteer Management Process

Team Quinntuplets from Cohort 35 worked with the Administrative Modernization Program (AMP), the university’s continuous improvement arm of the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, in fall 2020 to improve and standardize the major change process for students and advisors at the University of Maryland. The team conducted interviews with advisors and faculty members from many of the colleges on campus as well as a student survey. Team member Racheal Ssentongo, aerospace engineering ‘23 (Cohort 35), explained, “The main issues that we found to be consistent across all of the colleges were that students would often not know where to start when wanting to change their major, and there was an inability for students and advisors to track the progress of major change applications.” With this in mind, the team created three recommendations: a website with uniform information, an online portal for tracking progress, and video tutorials to walk students through the process. Project Champion Chad Nazworth, Program Manager with AMP, shared, “The team’s efforts to engage stakeholders, assess the level of buy-in for change, and outline solution options provided us

In the spring of 2021, Cohort 36 team QUESTadillas helped assist staff from UMD’s Campus Pantry, which works to eliminate food insecurity in College Park, with improving their volunteer management process as they prepare to move to a larger facility on campus. The team’s primary recommendations included implementing a tailored marketing campaign, a new volunteer referral program, and a streamlined sign-up process for current volunteers. Project champion Allison Tjaden, Assistant Director of New Initiatives with UMD Dining Services, shared, “It was wonderful to work with the QUEST team. Despite having to work virtually, the team was engaged in the project and thoughtful about unique experiences for on-campus students (not easy when you've spent so much time remotely!). The team conducted a survey of existing UMD Campus Pantry volunteers and taught us about the most

They're able to come up with such unique solutions, in part, because they are not hampered by the way we've always done things. with the foundational elements needed to include this as a project in our development roadmap. They gave a very effective presentation on the project to a large group of campus advisors, which was valuable exposure for the students but also allowed us to show the value of the project to those who will need to support it.” Nazworth looks forward to continuing to engage with QUEST teams. “They're able to come up with such unique solutions, in part, because they are not hampered by the way we've always done things.

They approach a problem with fresh eyes and bring a really unique perspective to process improvement projects.”

Annual Report 2021

190H students present their process improvement project poster on Zoom common majors volunteering with us. We also learned that most of our current volunteers are freshmen - something we hadn’t realized!” Team member Adam Mirsky, finance and philosophy ‘23 (Cohort 36), found the experience “incredibly rewarding, especially since we were able to directly assist an organization that does so much good for the larger College Park and UMD community.” He continued, “After spending so much time in class learning about designing processes and the tools with which to improve systems, it felt immensely reassuring to actually directly implement those practices, all for the betterment of the greater community.”

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CLASSES

438A/489A: APPLIED QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS In its second year as a required QUEST course, Applied Quantitative Analysis went through some exciting changes. In addition to moving the course online, the instructors reorganized the course to emphasize the data analysis process, which includes problem framing, data collection, data cleaning and processing, data exploration, analysis, and finally, communicating insights effectively. Each student team worked with a client to help them gain meaning from their data.

Students practiced each step of the data analysis process in these projects. Although we were in a virtual classroom, we welcomed guest speakers from Tuscany Strategy Consulting for a successful live case. Students enjoyed this opportunity to tackle a real-world problem and learn about how professionals use data to solve problems. Another guest lecture included learning about the many ways that analytics are used at Bechtel, while other speakers helped students learn about ethics in data analysis, personally identifiable information, securing data, and advances in natural language processing and machine learning.

“This course challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and learn about an entirely new discipline and apply those skills to a real-life data analysis project. With data visualization and coding techniques becoming increasingly relevant and important, I feel more confident in my ability to adapt to unfamiliar workspaces after college.”

Victoria Chiu Biochemistry ‘22, Cohort 34

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"438A taught me data analytics skills that I never thought I would learn as a business major.

I learned so much about Python and the importance of statistical models, which I am planning to utilize in my internship and throughout my career."

Nicholas Bailey Marketing & Operations Management and Business Analytics ‘23, Cohort 35

QUEST Honors Program

438A/489A Project Spotlights

Bechtel: Exploring Emerging Markets for Infrastructure Team Never Second QUEST worked with Bechtel in the fall semester to anticipate key locations that will require reconstruction projects within the next few years. The team used data on bridges from the U.S. Department of Transportation and narrowed the dataset to focus on the Northeast region. After cleaning the data, the team created an OLS Regression Model to output the number of years until a bridge will require reconstruction. By running the model, the team was able to recommend that Bechtel invest resources into three areas that they predict will have bridge reconstruction in the next 10-15 years. Team member Ben Messing, mechanical engineering ‘22 (Cohort 34), said, “As a mechanical engineering major, I feel lucky that QUEST taught me data science skills that I would not have otherwise learned - and in a super applied way too. I came away with a better understanding of how data can be turned into useful

As a mechanical engineering major, I feel lucky that QUEST taught me data science skills that I would not have otherwise learned. insights. Tons of data is available to help us make informed decisions, as long as we properly crunch it first.” Bechtel enjoyed the collaboration as well. According to Fatemeh Mirrashed, Lead Senior Data Scientist at Bechtel, "It was really fun working with the QUEST students - they were so enthusiastic to learn and grow, and they did a superb job.

Some of them will continue this collaboration and learn through an internship with us this summer. My colleagues at Bechtel are impressed and excited to find more roads ahead to work with young talent like this in the future.”

Annual Report 2021

Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA): Improving Young Professional Engagement A Cohort 35 team worked with QUEST alumna Shelby Truxon, marketing ‘05 (Cohort 10), Membership Program Manager at SWANA, in the spring semester to analyze data about the organization’s young professional engagement and identify areas for improvement. The team cleaned and processed the data and recommended that SWANA increase communication between chapters, provide incentives for those who perform well, and generate more awareness of its technical divisions in order to improve member retention.

According to team member Jacob de Frees, mechanical engineering ‘23 (Cohort 35), “The project really helped us learn how to handle working with a limited data set. We supplemented the data with our own data collection, which led to a good mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis.”

Truxon was impressed with the team’s knowledge of data analysis tools. “The team introduced us to Google Colab and how to use it, which was a huge value for us,” she shared. “It was so helpful to gain a new perspective from students and hear about the different things that they're learning that we may not have learned because we have been out of school for a while.” de Frees enjoyed learning from Truxon as well, stating, “It was awesome to have a QUEST alumna as our project champion as she knew what to expect from us and gave us the proper tools to effectively provide recommendations.”

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CLASSES

390H: DESIGNING INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS This year was the third academic year for QUEST’s collaboration with the United States African Development Foundation (USADF). Students in Cohorts 33 and 34 partnered with entrepreneurs in several African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda to help improve the design of their ventures. As in previous years, students in this class needed to adopt a global mindset and approach these collaborations with humility and cultural sensitivity. Students learned how to build models that took into consideration the risks and uncertainty of the context. They structured their recommendations to address the challenges of change management. Among the many questions the teams addressed in their projects were: What is the right sequence of the recommendations? What feedback loops can help improve systems over time? What metrics should the ventures focus on? In the process of asking and addressing these questions, the students were able to help the African entrepreneurs not only address some of their short-term challenges but build a strong foundation for long-term success.

390H students present their systems projects to clients in Africa

“The global context of 390H challenged me to gain new perspectives for complex problem solving and listen with empathy for others; I will depend on these lessons for years to come!”

Sarah Noland Mechanical Engineering ‘22, Cohort 33

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“390H was an extremely valuable and unique course because it took our experiential learning goals to a new level by exposing us to situations and complex problems in global communities. It allowed us to apply methodologies, strategies, and tools we learned from earlier QUEST courses to design systems that will revolutionize the way the companies operate.”

Abe Browne Operations Management and Business Analytics & Global Innovation and Sustainability ‘22, Cohort 34

QUEST Honors Program

390H Project Spotlight

Crispvision: Enhancing Data Management and Planning for Long-Term Expansion In the fall and spring of this year, teams of QUEST students worked with Dr. Ucheoma Udoha, founder of Crispvision, a Nigerian start-up company aiming to end preventable blindness in Nigeria and across Africa. In addition to selling glasses, Crispvision trains community health workers to go into rural areas and use eye test kits to diagnose and treat people who typically would not have access to eyecare.

In fall 2020, team Space QUEST helped Dr. Udoha improve her business model and refine her pitch to get funding from new investors. One of the key suggestions was for Dr. Udoha to use Twilio to create a text bot. Team member Ally Merwitz, math & operations management and business analytics ‘22 (Cohort 33), explained, “By simply inputting the telephone numbers of her community health workers, Dr. Udoha can hit a button and send an automated message to her employees to gauge information such as how effective trainings were, how many people they treated, if they need more supplies, etc. The responses will then be populated into a spreadsheet for Dr. Udoha to analyze. With this new feedback loop, she will be able to quantify the impact her business is having on the broader community.”

Our team really tried to develop systems as opposed to just ideas or solutions.

One of the key takeaways for the students was learning about how business differs in Africa compared to the U.S. Merwitz continued, “In the U.S., something like a feedback loop is simple. Most have access to wireless Internet and can therefore easily fill out surveys to give their opinions about the efficacy of a product. This is actually invaluable data that can be used to quantify the impact of the business and thus gain more investment money. The fact that we were able to help her overcome the barriers to this problem from so far away is honestly mind-blowing. It also made me realize how rewarding it is to help businesses in developing countries, and I’m now strongly considering joining the Peace Corps after graduation to help other female entrepreneurs like Dr. Udoha grow their businesses.”

In the spring, team QUESTvision helped Crispvision explore potential new markets, digitize its finances, and improve its website and social media. Team member Dhyay Bhatt, computer science ‘22 (Cohort 34), noted, “Our team really tried to develop systems as opposed to just ideas or

Annual Report 2021

390H students present their systems project poster to clients in Africa solutions. We learned in class that we can provide much more value to clients by recommending systems that allow them to solve their problems in the short run and achieve their goals in the long run.” Bhatt continued, “Overall, the project entailed a great learning curve for the team. We had to consider the little things that we usually take for granted like the ability to have a stable Internet connection. This forced us to be creative and think outside of the box when it came to solutions. We also got to experience how business works in Africa and how the companies can accomplish so much with such limited resources. This creativity is something that I can learn from and incorporate in my career going forward, and it felt great to be a part Crispvision's efforts to help people in need.”

Dr. Udoha was thankful for the collaboration as well. “The team members were smart, professional, and always on time,” she shared. “They were committed to helping Crispvision find solutions to its problems. We are looking forward to using their recommended platform for the training of our community health workers.”

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CLASSES

490H: QUEST CAPSTONE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICUM In the QUEST Capstone Professional Practicum, students work on multidisciplinary teams to help clients address real-world organizational challenges by utilizing concepts and techniques of process improvement, system design, quality management, and product innovation. Each project is sponsored by a corporate partner, and each team works directly with that client to understand the opportunity, research the industry and relevant technologies, develop and evaluate possible solutions, and make final recommendations.

Through virtual meetings and site visits, QUEST students completed 20 projects for 16 companies this academic year. These projects, based everywhere from San Francisco, California to Baltimore, MD to Simpsonville, South Carolina, provided students with the opportunity to tackle real-world problems and provided companies with tangible benefits in the forms of manufacturing efficiency, time savings, and reduced operational costs.

“490H was such a unique and amazing experience! Being able to work with a dedicated team on a real-world problem in the way that professionals would while receiving so much encouragement and support to challenge myself has truly been one of the best experiences of college. Knowing that all of the hard work my team has put in will actually make a difference for real people is an opportunity that I will always be grateful for.”

Sarah D’Souza Management & Philosophy, Politics, and Economics ‘22, Cohort 33

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490H students present their capstone projects on Zoom

“490H was a great opportunity to apply the practical lessons which I'd learned from past QUEST classes to an interesting project in an industry related to my field of study, with the added benefit of working with a fantastic team."

David Polefrone Chemistry & Economics ‘21, Cohort 32

QUEST Honors Program

2020-2021 Capstone Projects Spotlight

Materne North America - GoGo squeeZ With producer of family-favorite healthy snack brand GoGo squeeZ, Materne, experiencing double-digit growth, alumnus Max Cooper, civil engineering ‘15 (Cohort 19), GoGo squeeZ’s Director of Logistics & Customer Service, knew he could turn to a QUEST team for help in enhancing the company’s transportation network for product distribution. In a three-phased approach, Cohort 32 team GoGo Girlz worked with Cooper in fall 2020 to help GoGo squeeZ facilitate more efficient and cost-effective distribution routes and carrier shipments.

QUEST CAPSTONE PROJECTS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS

258 projects completed

Reflecting on the project, Cooper said, “The QUEST team developed a suite of sustainable tools that are already delivering long-term value to Materne’s business.

The QUEST team laid the groundwork for Materne’s sourcing strategy that has unlocked 1% savings versus our logistics budget. Beyond the cost benefit, the team’s data-driven solutions have yielded 100 hours of efficiency gains for the logistics team. This team proved that a motivated, cross-functional group of talented students can help deliver valuable results comparable to industry-experienced consultants.”

112 unique project sponsors

Team member Maddie Ford, computer engineering ‘21 (Cohort 32), appreciated the exposure to a field outside of engineering. “Getting hands on with the Materne logistics department allowed me to quickly learn about concepts like requests for proposals, bid planning, and distribution networks. I was able to apply the data analytics I've learned in my QUEST coursework to an industry I wasn't previously familiar with. It was a fun and rewarding learning experience!”

166

Working with Cooper, an alumnus who has not followed a traditional engineering career path, inspired Ford as well. “It was insightful to see how QUEST shaped the career of our project champion, Max. Although he was a civil engineering major as an undergraduate, Max shared with our team that he was able to discover an interest in supply chain and logistics through his involvement in QUEST. After taking 390H, I developed an interest in the intersection of technology and policy, and I hope to pursue policy as a career. It was exciting to work with a QUEST alumnus who transferred the skills he learned in QUEST to a career outside of engineering!”

of those companies are Maryland-based

Cooper enjoyed reengaging with QUEST as a capstone project champion. “It was refreshing to be reminded of QUEST’s core principles and quality tools throughout the course of the project. It was simultaneously eye-opening to learn how far the program has evolved in offering technical solutions that can be of value to a business or industry of any size,” he shared.

projects with companies with a major office or plant in Maryland

42

LARGEST NUMBER OF PROJECT SPONSORSHIPS:

35

ATK/Orbital ATK/ Northrop Grumman

14

General Electric/Middle River Aerostructure Systems

13

Lockheed Martin

13

Leidos/SAIC

11

Becton Dickinson

Team GoGo Girlz presenting at the virtual Fall 2020 QUEST Conference

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2020-2021 Capstone Projects Spotlight

D&H Distributing In the spring of 2021, QUEST alumnus Brett Schwab, business management ‘13 (Cohort 18), Corporate Counsel at D&H Distributing, brought in a team of QUEST students to get some fresh eyes on the company's internal systems and processes. Established in 1918, D&H Distributing is a leading technology and electronics goods merchant wholesale distributor in North America, based out of Pennsylvania. The company distributes IT products, such as servers, storage and networking solutions, consumer electronics, video gaming, and home networking, to retail. In order to help D&H buyers better manage and purchase inventory, QUEST Cohort 33 team Laugh Now, QUEST Later created an improved buyer’s dashboard, incorporating datadriven metrics for more informed buying decisions.

Team member Jeannie Spiegel, marketing and supply chain management ‘22 (Cohort 33), learned a lot through working in her multidisciplinary team. “Our team strived to produce something that went beyond expectations,” she shared. “We knew we could make a significant impact by working together on every step of the process. We took the time to align our deliverables with our strengths and interests, and by the end, everyone could describe each part of the project, regardless of their major. It was a really collaborative project at every single point.”

The team worked so well together that they earned the Most Outstanding Capstone award and the Best Poster award at the Spring 2021 QUEST Conference, a feat that hasn’t been

accomplished in many years. Schwab wasn’t surprised about all of the team's accolades. “Working with the team was extremely valuable as they provided real-world solutions that helped our company, leading to dollars saved and dollars earned. My colleagues were all very impressed, and the deliverables they provided really exceeded anyone's expectations.”

They provided real-world solutions that helped our company, leading to dollars saved and dollars earned.

This was Schwab’s first time supporting a project as an alumnus, and he looks forward to returning for another project in the fall. “When talking about the value of diversity of thought, it often gets overlooked to have individuals of different experience levels and different ages look at problems. Providing a mechanism for college students to look at problems may yield certain solutions that a typical worker wouldn't think of. Also, hiring students versus consultants represents a significant cost savings and provides more of a set structure with deadlines and class deliverables throughout. As an alumnus, it reinforced that the QUEST program is the best program at Maryland. The whole notion of putting students together from different majors is simple but genius.”

Team Laugh Now, QUEST Later presenting at the virtual Spring 2021 QUEST Conference

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QUEST Honors Program

QUEST ELECTIVES In addition to the required courses, QUEST students take at least one elective course with topics ranging from scoping experiential learning projects to mentoring multidisciplinary teams to web development. These courses complement the curriculum and allow students to meet and work on teams with students from other cohorts.

Mentors

Web Development

In Mentors, BMGT/ENES 397, QUEST students practice essential skills for mentoring and coaching multidisciplinary teams, including effective communications, facilitation, conflict resolution, and the ability to motivate. Mentors are older QUEST students who work with student teams in the introductory course, BMGT/ENES 190H, and in the process, strengthen their knowledge of design and quality techniques. Srijay Kasturi, computer science ‘22 (Cohort 33), took the mentoring course in the fall. He shared, “Mentors provided a really awesome experience for me to work with the newest cohort and help them avoid my 190H mistakes. Being with such a fun set of mentors made it even better!”

In Web Development, BMGT 408C, QUEST students are introduced to all elements of web development – from technical skills like HTML and databases to business concerns like how to work on a software engineering team.

This course is geared to all levels of web experience, challenging beginners and seasoned developers alike, and includes a heavy focus on completing assignments as a team.

For the final this year, student teams created a data-driven webpage to showcase QUEST projects. This course is taught

by QUEST alumnus Danny Laurence, computer science ‘14 (Cohort 19). According to student Simran Chertara, information systems & operations management and business analytics ‘22 (Cohort 33), “This class allowed me to gain knowledge on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Professor Laurence made it easy for even someone with zero coding experience to learn every concept.”

.

Scoping In Scoping, BMGT/ENES 491, QUEST students cultivate relationships with new and current corporate partners and prepare project scopes for QUEST courses. Students practice networking and professional etiquette skills and learn how to write and present clear and effective project scopes. This year, students conducted virtual “site visits,” meeting with corporate partners through Zoom to talk through their challenges and provide input on project ideas. Spring scoping student Alex Kristal, management and marketing ‘21 (Cohort 32), shared, “Scoping class allowed me to reflect on my QUEST experience and give back by working with external partners to create meaningful and engaging projects.

Seeing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into finding QUEST projects made me appreciate the program even more!”

Annual Report 2021

Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Quality In ARHU 390H, students examine cross-cultural similarities and differences as they relate to communication, leadership, organizational structure, patriation and repatriation, and a global mindset. The students choose a product or service and examine similarities and differences in quality between American views and the opinions of the country they select to study. The course also examines the different measures of equivalency based on cultural understanding, norms, experiences, and language. In the context of collecting and analyzing cross-cultural data, presentations on cross-cultural and international norms, values, and customs from guests from the Peace Corps, Gallup International, and the French Embassy completed the picture. Student Anindita Mullick, environmental health policy and decision-making ‘22 (Cohort 34), said, "I really enjoyed the discussions with my peers about cultural interactions and leadership. I’m coming away with a new understanding and appreciation for the unique characteristics each individual brings that shape how they interact within a global, professional environment."

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QUEST STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Our seven QUEST student organizations remained committed to building meaningful experiences for our students outside of the classroom this year, pivoting to virtual events for most of the year and a few safe outdoor activities towards the end of the year. Below is an overview of each.

QUEST CORPORATE

QUESTSERVES

The QUEST Corporate student committee plans events to connect students with corporate partners and alumni and help prepare them for opportunities in the professional world. This year, QUEST Corporate hosted its sixth annual (and first virtual) networking event, with 30 companies and 138 students in attendance. Even in the virtual environment, QUEST Corporate was committed to delivering students with several new opportunities for professional development. These initiatives included mock interviews, a mentorship program between alumni and students, a career paths night, and an event focused on international opportunities.

“Our team is dedicated to creating a space for students to continue developing their professional and personal skills outside of the classroom. With events focused on topics like networking and interview prep, we help students build a toolbox that allows them to succeed in any path they choose!” said QUEST Corporate co-lead Alvina Pan, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics ‘21 (Cohort 32).

As QUEST’s newest student organization, QUESTServes works to connect QUEST students with local communities by providing opportunities to engage, enrich, and empower others through outreach, leadership, and service. Over the past year, the QUESTServes team partnered with Knock Knock Give a Sock to plan and execute a sock donation campaign where they received over 500 pairs of socks to donate to local homeless shelters and celebrated Earth Day by planting trees on campus with the UMD Arboretum. They are also planning the first annual QUEST 5K to be hosted during the fall 2021 semester. When sharing his experience about joining QUESTServes during the pandemic, Ryan Goodman, finance ‘23 (Cohort 36), said, “Finding a way to do good and give back with QUESTServes to the local community during such a trying time was really special to me.”

QUEST CREATIVE QUEST Creative provides all QUEST students with a creative outlet. This year, QUEST Creative collaborated with QUEST Social to develop a virtual MasterClass series for the community, led by program alumni and staff. They also helped plan QUEST’s first in-person event of the year, the QUEST Picnic. QUEST Creative co-lead, Vivek Banerjee, computer science ‘22 (Cohort 34), said, “QUEST Creative gives me the chance to connect and give back to the community that has done so much for me through art and design! With the dedication of the amazing QUEST Creative and QUEST Social members, QUEST had one of the most successful and heart-warming picnics I could've asked for!”

QUESTServes members partnered with the UMD Arboretum to plant trees on campus in April

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QUEST Honors Program

QUEST RECRUITING

QUESTPRESS

QUEST Recruiting continues to serve as one of the best avenues to promote the QUEST program because of the dedication of each member, especially with this year’s transition to virtual marketing. In place of the usual in-person information sessions, QUEST Recruiting members hosted four virtual information sessions that each drew over 70 prospective students. The QUEST Recruiting team also piloted the new QUEST Ambassadors program, which allows a larger number of students to assist during the recruitment and selection process. Co-lead Kevin Senkus, mechanical engineering, ’22 (Cohort 34), shared, "I love being a part of QUEST Recruiting because I can share so many of the amazing things about QUEST with prospective students. Even in a virtual setting this past year, I am so happy and proud of our team for adapting and overcoming the many challenges that were thrown at us."

Students on the QUESTPress committee are dedicated to sharing the stories of the QUEST community. The students publish a monthly newsletter for QUEST students, alumni, parents, corporate partners, university affiliates, and friends. According to editor Christina Giovanazi, finance and operations management & business analytics ‘21 (Cohort 31), “Joining QUESTPress has given me the opportunity to speak with students and alumni from all different fields of study and industries. It’s fascinating to hear their perspectives, and I love writing stories that can inspire the QUEST community.” Read the latest edition of QUESTPress at blog.umd.edu/questpress.

QUEST SOCIAL QUESTECH QUESTech provides opportunities for all students, regardless of their major, to learn about new and innovative technology. This year, QUESTech members leveraged the online environment by focusing on both internal and external events such as creating the QUEST intranet and planning QUEST’s firstannual Datathon. As co-lead Tania Arya, computer science ‘22 (Cohort 33), explained, "QUESTech really allows people of all different backgrounds to come together and work together towards a common goal of immersing the QUEST community in new technologies. Despite being virtual, we were able to successfully put on many events, including QUEST's first-annual Datathon!"

QUEST Social strives to build community amongst the entire QUEST program, connecting current students and alumni alike. Despite the pandemic’s impact across campus, QUEST Social collaborated with other student organizations to plan virtual and in-person events that kept the QUEST community as strong as ever. In addition to developing a new MasterClass series, QUEST Social also adapted the annual QUEST formal to a socially-distanced QUEST Picnic and strengthened their Big/Little program. When looking back on the past year, co-lead Sofia Bhalwani, psychology ‘22 (Cohort 34), shared, “QUEST Social was able to accomplish a great deal this year, and it wouldn't have happened without my wonderful co-leads and our amazing board!”

QUEST seniors reunited on McKeldin Mall during the QUEST Social Picnic in April

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SOPHOMORE/JUNIOR STORIES

Ijeoma Asonye

Advaith Bantval

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Sophomore Ijeoma Asonye, mechanical engineering ’23 (Cohort 35), has creatively translated her STEM and art backgrounds into a new book titled, The Beautiful Math of Coral: A Novel. Asonye described her book as “a luminous, coming of age novel, moving through the love, heartbreak, and humorous banter of finding one’s place in the world.” Through her main characters, Coral and Fernando, Asonye was able to demonstrate the intricate relationship between STEM and art and share the unconventional beauty of STEM. When asked what propelled her to create this novel, Asonye shared that she drew inspiration from a movie about architecture, where she saw conventional objects like buildings relate to universal intangibles including love and friendship. Beyond her book, Asonye is incredibly passionate about her campus involvements. She spends her free time serving as a project engineer in the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering, where she is working this summer, and maintaining her connection to the arts through dancing and songwriting.

Advaith Bantval, mechanical engineering ’22 (Cohort 34), is passionate about making a social impact. Last June, in the midst of the global pandemic and national civil unrest, Bantval participated in the University of Maryland’s Shell Makeathon. With his teammates, Bantval went on to win first place in the social impact track for the creation of their socially-conscious platform Verse, a sustainable solution towards productive activism that focuses on three pillars: learning, serving, and engaging. Bantval described, “Myself and my teammates are incredibly passionate about issues surrounding diversity and inclusion, particularly with an emphasis on college campuses.” The social impact track of the Makeathon allowed his team to brainstorm what could and should be done on university campuses to encourage diversity and inclusion education. Since creating this product, Bantval has worked with the Do Good Accelerator and added a related minor: nonprofit leadership and social innovation. Although some of Bantval’s teammates have graduated, they all still believe in the importance of this project and are continuing development.

QUEST Honors Program

SOPHOMORE/JUNIOR STORIES

Amod Mathur

Grace Rocco

Annual Report 2021

Amod Mathur, computer science ’22 (Cohort 33), always knew his academic passions expanded beyond his computer science major. Through QUEST, he developed an understanding of business analytics, which prompted him to add a business analytics minor. Mathur shared, “QUEST is the perfect complement to my computer science major because I have been able to gain both technical and interpersonal skills.” This intersection of interests and skill sets has resulted in a summer internship that will allow him to blend his passions for business and technology. This summer, Mathur will be living in New York City as a software engineer intern for The Blackstone Group, a financial services firm. He will have the opportunity to leverage software platforms that turn financial data into meaningful investment decision tools. Mathur is looking forward to working with the close-knit teams within the company and exploring a new city.

Grace Rocco, finance & operations management and business analytics ’23 (Cohort 36), will be serving as a supply chain and logistics intern with Peloton this summer. Rocco is interested in pursuing operations and analytics after graduation so she focused her internship search on companies and positions that would allow her to gain quality experience in those fields. Rocco wanted more than just a skills development internship and found herself gravitating towards companies that align both with her personal and professional passions. Her upcoming role at Peloton allows her to combine her professional aspirations with her passion for exercise. Even beyond that, she feels truly connected to the company’s mission. Rocco constantly strives for both personal and professional development, and she sees that in Peloton.

When asked about her personal mission, Rocco shared “I’m always looking to help better others or communities,” and she believes that that will in turn better herself.

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SENIORS Eighty seniors graduated from QUEST this school year, leaving incredible legacies at the University of Maryland and in QUEST. Our Senior Sendoff was held in May via Zoom and we were also able to host an outdoor socially-distanced goodbye celebration for seniors on Reading Day in May. Seniors stopped by to say goodbye to each other and the QUEST faculty and staff and pick up their hard-earned graduation medals.

80

87%

QUEST GRADUATES

47% accepted jobs with QUEST corporate partners

pursuing full-time jobs

13% pursuing graduate studies

13% pursuing graduate studies

Top Companies to Hire Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 QUEST Graduates Accenture

Deloitte

Facebook

Microsoft

Amazon

Northrop Grumman

Capital One

Bloomberg

Protiviti

= 1 graduate

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QUEST Honors Program

NOTABLE SENIOR AWARDS

QUEST Director’s Service Awards:

Outstanding Service Awards:

Lydia Hu (Cohort 32), Priscilla Lee (Cohort 32)

Christina Giovanazi (Cohort 31), Alvina Pan (Cohort 32), Samantha Pearlstein (Cohort 31), Logan Rist (Cohort 31), Grace Zhang (Cohort 31)

A. James Clark School of Engineering Dean’s Leadership Award: Priscilla Lee (Cohort 32)

Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering David Arthur Berman Memorial Award:

Sujan Guha Memorial Award for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Leadership:

Jeremy Rosenblatt (Cohort 31)

Neehar Peri (Cohort 31)

Robert H. Smith School of Business Commencement Speaker - Fall 2020:

Outstanding Department Senior - Accounting:

Eitan Isser (Cohort 32)

Jisue Gonzalez (Cohort 32)

Commencement Speaker - Spring 2021: Landen Buckson (Cohort 31)

Outstanding Department Senior Operations Management and Business Analytics:

Smith Business Academy Pinnacle Award:

Angela Yang (Cohort 32)

Landen Buckson (Cohort 31)

University of Maryland Maryland Medallion Society:

Senior Marshal:

David Polefrone (Cohort 32)

Priscilla Lee (Cohort 32), David Polefrone (Cohort 32)

Phillip Merrill Presidential Scholar: Angela Yang (Cohort 32)

Undergraduate Researcher of the Year: Neehar Peri (Cohort 31)

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SENIOR QUOTES

QUEST was so much fun and quite enlightening! There were so many new ideas, people, and projects that challenged me to grow. I believe you can't get an experience like this anywhere else on campus. The multidisciplinary aspect and being able to work with students in other majors is so unique and special. I just love QUEST and am beyond grateful for the program.

QUEST provided me with a community of highachieving and supportive students who encouraged me to succeed in my projects and aim high.

QUEST's students and faculty provide a diverse environment where ideas are openly shared, feedback is honest and constructive, and everyone wants everyone to do well and be happy.

The QUEST program complemented my major and my overall college experience really well. I met a lot of people that I may not have met had I not joined QUEST, I worked on several interesting and meaningful projects, and I learned a lot of useful skills and tools.

At a big school like UMD, I loved the opportunities I had to make my experience a little smaller. The QUEST program and its amazing students and faculty were some of the best ways I found to explore interests not common in my major and work within a community that recognized my efforts.

I have met so many intelligent and diverse peers along with many caring professors and instructors who have positively impacted my college experience. I look back on my QUEST experience and am not only proud of what I have achieved but feel very confident that all of the skills I have acquired will lead me to success throughout my working career. This program has been so motivating, engaging, and rewarding, and I feel so grateful to be part of this community.

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QUEST has provided so much for me. Professionally, it has molded me into the person that I am today. I can attribute a lot of my professional development to QUEST. QUEST has made me an extremely confident person when it comes to teamwork and public speaking. From a personal perspective, QUEST has introduced me to many great people and has helped me form wonderful friendships. I am forever grateful.

QUEST Honors Program

Annual Report 2021

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QUEST SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS

Landen Buckson, finance ‘21 (Cohort 31), remembers looking at all of the students surrounding him on the steps of the Xfinity Center during Smith School orientation and setting big goals. “I wanted to make an impact, differentiate myself, and do something notable before graduation.” And that he did. Buckson became heavily involved in the UMD community over the past four years, joining and taking on leadership roles in QUEST, the Public Leadership Scholars Landen Buckson program, the Smith Business Academy, and the Theta Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Fittingly, he was honored at Spring 2021 Commencement as the Smith School’s Undergraduate Commencement Speaker. His speech was inspired by Amanda Gorman’s poem at this year’s presidential inauguration.

Freshman year, he also had the opportunity to do a short-term study abroad program in South Africa on social entrepreneurship. “This program changed my life. We talked about how there will always be authority figures, but they’re simply just other human beings.

Everyone’s years are unique, and we can all learn from each other.

This caused me to feel more comfortable talking to everyone irrespective of their title.”

“I wanted to get involved as a result of my parents who have always pushed me to excel. Through my involvements, I also hoped to disprove stereotypes about African Americans and minorities at large,” he shared. At the beginning of freshman year, Landen joined the Smith Business Academy (SBA), an organization focused on empowering Black and Latinx men to be "men of distinction," academically, socially, and professionally. By December, he had already earned the Pinnacle Award for his leadership potential, and by the end of the year, he was elected to the executive board as the Director of Communications.

He was also balancing his role as VP of his fraternity chapter and traveling for events like the Amazon Finance Diversity Leadership Summit in Seattle, the Capital One Finance Summit in Virginia, and the Microsoft Marketing and Finance Leaders Summit in Seattle. He also participated in two internships at Deloitte and an internship at Amazon and accepted a full-time offer to Deloitte Consulting after graduation.

Christina Zhang, computer science ‘21 (Cohort 32), discovered how to connect her love of art and design with coding through her many involvements at UMD. Zhang entered college as a marketing major and then learned about hands-on coding projects from her peers in the ACES cybersecurity honors program. During a technology internship at PNC Bank, she discovered user interface design and helped her team place second out of sixty teams in a case competition. This really piqued her Christina Zhang interest in technology so she decided to switch her major to computer science. “I liked art, design, and coding, but I didn’t see the connection between them for a while. I finally realized I could focus my interests in mobile development and pursue handson, front-end projects,” she shared.

In QUEST, she focused on sharing her passions with other students, specifically those in non-technical majors. “When I took over as co-lead of the QUESTech student organization, we wanted to better align our mission with QUEST’s mission of multidisciplinary teamwork,” she said. “After scoping out interest from the community, we created several tech talks about topics like HTML and web design to appeal to students outside of just computer science.”

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This came in handy as Buckson took on the role of Smith Business Academy President his junior year. “I coordinated with companies and recruiters to set up meetings. Through QUEST, I learned the importance of feedback loops, and I had heard from our members that they wanted to interact with a more diverse portfolio of companies rather than just a select few companies. I was able to expand our events to tech companies like Salesforce and consulting companies like Guidehouse,” he shared.

“I’ll be working as a Strategy Analyst in their commercial practice in McLean, VA,” he shared. “I’m very excited as I’ve been eyeing them since freshman year. I look forward to continuing to stay involved at UMD as well through growing corporate sponsorships and assisting with diversity attraction, retention, and success."

Next year, Zhang will join SAP’s Next Talent Leadership Program in Silicon Valley as a Developer Associate. “I’ve always been someone who likes to try a lot of things. I don’t fully understand all of the jobs that are out there so this rotational program is a good opportunity to keep on learning while also being in the workforce and gaining experience.” Over eighteen months, Zhang will complete three rotations that combine development and design. “They could place me at three separate locations over the eighteen months so that sense of not knowing is pretty cool and adventurous. I’ve lived in the DMV my whole life so I’m excited. QUEST helped me learn how to be adaptable and flexible so I’m confident that I will be able to adapt well to the various rotations,” she shared.

Zhang is really excited about SAP’s commitment to social change and activism as well. “SAP wants 30% of women to be in leadership by 2022. In my academics at UMD, women have always been in the minority. I remember one time a friend told me that she was nervous to raise her hand in class. I looked down the row and we were the only two girls in the entire lecture row so she was worried she’d say something wrong and feel stupid. I’m really passionate about empowering women to feel more comfortable to go into STEM so I look forward to exploring this at SAP.”

QUEST Honors Program

Jeremy Rosenblatt

Throughout college, Jeremy Rosenblatt, chemical engineering ‘21 (Cohort 31), has been drawn to situations that allow him to make a real impact on people’s lives. “I’ve always been drawn to realworld application, and the desire to be hands-on in my career has been even more amplified due to COVID,” he shared. He chose chemical engineering as his major and business analytics as his minor so that he could apply his interests in math and statistics to something real-world like vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

At UMD, Rosenblatt became class representative for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers starting freshman year. As an out-ofstate student from New Jersey, he gained a lot from his peer mentor and saw the importance of passing knowledge forward to his fellow students. “My favorite events that I have led are the advising sessions where older students help freshmen with their schedules and get them excited about the curriculum,” Rosenblatt said.

He also joined TAMID, an organization that consults for Israeli startups. Through TAMID, he managed a project for a distillery that was using rapid whiskey-aging technology, helping them map the U.S. market. Seeing how he was able to impact a real company sparked his interest in joining QUEST. “Starting with 190H, I could

Lydia Hu, computer science ‘21 (Cohort 32), is passionate about using her technology background to help people gain opportunities they may not otherwise have access to. Entering UMD, Hu joined the Global Public Health program through Scholars, discovering an interest in health and policy.

Simultaneously, she changed her major from engineering to computer science, noting a desire to understand what was going on behind the screens.

Lydia Hu With her three developing interests in technology, health, and policy, Hu noticed a big gap between “all of the cool hardware and software being created in the world and who has access to it.” She explained, “There is a huge lack of infrastructure or systems to allow some people to do basic things like file health insurance, access the Internet, or find information to make informed health decisions. I realized that I can find a career that will help connect people to information or resources that will let them be their best selves and meet their full potential.”

With this in mind, Hu and a friend started the Hack4Impact club at UMD in fall 2020, pairing software engineering teams with nonprofits who have technical needs. So far, the organization has assisted four nonprofits with tasks ranging from building websites to improving the

Annual Report 2021

see the tangible impacts of my QUEST projects,” he shared. “We worked on revamping the application process for FLEXUS [the livinglearning program for women in engineering], and I’ve seen them actually implement a lot of our suggestions and noticed the growth of the program these past few years.”

Two summers in a row, Rosenblatt interned at Merck, a multinational pharmaceutical company. Over the first summer, he worked on finding use cases and piloting a new data science and machine learning dashboard for the production of a cancer drug. The next summer, he helped an interdisciplinary team of director-level scientists improve their drug development process using Microsoft SharePoint and database techniques. After going to their Super Day, Rosenblatt received a full-time offer from Merck on the first day of classes this year.

“I will be an Associate Scientist, working on vaccine process development and commercialization,” he shared. “I’ll be doing hands-on experiments to develop and optimize different production processes for vaccines. I’m so excited to be able to help people through vaccine production. After this year with COVID, it’s nice to know that I’ll be delivering impact in an industry that has upended people’s lives.”

digital infrastructure of their online services in areas such as environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, and water security.

Hu also combined her technology, health, and policy interests through her QUEST capstone project with the Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health, a branch of Children’s National that provides primary care services for some of the most underresourced neighborhoods in D.C. She shared, “Collaborating with healthcare professionals during the pandemic meant our team's work was in the context of lots of resource reallocation that was required as policies and regulations surrounding telemedicine, patient privacy, and communication were changed, and patient care strategies and team workflows were being adapted in real time. The project was a multifaceted, hands-on interaction with how different levels of policy inform healthcare operations and how healthcare providers respond.”

Next year, Hu plans to pursue her Master’s in Science through Carnegie Mellon’s Engineering and Public Policy program to continue to conduct research in policy-related areas. “This program will allow me to study how technology can encourage better policy development in transportation, energy, and more. My end goal would be to work somewhere related to advisory like a think tank, doing research into policy outcomes and implementation.”

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QUEST ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT QUEST alumni engaged with the program in higher numbers than ever before this year. In fact, we saw a 72% increase in alumni participation between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years!

The virtual environment allowed us to interact with alumni from all over the country and even the world. Alumni participated as guest judges in our classes, workshop leaders for social and professional events, mentors for current students, application readers and interviewers for incoming students, project sponsors at their companies, and more.

increase in

72% alumni participation

Thank you to all of the alumni who gave back to QUEST this year and continue to make our community so special and unique. To learn more about alumni involvement opportunities, contact Jessica Roffe, assistant director of the QUEST Honors Program, at jroffe@umd.edu.

QUEST students and alumni connected through QUEST Corporate's virtual mentorship program in the spring

Cohorts of alumni caught up during virtual happy hours

QUEST alumni held workshops for current students on topics like “Applying to Startups”

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QUEST alumna Lauren Filocco, operations management and supply chain management ‘12 (Cohort 17), hosted a virtual barre class for QUEST students and alumni

QUEST Honors Program

QUEST ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

One of the greatest strengths of the QUEST program is our vibrant and diverse alumni community. In our 29th year, we have over 1,400 alumni across the world, doing incredible things. Here are a few of their stories.

Giving Back Through Grassroots Basketball After playing basketball in high school, college, the NBA, and Europe, Obinna Ekezie, mechanical engineering ‘99 (Cohort 3), always dreamed of opening a basketball academy in his home country of Nigeria. Since retiring from basketball in 2007, he moved back to Nigeria and opened an online travel company. As a lucky coincidence, he left the company right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which he calls “a blessing in disguise” as he was able to focus on this new project.

Ekezie launched OBN Academy on April 5th this year, with the goal of giving kids in Nigeria the opportunity he didn’t have to develop as young players. He fondly remembers learning how to play basketball while watching NBA games on his Obinna Ekezie (Cohort 3) satellite TV. His dad then built him a basketball hoop so he could practice in the house. He didn’t have proper coaching growing up but had the opportunity to spend two years at a high school in Massachusetts before joining the Maryland Terrapins basketball team in 1995. “There’s always a transition period for basketball players going to the U.S.,” he explained. “At OBN Academy, we intend to work with the top prep school programs in the U.S. to get students acclimated to the American system and playing American basketball for at least one year in high school before getting to college.”

OBN Academy is the first of its kind in Africa, focusing on identifying raw talent and establishing scholarships for young kids from ages 6 to 18. “We are really trying to organize grassroots basketball. There is an NBA academy in Senegal, but that’s mostly for elite athletes. Here it is more of a grassroots effort rather than just finding the best players - we’re really trying to build infrastructure. We opened a gym, fitness center, medical center, audio/video studio, entertainment area, and we’re working to build a full high school where kids who only want to focus on basketball development can also have good academics and accommodations. We want to make a world-class organization so that the NBA and colleges that come here will be excited.”

In reflecting on his time at UMD, Ekezie said, “Maryland played a huge role in my education and experience. I remember waking up at 4 in the morning each day - which I still do - to do everything I needed to. My IBM-TQ/QUEST teammates and professors knew about my crazy basketball schedule and were always very accommodating. College basketball allowed me to focus on the game and developing a passion for the game. The NBA was more about a business and maximizing opportunities, but college was a lot more about becoming the best player I could be and getting the support and education that I needed. I love that this place [OBN Academy] is bringing me the opportunity to connect back with UMD, and I hope to find some recruits for the Terrapins.”

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QUEST ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

Spreading Happiness with Kürtőskalács When Nicole Shaw-Provillon, accounting and international business ‘99 (Cohort 4), moved to Hungary for her husband’s job in 2013, she noticed lines of people forming to try a popular street food called “Kürtőskalács" (aka Kürtősh), or Chimney cake in English. She had traveled to over 30 countries in her life but had never seen anything like this. After trying the sweet pastry, Shaw-Provillon knew she had to bring it back to America. Not only was it delicious, but its simplicity in ingredients and process was fascinating.

“If I was to succeed in the U.S., I knew I had to find a viable business model, since most kürtősh businesses in the U.S. had a short life span," she shared. To start, she trained with an award-winning kürtősh baker in Hungary and traveled to the region of Transylvania, where kürtősh originated, to deeply learn and understand the craft. In the U.S., she attended a course at the Culinary Institute of America to learn the science behind yeast. With the support from a business consultant, she refined a 34-page plan for a catering business, outlining her big idea of “Dessertainment®” = Dessert + Entertainment. The plan included using the purest ingredients in the world to curate flavors from a top NYC spice purveyor and international gourmet suppliers, while showcasing an authentic Hungarian kürtősh experience. She wanted to go beyond simply offering a product. “Our slogan is ‘Unkurl your sweet spot,’” said Shaw-Provillon. “We knew that if we included a sense of discovery and good food, amongst family or friends, people are almost guaranteed to have an amazing experience.”

Nicole Shaw-Provillon (Cohort 4)

Kurly Kürtősh started off as a catering company. They set up on-site baking at corporate events, private events, fairs, and festivals. They popped-up at retailers such as Bloomingdale's, Williams Sonoma, and the Nutella Café NYC. Most notably, she baked for the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for two years in a row. “We are a hospitality-oriented business. The best part is watching the excitement of customers smelling freshly-baked kürtősh permeate the air. It energizes me to watch kürtősh spread an infectious joy that instantly makes people happy.”

During her third year when the pandemic happened, Shaw-Provillon was already in problem-solving mode because she understood that businesses are always encountering challenges. She immediately thought, “How do I meet my customer needs within these new restrictions?” She pivoted from event catering to opening a temporary pop-up shop at a local cafe with curbside pick-up. Last year, Kurly Kürtősh was featured on ABC News, and the spot was picked up on news stations around the country, and honorably, in Hungary. This led to a growing demand, including people traveling almost two hours for a taste. As a result, she will open an experiential bakery this summer in Nutley, NJ that will embody a nearly authentic kürtőskalács experience. “Most times we are ushered down a path designed by others. I really encourage people to discover their passion, deeply enjoy the journey, and celebrate the experience. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to take my professional experience in accounting and marketing and thoughtfully apply it to a true passion.”

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QUEST Honors Program

Allowing Safe Return to Schools Two QUEST alumni played pivotal roles this year in helping students transition to online learning and eventually prepare to safely return to schools. Melinda Pandiangan, marketing and supply chain management ‘14 (Cohort 19), was working as a Science Instructor at a high school in the Dallas Independent School District when the pandemic hit. As a teacher with knowledge of web development from her time at UMD and corporate experience from her time at Lockheed Martin, she quickly became a “teacher leader,” building an online platform for the entire school, training teachers in Slack and Zoom, and acting as the liaison between teachers and administrators. “Very few people in my school used technology at the time - we only had 60 laptops for a school of 1,200. But after an emergency meeting Melinda Pandiangan (Cohort 19) revealed rumors that we may not return after spring break, I helped move the school online in twenty-four hours. We thought it would be for two or three weeks and then the district would give us a solution, but this never happened so we ended up being the model for other schools to follow in terms of how to convert to online,” she shared.

Pandiangan noticed some benefits to the online transition as well. She noted, “We got to a point where the staff felt more connected to the school than ever before. Teaching can be isolating in a brick and mortar setting, but there was a lot of collaboration in the new virtual world. It was an exciting time to build culture. I also believe that we’re going to have a stronger, more resilient education system using technology when students return face-to-face. We’ll be able to better meet students’ needs with more personalized learning and better access to materials and tutoring.”

Due to her immense leadership, Pandiangan was tapped for a leadership role as an Instructional Coach at another school in Dallas last summer. “In my new administrative role, I’m always using principles from QUEST like systems and design thinking. Schools are much more complicated than I ever imagined. As a leader, my impact is tenfold so I am constantly challenging my team to consider the root cause of the problem and not jump into decisions.”

Ben Hsieh, operations management and spanish ‘16 (Cohort 22), former Director of Facilities and Business Operations at DC Prep, was overseeing six campuses that serve 2,100 students from preschool through eighth grade when schools went virtual. “It was a really interesting time to work in operations for schools. I worked on everything from buying a million dollars worth of personal protective equipment (PPE), to understanding what HVAC upgrades we needed, to getting classrooms stocked with hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and thermometers, to rewriting how to come to school,” he shared. “In a typical school year, operations plays a back seat support role - this year, we were front and center with everyone looking to us to shepherd a safe return.”

Stakeholder management was one of the biggest challenges as well. “Getting people comfortable with the idea of coming back in person was a real test in change management and process redesign. There were many conflicting beliefs on whether or not students should come back and what is best for these kids. I had to really listen to all stakeholders to design the right set of new processes. As much as we want to be rational decision makers, a lot of the decisions end up being really emotional. It’s different from how we’re taught to think about business and society. When you’re working with kids and their safety, sometimes humanity is the most important thing.”

Ben Hsieh (Cohort 22)

Annual Report 2021

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QUEST ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS (CONTINUED)

Thinking Differently for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games In 2019, Nicole Blahut, operations management and supply chain management ‘15 (Cohort 20), was made an offer she couldn’t refuse to join the operations team for LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles - the first Games in the U.S. since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. LA28 is small but mighty, currently with less than 100 full-time employees, but is steadily growing to bring on over 6,000 team members in the coming years as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach.

Nicole Blahut (Cohort 20)

“It’s the best of both worlds,” Blahut shared. “It’s like working at a startup where we can truly be nimble in how we innovate for all aspects of planning to ensure we’re bringing in the best partners to help bring the LA28 Games to life. And at the same time, we’re still a part of one of the biggest and most storied institutions in the world as we prepare to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have the luxury of having a long runway to the 2028 Games, so we can be really thoughtful about every decision we make and consider all of the benefits and risks in planning a different kind of Games.”

Blahut’s role as Manager of Strategy & Operations is focused on supporting the more technical aspects of the business like venue planning and Games operations. She also works closely with different parts of the organization like City Relations, for example, to think through transport, or the Commercial team to map out business integration opportunities.

One goal of LA28 is to integrate with the city of LA and ensure the community’s collective voices are represented in every aspect of planning. “We’re in such a fortunate position in Los Angeles that we have a wealth of existing venues and infrastructure to utilize for the 2028 Games. That means we can spend our time and resources working to ensure the Games reflect the magic of Los Angeles and everything the city has to offer as we look to co-create the LA28 Games,” she explained.

Reflecting this, the recent brand launch revealed a logo that incorporates various versions of the “A” in “LA28,” submitted by local artists, athletes, and more to highlight the diversity and creativity of LA and showcase the various vibes around the city.

Blahut says the QUEST theme of continuous improvement is very much a part of her everyday work.

“We’re always thinking about how to make incremental improvements to the Games plan so that it’s more fiscally responsible, sustainable, and innovative,” she said. She encourages other QUESTees to embrace unique career opportunities that present themselves. “Even if you’re happy in the role you’re in, don’t be afraid to take risks in your career if something exciting comes your way.”

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QUEST Honors Program

QUEST CORPORATE PARTNERS QUEST corporate partners offer professional development opportunities for our students, enhance learning through class project partnerships, and provide important financial support for the program. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following corporate partners for their generous contributions to our community this year:

75+ Annual Experiential Learning Projects

�N 92%

of Team Recommendations Implemented

�N 85%

of Partners Return for Another Project

PARTNER WITH QUEST QUEST welcomes the opportunity to partner with organizations interested in contributing to student learning through projects and/or recruiting talented undergraduate students in business, engineering, and science. To learn more, visit go.umd.edu/questpartnerships or contact Jessica Roffe, assistant director of the QUEST Honors Program, at jroffe@umd.edu.

Annual Report 2021

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QUEST DONORS QUEST would like to express its sincere gratitude for the generous contributions of the following donors this year:

Anonymous (8)

Mr. Brian L. Horick

Mr. Suhil Rathod

Dr. Pamela K. Armstrong

Ms. Elaine Hui

Ms. Megha Reddy

Mr. Chirag Arora

Mr. Anthony Jacques

Mrs. Jessica R. Roffe

Mr. David Ashley

Mr. Kyu Sung Jang

Mrs. Sheryl A. Rosenstein

Mr. Steven P. Asifo

Dr. Zeinab A. Karake

Mrs. Indeya T. Samuel

Mr. Joseph J. Ayoub

Mr. Ajay Kasuganti

Mr. John G. Savoy

Mrs. Sumin Ba

Ms. Cheryl Katz and Mr. Brad Rosenthal

Mr. Randall T. Sawyer

Dr. Joseph P. Bailey

Mrs. Cornelia Kennedy

Ms. Alexa J. Schwab

Mr. Afzalul Bari

Ms. Sophia L. Khezri

Mr. Brett A. Schwab

Mr. Mark J. Baumgardner

Dr. Kylie G. King and Mr. Jason M. King

Ms. Allison K. Schwarz

Mr. Daniel C. Ben-Or

Mr. Joshua B. Kohn

Mr. Benjamin M. Seibert

Mr. Dj Biswas

Mr. Marc R. Kramer

Mr. Cameron N. Shahmirzadi

Mrs. Vidya Sathyamoorthy Brown

Ms. Manda Kristal

Mr. Ehsan Shahmirzadi

Ms. Sarah Burnett

Mr. Daniel J. Laurence

Ms. M. Brogan Sheehey

Mr. Ganesh P. Chandrasekaran

Mr. Knut J. Leipold

Mr. Max L. Shrier

Dr. Zhi-Long Chen

Mr. Amit Luthra

Ms. Mauria Shulman

Mr. Ying Chen

Ms. Miriam S. Silton

Ms. Suehyun K. Cho

Mr. Lawrence J. Macklin and Mrs. Diane K. Macklin

Nicole M. Coomber, Ph.D.

Mr. Sri V. Mandavilli

Mr. Drew M. Stasak

Mr. Russell A. Dalin and Mrs. Kimberly D. Dalin

Mr. Brian Marquardt

Dr. Cynthia K. Stevens

Ms. Nicole L. Dannehower

Mr. George P. Mavrikes

Brian P. Darmody, Esq.

Mr. Todd A. Metcalfe

Mr. Roger C. Sturtevant and Mrs. Kathryn C. Sturtevant

Ms. Holly N. DeArmond

Ms. Celine M. Moarkech

Mr. Matthew Thomas

Ms. Rachel L. DiDonna

Mr. Dennis Morozov

Mr. Rohit Tiwari

Mrs. Valerie D. Evans-Harrell

Mr. Joseph O'Keefe

Mrs. Melissa H. Turning

Mr. Nima Farshchi

Ms. Terry-Ann Orman

Mr. Shreyas Urdhwareshe

Ms. Cathy Flynn

Mrs. Tamara L. Paidas

Mr. Leonid A. Velikovich

Mrs. Kalika Fortman

Mr. Michael Polkowitz and Ms. Laurie BermanPolkowitz

Mr. Michael J. Vetter

Mr. Michael I. Pollack and Mrs. Sharon T. Pollack

Ms. Luxi Wang

Mrs. Jennifer de Frees Ms. Ebony T. Fullwood Mr. Ryan K. Ganser Guodong Gao, Ph.D.

Mr. Bryan A. Prince Mr. Jeremy Dillon Prince

Mr. Bruce A. Spiegel and Ms. Glenda J. Koby

Ms. Bing Wang

Mr. Connor S. Welch Mr. Aaron T. Wertman

Dr. James M. Purtilo

Mrs. Nora A. Whitescarver and Mr. Douglas E. Whitescarver

Ms. Karen J. Qi

Ms. Laura B. Winn

Dr. Brian D. Gross and Dr. Mary E. Gross

Mr. Robert M. Rappaport and Mrs. Robin B. Rappaport

Mr. Wenyue Wu

Mr. Eric X. Hamel

Mr. Tuvia C. Rappaport

Ms. Shirley Han

Ms. Linda Rassenti

Mr. Santhosh George Ms. Annesha Goswami Dr. Philippe E. Gouel and Mrs. Megan DeFauw

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Chunhua Yan Mr. Eric W. Zinnikas

QUEST Honors Program

SUPPORT QUEST The QUEST Honors Program relies on individual and corporate gifts to support its curriculum and special programs and events. All funds raised provide direct support for students, academic programs, and co-curricular experiences. Make a gift today at go.umd.edu/QUESTfund.

To discuss unique giving partnerships, please contact Jessica Roffe, assistant director of the QUEST Honors Program, at jroffe@umd.edu.

WHY I GIVE TO QUEST

“QUEST was an integral part of my time at the University of Maryland. The program shaped the way I think, helping me grow from an analytical thinker to a systemic thinker. I loved the tight-knit community of faculty and students and the true cohort mentality they fostered. I am so thankful for this program and what it gave to me and am thankful to be able to pay it forward as part of my annual giving. I hope you consider doing so as well!”

— Vidya (Sathyamoorthy) Brown, finance & marketing ‘11 (Cohort 16)

“We send our kids to university to be educated, not simply to get a vocation. QUEST provides the right balance of real-world experience and growth. As someone who has been both an employee and a small business owner, I feel being exposed to different models and thinking, as a team, outside the box, for real-world companies is invaluable experience. In QUEST, my son feels surrounded by equally-motivated peers who carry their weight on assignments. No question, it has been a highlight of his UMD experience. Go Terps!”

— Anthony Jacques, Parent of QUEST student Adam Jacques, mechanical engineering ‘22 (Cohort 34)

Annual Report 2021

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QUEST Honors Program 7699 Mowatt Lane 1407 Van Munching Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-1815

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QUEST Honors Program