This semester, students from different cohorts and majors came together to turn an internal challenge into a real, usable product. The QUEST elective BMGT408C: Quality Web Development in Business was offered for the first time in two years this fall, challenging four student teams with creating an archive for QUEST capstone projects.
Students in BMGT408C, Professor John Bono, Associate Director Jess Roffe, and alumni judges
Associate Director Jessica Roffe, who leads corporate relations and finds scopes for the capstone projects, served as the client for this project, seeking an alternative to the Google Drive folder QUEST is currently using, which lacks organization or filtering. She hoped students would “work on developing a website that would benefit students finding past project examples to help inform their future work and potentially be public facing for corporate partners to be able to filter by themselves.”
To mirror real-world development environments, Dr. John Bono, the professor for 408C, restructured the course and project. Recognizing the growing role of AI across industries, Professor Bono made the decision to integrate AI into the course to demonstrate how it can be used in modern web development. He also emphasized the importance of students taking initiative to learn on their own. Sebastian Cantarilho, Cohort 46, credits this initiative for his team’s success. “Doing our own research was one of the things that got us to our end goal; I couldn’t have done it by myself or I couldn’t have done it with just learning in class.” Thus, students developed not only technical skills like coding, but also adaptability and curiosity to learn new skills.
Another aspect of 408C that sets it apart from other web development classes is the way it takes advantage of interdisciplinary teams. Many students who took this class were not Computer Science majors, yet found their skills were utilized extensively. Cantarilho, a Marketing major, contributed through design and user-centered thinking, while developing skills in coding, presentations, and in marketing web applications. “This project was a really good example of applying marketing to anything. It really allowed me to build on the skills I had and also learn new things.” Shivani Sogal, a Biology major in Cohort 46, similarly emphasized the value of collaboration. “Working with people from different majors, different backgrounds, and combining everyone’s strengths is something that you’re going to continue doing no matter what area you go into.”
This diversity led to each group taking a distinct creative approach. Roffe noted “some teams had a homepage that looks like the QUEST website and explains what the capstone projects are. Other teams didn’t do that and went right into the filtering system.” Bono found it “rewarding seeing some of the best designs coming from students who have never coded before. Seeing their eye for design, coming up with a great UI, even if they didn’t fully understand the code, was amazing.”
For these QUEST students, BMGT408C was not only a web development class. It was a way to learn to perform research, build their skills, apply their own unique skillsets, and build off of others’ strengths to create a unique solution. Congrats to the 408C students on developing fantastic products!
Murphy posing in front of her energy bites at a stand
Have you ever reached for a protein bar, taken a bite, and realized it’s mostly added sugars and processed ingredients disguised as something healthy? That frustration shared by athletes and college students alike is exactly what Operations Management and Business Analytics double major Evelyn Murphy (Cohort 45) and founder of Energy by Evelyn, set out to challenge. Her energy bites were born from a simple but powerful idea: pre-workout snacks should actually fuel you.
Evelyn’s connection to food began long before she ever stepped onto a field. Growing up in her parents’ bakery, she absorbed the unspoken lessons of craftsmanship, community, and care. She watched her parents build relationships with customers who felt like an extension of the family, and those early memories quietly shaped her understanding of what good food, real food, should feel like.
As a young female athlete, Murphy also experienced the complicated relationship many girls face with food. But instead of letting that tension distance her from nutrition, it deepened her appreciation for it. She learned firsthand how essential proper fueling is for strength, confidence, and performance. That personal journey is what led her to start experimenting with homemade energy bites for her teammates in high school, simple, clean, and intentionally built around high-quality carbohydrates rather than the protein trend dominating store shelves.
When she took an entrepreneurial gap year between high school and college, she finally gave the idea room to grow. Creating a clean-ingredient snack without preservatives was far more challenging than it sounded, and there were moments when recipes failed again and again. Yet Murphy approached each setback with the persistence she saw modeled in her parents’ bakery. She refined, she listened, she learned. What kept her grounded wasn’t the desire to build a business—it was her belief in the product and the athletes it was meant to support.
Today, Energy by Evelyn has made its way into twenty stores across several states, a milestone that represents not just growth, but validation of a vision she held quietly for years. Murphy talks about that achievement with a humility that makes it even more impressive; she sees it not as a finish line, but as confirmation that she is building something people truly want.
Her branding and marketing reflect the same authenticity that defines her product. Murphy builds in public, sharing the real ups and downs of entrepreneurship without trying to polish them away. It’s not performative, it’s honest. And it allows customers to feel like part of the journey, not just consumers.
Looking ahead, Murphy hopes to expand into regional and national retailers, but she’s intentional about growing in a way that stays true to her values. Sustainability, quality, and connection remain at the heart of everything she builds.
For fellow QUEST students hoping to launch something of their own, Evelyn’s message is both encouraging and real: just start. She believes that no one ever feels fully “ready,” and waiting for the perfect moment only delays the learning that ultimately builds confidence. She emphasizes that entrepreneurship is a commitment, humbling, time-intensive, and deeply rewarding when the vision behind it is genuine. “Surround yourself with people who share your excitement or can support you through the tougher stretches,” she says, “Because every founder needs a network that believes in them before they fully believe in themselves.” Her advice reflects the heart of her own journey: take the leap, embrace the process, and trust that each new challenge is a step toward becoming the person, and the entrepreneur, you’re meant to be.
Having entrepreneurs like Murphy in the QUEST community is part of what makes this program so unique. To continue supporting Murphy and to follow her growing venture, check out EnergyByEvelyn.com or follow her on Instagram at @energybyevelyn.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Vikas and Arya Mahajan–the first-ever parent-child pair in the QUEST community. Vikas was part of Cohort 2 in the mid-90s and was an Accounting major during his time at UMD. Arya is a current UMD student studying Finance and Information Systems in Cohort 45.
Vikas and Arya Mahajan
Prior to starting at Maryland, Vikas had done his research, found the QUEST program, and was immediately interested. He enjoyed the program’s emphasis on collaboration, team building, high quality products, and leveraging technology. Arya had heard about the program from her dad and started talking to people in QUEST during her Smith School mentors class last year.
Now that Arya is in the program, the pair consistently talk about QUEST. “My dad was the first person that I called when I finished my 290H presentation last week,” said Arya. The two often text and talk about Arya’s class and project. “My QUEST team even asked him for advice about the presentation and were so excited to meet him at the QUEST Conference,” she shared.
Vikas said he’s always curious about Arya’s QUEST experience and was especially excited to hear about QUEST camp, which he also participated in 30+ years ago. “It’s hard to stand out in such a large campus,” said Vikas. “But with QUEST, you have a small group together for three years – you have a community which makes the college experience much better.”
When asked about what he remembered most from the program, Vikas mentioned that the program helped him with teamwork, motivating others, and creating long-lasting friendships. “As a more introverted person,” he said, “it really made me feel like a part of a team.” In terms of how the QUEST program has changed, Vikas says that students today have even more opportunities than ever including more courses, travel opportunities, and companies to work with.
“Now that we’re in a world that’s so global, everyone has to work together, and QUEST was at the cutting edge of how to deal with different people from different backgrounds.”
Having just started QUEST this fall, Arya is enjoying being a part of QUEST Recruiting. “Now that I’m on the other side of recruitment, it’s been nice to get to know a lot of freshmen that could potentially be a part of the program,” said Arya. Through 290H, QUEST has helped her learn how to work in a team and she also enjoyed the October QUEST Networking Event, which taught her how to speak professionally and stand out to companies.
As Arya began the program, Vikas shared sound advice about working in a team: “You have two ears and one mouth, so listening is key.” In his advice to current QUEST students, Vikas mentioned an amazing book that used to be assigned in QUEST classes. “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig,” said Vikas. “It is a semi-autobiographical story about a motorcycle journey with a father and son that has a philosophical discussion of quality, which goes deeper than just products and technology.” Everyone check out the book, and thank you so much to Vikas and Arya for speaking with QUESTPress!
It’s the end of the semester, meaning University of Maryland students line the halls of Van Munching to study. They fill the tables in the A. James Clark Leidos Lab finishing those final projects. Or, they’re simply locking themselves in McKeldin with an energy drink and their computer for an all nighter. However, QUEST students have something else in store this time of the semester. In the midst of the chaos that is finals season, Cohort 42 students concluded their QUEST journeys at the Fall 2025 QUEST Conference. On December 11th, 2025, I had the honor of interviewing some of Cohort 42 as well as a couple long-term QUEST partners.
Mechanical Engineering senior Dahlia Shafiq of H&T Consulting talked about her team’s project with Thales Defense & Security Inc. (TDSI). The company was having problems with the organization and tracking of parts used for prototyping. The team worked to help design a centralized stockroom in which all materials could be easily located and stored to help streamline the engineering design process at the company. When asked for advice to give future cohorts, Shafiq recommended that QUEST students take time to recognize how their skills and the things they enjoy can apply to their projects. She mentioned, “I like design, and that’s what allowed me to have the drive to work on the CAD for 28 hours. It made me want to contribute and give back because I liked the project.” Students should find what they are good at and what they enjoy because it will help make their final project that much better and that much more of an enjoyable learning experience.
Dahlia Shafiq (second from left) and the rest of her team
I also had the pleasure of interviewing Cohort 1 alumnus Steve Kutchi who is the Vice President of Engineering and Chief Technology Officer of TDSI. The H&T Consulting project mentioned previously is actually the 13th project he has helped facilitate between QUEST and TDSI. Kutchi mentioned that having undergraduate students come in on projects like this really gives Thales a “fresh perspective” on possible ideas and solutions. With bright, young minds from QUEST joining the likes of professional companies like TDSI, there is no stopping the endless innovation. There’s also sure to be many more incredible projects as the long-standing partnership between TDSI and QUEST continues.
Emily Craig of the Ship Happens team worked with Tronox, a producer of titanium dioxide and inorganic materials. They helped create a Power BI dashboard to help with inventory tracking with an alert system. Esha Mishra from QUEST BAEs helped to create a streamlined and unified asset management framework for BAE Systems through HAM Pro. Both Craig and Mishra agree that really sitting down to analyze and determine the problems at hand is essential to designing a solution. Craig commented, “You might know the problem at the surface level, but in reality, that might just be an output of what the actual problem is.” They both agree that finding the root cause is a great starting place for future cohorts taking on their capstone.
Emily Craig (second from right) with her team
After walking around the project poster display and finishing up some delicious hors d’oeuvres, students and alumni were invited to watch presentations from each of the teams. Each presentation was professional and elegant, showing the hard work and dedication every student had for their project. And of course, after the first 8 amazing capstone presentations came the Most Outstanding Capstone award winning presentation. RANS Consulting was the selected winner this year from a pool of nothing short of amazing groups. Their work with ST Engineering MRAS helped streamline workflow on the warehouse floor, creating a more efficient workplace for both forklift drivers and production control managers.
RANS Consulting, Most Outstanding Capstone Winners
With the end of the final presentation, it marked the end of the night. And as Cohort 42 student speaker Anna Fulton put it in her closing speech, it was “a night that’s been in the making for four years.” There’s no doubt that this year’s QUEST conference was a success. All the incredible projects, outstanding skill building and hard work done by Cohort 42 had come to a climax tonight. On behalf of all of QUEST, we wish you the best of luck Cohort 42 as you venture into the unknown that is life after undergrad. Congratulations Cohort 42, we are all excited to see where your journeys lead!
Yuan (left), Shroff (center left), Oloye (center right), and Shukla (right), with QUEST Faculty Director Dr. Bardossy at the University of Pittsburgh’s FreeMarkets Race to the Case Competition.
In a competition where strategy met speed, a team of QUEST students rose to the challenge with focus and collaboration. Representing both the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and the QUEST Honors Program, Civil and Environmental Engineering major Oluwatobiloba Oloye (Cohort 42), Information Systems and Finance double majors Marvi Shroff (Cohort 42) and Meilin Yuan (Cohort 42), and Mechanical Engineering major Yesha Shukla (Cohort 42) claimed first place at the 2025 UPitt FreeMarkets Race to the Case Competition – a unique, high-intensity supply-chain-focused challenge that tested not only analytical thinking, but also endurance, composure, and teamwork under pressure.
Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business on October 18th, the competition blended rigorous business analysis with the thrill of a timed race. Over three intense rounds, teams literally raced from building to building: receiving a prompt in one location, reading it while sprinting to the next, and submitting their work at a third location under a strict time limit. For the UMD team, it was an experience unlike any they had faced before. “We’ve never been in a competition that made us physically move around campus while solving business problems, and it pushed us in a whole new way,” shared Shroff. “It wasn’t just about having the right answer, it was about staying calm and strategic under pressure.”
Each stop presented a new business scenario, demanding both technical knowledge and creative flexibility. The final round required teams to develop a supply chain optimization strategy for a multinational corporation grappling with sustainability and cost efficiency. With limited time and mounting pressure, the UMD team drew on the very tools that had become second nature to them through QUEST: structured problem solving, systems thinking, and data-backed storytelling to which judges praised their presentation for being both analytically rigorous and strategically cohesive.
Despite the frantic pace, the UMD team quickly adapted. Between rounds they refined how they collaborated: splitting work strategically instead of trying to tackle every problem as a full group. “Usually in QUEST classes, you work as one unit,” Yuan explained. “But after the first round, we changed formation and divided tasks based on strengths. That decision made the rounds much more efficient.”
For this team, though, the victory was rooted in something deeper than preparation alone, but rather it was built on years of shared growth. Having first met as teammates in BMGT/ENES 190H, their very first QUEST course, the group had already spent a semester learning to analyze problems, debate ideas, and deliver polished client presentations together. That early foundation became their biggest advantage. “Because we’ve worked together since our first QUEST project, we understand each other’s work styles.” Shukla shared.
Even so, familiarity didn’t mean the process was effortless. The physical and mental challenges of the competition tested their patience and pushed their communication skills to new limits. “There were definitely moments when the pressure got to us,” Oloye reflected. “But we learned to slow down, listen, and trust each other again, and that’s where our teamwork really grew.” That trust became a defining factor in their performance. As Shroff emphasized, “There were times when we genuinely had no choice but to depend on each other’s work and skills. We couldn’t double-check every detail—so believing in the team was the only way forward.”
Beyond strengthening their bond, the experience offered professional lessons that will stay with them long after graduation. “We learned how to think fast without sacrificing quality,” Shroff said. “In the real world, decisions often need to be made under pressure, and this competition was the perfect simulation of that environment.”
Beyond strengthening their bond and the first-place prize, the experience left a lasting professional impact. The team noted gaining deeper insights into how businesses must balance agility with precision – a lesson that extends far beyond the classroom. “It reminded us that good ideas mean nothing without execution under real pressure,” Shukla reflected. “This competition taught us how to think quickly, trust each other, and deliver under constraints, skills we will need to carry into our future careers.”
The victory also reinforced what they believe makes QUEST students stand out. “It was a full-circle moment,” Shroff said. “Everything QUEST teaches, from structured problem-solving to polished presentations, came together seamlessly, even if getting there wasn’t effortless.”
When asked what advice they would share with future QUESTees, the team was unanimous: take the leap. “Don’t be afraid to sign up for these competitions,” Yuan encouraged. “You truly have nothing to lose. Seek discomfort. If you’re already presenting in class, you can do this.” Shroff added, “We’ve done around ten competitions now, and you only get better by trying, learning from other teams, your mistakes, and from the pressure itself.”
Their story is a testament to what makes QUEST students stand out: a drive to challenge limits, support one another, and embrace every opportunity to learn. For future QUESTees, it is a reminder that success is not found by standing still, but sometimes you will have to race for it.
One of the most memorable parts of the QUEST Capstone course is getting to step into the real world and see how clients actually operate. As Cohort 42 gears up for the QUEST Conference, two teams shared their experiences on visiting their client, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and BAE Systems, and how those visits helped bring their projects to life.
The team visiting HII, with Samuel on the left.
The team partnering with Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Mission Technologies division is working to improve the development workflow for Minotaur, a legacy system used to unify sensor data from military vehicles. During their visit to HII’s Hanover, MD office, the team got a full tour of testing benches, developer spaces, and Minotaur-themed work areas. They also held stakeholder interviews with tech leads, software developers, testers, and their project champion.
QUEST Cohort 42 student Daniel Samuel shared, “We gained a lot of insight about the causes of different bottlenecks in their system and even came up with new solutions that better impact everyone at the company.” The visit helped the team better visualize the workflow and gather qualitative data directly from those affected by the bottlenecks. Samuel added, “It was a very fun and welcoming experience that motivated us even more to produce quality deliverables.”
The team visiting BAE Systems, with Zeleniy on the bottom right.
For the team working with BAE Systems’ Weapon Systems division, which assembles boxed parts kits used in submarine missile tubes, their project focuses on improving the supplier documentation process to make it more accurate and efficient. BAE Systems flew the team to Louisville, KY for their site visit, which began with a tour of the facility, where they saw raw materials, tube components moving through testing, and even parts for naval guns. Afterward, they examined real supplier documentation and spoke to the employee in charge of managing it. The team finished the day by presenting their demo to the engineers who would actually use the tool.
QUEST Cohort 42 student Margarita Zeleniy noted, “There are so many intricacies you can only understand by seeing the process in person.” The team was able to get feedback directly from the engineers, which helped validate their approach and glean key insights.
Both teams emphasized how valuable their site visits were, not only for strengthening their recommendations, but also for helping them feel more connected to their clients and their impact. You can hear the rest of their stories (and see their final deliverables) at the QUEST Conference on December 11th! RSVP here!
Between sizzling quesadillas and rounds of cornhole, QUEST students and alumni gathered for this year’s Homecoming tailgate. This event reminded everyone what makes the program special: genuine connection.
QUEST students and alumni socializing and eating quesadillas at the tailgate
Held on the day of the Homecoming football game, QUEST Social held a tailgate event featuring freshly-made quesadillas, games like frisbee and cornhole, and a chance to meet other cohorts and alumni in a laid-back setting. Noah Smith, Cohort 44, says he enjoyed playing games with others, especially cup stacking. “It was nice to see everyone gather around laughing, making jokes, and just playing games together.” For many students, this casual environment was a refreshing change from the professional tone of most larger QUEST events. “A lot of people join QUEST because of the professional environment. Everyone’s trying to achieve excellence. But when you come together outside of the classroom, it takes away from the stress of school for a little bit,” said Smith.
Leaves are turning bright oranges, yellows, and reds. Cozy sweaters and comfy sweatpants are making their way back into the wardrobe rotation. Midterm season is finally coming to an end. Fall is finally upon us, and what better way to get into the Fall spirit than by grabbing a pumpkin spice latte and taking a look at what QUEST students have planned this Thanksgiving break! Whether it’s spending time with family and friends, or just catching up on some much-needed rest, this break is a time every busy college student looks forward to. Here, we’re going to dive into what just a couple of the QUEST students are getting up to this Thanksgiving.
I was lucky enough to join QUEST’s trip to New York City from November 13th to 14th. On Thursday, we boarded a bus from Van Munching Hall and headed into the city for two days of networking, learning, and immersive site visits, hosted by QUEST alumni.
Happy Hour with AlumniKKR VisitBCG VisitGoogle Visit
Our first stop was Meta’s New York office. Hosted by Sophia Khezri (Computer Science, Cohort 32) and Annaika Taneja (Computer Science, Cohort 39), we enjoyed gelato before sitting down for a panel and Q&A with employees across data science, app development, and product management. Students asked questions ranging from essential technical skills and day-to-day responsibilities to work culture, past experiences, and how to begin tech projects without much background. The panel also touched on Meta’s work in AI, including its superintelligence labs, and how emerging technologies affect employees’ roles.
Milkii Dagne, a computer science major in Cohort 45, said she appreciated how the panelists emphasized the value of learning beyond the classroom. “They talked about how QUEST, personal projects, extracurriculars, and pure curiosity helped them grow their soft skills and get to where they are.”
After Meta, we headed to a Happy Hour and dinner at Yard House near Times Square with QUEST alumni who live in the New York area. We met alumni working across technology, consulting, government, and politics and heard about their career paths in an informal, supportive setting. Lena Chennat, a bioengineering major in Cohort 43, shared that the dinner offered a “more personal and easy opportunity to connect with people.” She added, “The fact that they showed up, were excited to talk to us, and freely offered advice was extremely supportive. I loved how open and honest they were about their career paths.” Chennat said one of her favorite conversations was with “a math major who pivoted into climate technology,” noting how reassuring it was to hear that “professionals change their minds many times, and that it’s normal.”
After dinner, groups of QUESTees split off to enjoy the night: watching Broadway shows, exploring city lights, and visiting holiday markets.
The next morning, we started early with breakfast at the hotel before walking to our visit at KKR, a private equity firm. Alumnus Pavan Rangachar (Finance, Cohort 20) hosted us in the Hudson Yards office, where we admired sweeping skyline views before a one-on-one Q&A session. Even for QUESTees without financial backgrounds, the discussion became a highly informative “crash course” in private equity, covering topics like debt, bankruptcy, and real estate.
For Sebastian Decady, a finance major in Cohort 41, Rangachar’s relationship-building advice made the biggest impression. Sebastian referenced a quote Rangachar shared: “When times are slow, make sure to connect with people and build your network.” Decady reflected, “That’s something I didn’t do enough. Now, even when I have positions lined up, I know to keep meeting people, finding mentors, and building connections.”
Kavin Seralathan, an information systems major in Cohort 44, agreed. Having also attended the Silicon Valley trip last spring, Kavin said this trip’s mix of tech and corporate companies helped him understand professional life more broadly. “I always saw these roles as so professional,” he said, “But talking to people in them made me realize it’s all about relationships. Not fake ones, but genuine relationship-building.”
We then walked across Hudson Yards to the BCG and BCG X offices, where QUEST alumna Celine Moarkech (Data Analytics in Biotechnology, Cohort 29) hosted us. After grabbing coffee and admiring views of New Jersey and Manhattan, we joined a panel of BCG consultants who spoke about client work, upskilling, navigating setbacks, and everyday challenges on the job.
Praneeth Oruganti, a computer science and math major in Cohort 46, said the practical insights stood out the most. “We gained valuable insight into navigating issues in corporate jobs which are things we wouldn’t have learned until we were actually in them. Now we know how to handle difficult conversations with clients or teammates, especially when we have opposing motivations.”
Seralathan added that the visit broadened his view of who can succeed in consulting. “Anyone from any background can get into consulting. We met so many engineers who transitioned into it. Even our host started as a pre-med. It made me feel like I, or anyone, could do it.”
After a tour of the office, we walked the High Line to our final stop.
Following lunch at Chelsea Market, we visited the Google campus, hosted by Ben Lin (Computer Science, Cohort 33). The visit included a panel featuring employees from global partnerships, applied research, program management, and software engineering. Afterward, Googlers led us on a tour of the building, including its game room and high-rise balcony, before we joined small-group discussions with employees.
Dagne shared that she enjoyed learning how AI fits into Google employees’ day-to-day roles. “They view it almost like an assistant,” she said. “Across the industry, there’s more and more of a push to use AI to augment jobs.”
Oruganti added that meeting the employees felt surprisingly approachable. “Talking to alumni and Googlers seemed daunting at first, but when we met them and put a face to the name, we got real insight into their lives. We realized they’re not very different from us. They just also have good jobs.”
The end of the Google visit marked the end of our trip. Reflecting on the experience, mechanical engineering major Naomi Miatudila (Cohort 42) said, “My favorite part about the trip was meeting other QUESTees and getting to talk to the Quality Guild outside of class. It was also cool to see companies I had never considered, and now I can see myself in.” She added that while the trip leaned heavily toward software-focused companies, she hopes to see more engineering-based visits in the future.
Finally, Madyann Saidi, a mechanical engineering major in Cohort 45, summed up a central theme he heard throughout the trip: “If you want to work in tech, it’s not just about hard skills. I talked to a PM who used to be in computer science and that helped her build trust with her team. But what mattered most was being a good teammate, being likable, and having people who want to work with you and for you. That’s what we need to develop.” The trip was an incredible opportunity for QUEST students. Thank you to QUEST staff members Jess Roffe, Emily Marks, and all the alumni who planned this amazing trip!
This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Manmohan Aseri, who recently joined the QUEST Quality Guild to teach the Applied Quantitative Analysis class, BMGT394H/ENED394H.
Professor Manmohan Aseri
Born and raised in India, Professor Aseri completed his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. After spending five years as a software engineer, he decided to follow his true calling—academia. “Even during those five years in industry,” he recalled, “I was always looking for what area in academia I should pursue.”
That search led him to Information Systems, a field that combined his interests in programming, mathematics, optimization, and game theory. “My research involves a lot of mathematical modeling—using data, optimization, and game theory to solve problems,” he explained. “I really enjoy that, and I think academia is the perfect job for me.”
When he first joined the University of Maryland as Smith School faculty last year, QUEST reached out to him about teaching. “I had heard great things about QUEST students,” he said. “Working with them allows me to explore my teaching topics in more depth because they come from all different backgrounds and grasp the basics so quickly.”
In BMGT/ENED394H, Professor Aseri focuses on teaching humility in the face of data. “It’s very easy to be overconfident when you have data,” he explained. “You might think, ‘Whatever I’m saying is based on the data I have,’ but even then, there’s a very good chance you might be wrong because data has its own issues—biases, missing values, and hidden assumptions.”
Professor Aseri embraces technology like AI—and encourages his students to do the same—but with critical awareness. “As a technology professor, there’s no point in being scared of tech,” he said. “We should always embrace it.” At the same time, he cautions students to use AI tools thoughtfully. He cited overly complicated code and hidden bugs as ways AI can misguide students, especially beginners to coding.
When asked what he hopes students take away from his class, Professor Aseri’s answer was simple. “I hope this class makes students more humble about what they can and can’t do with data. Just having data shouldn’t increase confidence—claims should be more moderate. After this class, I want students to look for five pieces of evidence instead of just one.”
He also encourages students to keep learning independently. “I’ve grown using Coursera,” he shared. “Every now and then I take new courses there. They’re credible and systematic, and that constant learning keeps me sharp.”
Outside of teaching and research, Professor Aseri enjoys hiking, running, and spending time with his family. Having lived in both Pittsburgh and Maryland, he’s explored trails all over the Northeast. “I covered almost all the hikes in Pittsburgh—clockwise and anticlockwise!” he said. “The hikes here in Maryland are flatter, so I can actually run on them.”
His enthusiasm for both teaching and learning shines through every topic—from mathematical modeling to AI usage to hiking trail recommendations, and he encourages all students to stay curious. Thank you Professor Aseri for speaking with QUESTPress!
