Teaching Data with Humility: A Conversation with Professor Manmohan Aseri

Posted on by

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!

Quality and Connection: Alumnus Shivam Agrawal’s QUEST to Build with Purpose

Posted on by
Shivam Agrawal (Cohort 31), CEO and co-founder of QualGent

For QUEST alum Shivam Agrawal, the pursuit of quality didn’t stop after graduation; it evolved into a company that uses AI to redefine how software is tested and built. Agrawal, a QUEST alumnus from Cohort 31, is the CEO and co-founder of QualGent, an AI startup whose mission is improving software quality through tests built with natural language.

After spending almost five years as a software engineer at Google, he realized he wanted more direct impact, greater autonomy, and control to build the product he believes the world needs: QualGent. The startup makes quality assurance more accessible and simple to app development teams and recently earned the backing of Y-Combinator. A core driving force of both Qualgent and Agrawal’s journeys is the pursuit of quality in software, work, and in life. This is especially apparent in Agrawal’s emphasis on surrounding himself with people he can learn from.

Continue reading →

Puddle: A QUEST Student’s Software Makes a Splash in the Edtech Industry

Posted on by

A project that began as a struggle to find good study materials for a business class has blossomed into an Edtech startup aimed at helping students and teachers alike. Kavin Seralathan, a junior information systems major in Cohort 44, has created a software program called Puddle. Seralathan’s program uses artificial intelligence to generate practice problems based directly on teacher’s materials from their learning management systems (like Canvas). Not only that, but the software also gives feedback to teachers on what students are struggling with and allows them to fine tune their teaching. 

A look at Puddle’s website and user interface.

In an interview with Seralathan, he talked about how he came up with the idea for the startup. “One of my classes was this business class right? And I wasn’t getting practice questions to prepare for the exams,” he said. “You want to get practice questions to do well on an exam. And you know, it was bad because the only thing the professor told us to do was read the textbook.” Because he couldn’t get help from his professor, he decided to create his own custom GPT to create practice questions based on the textbook. This led to him getting some of the best exam grades in the class, and many of his peers asked him how he did it. 

With this initial interest from his classmates and the improvements on his own grades from using the custom GPT, he began wondering how this service could be expanded and improved. He started asking how he could create a service that would also benefit the teachers creating these courses. While there are other Edtech AI tools that can be used by students for studying, Puddle is unique in that it also gives teachers feedback on what their students are struggling with. It allows teachers to better understand their students, and as Seralathan shared “put the ‘why’ behind the grade and improve student learning through practice and deep insights.” The program analyzes what students are getting wrong and allows teachers to understand why they might be struggling in class overall. In the end, it only helps to get students practicing while also showing teachers what they can emphasize better in class.

Puddle is currently going to be implemented in multiple different private schools in the next couple of weeks. Seralathan has worked with 32 different teachers gathering feedback and insight into his program and has been using the qualitative data collected to improve Puddle. Some teachers are eager to implement the program, and there will be continued work on the program to further improve and tailor it to students and educators. 

Kavin Seralathan of Cohort 44

Seralathan hopes to see Puddle continue to grow and improve over the next couple of years. He hopes that it can join the likes of Quizlet and Khan Academy as one of the biggest resources for studying with the added benefit of also actively engaging educators within the program. Puddle is meant to be a tool with practice problems and creates a better learning environment, integrating both teacher and students into its program. This way, students get practice and teachers can understand students’ grades more thoroughly. Puddle has only just begun making ripples in the sea of new Edtech advancements, and it shows no signs of slowing.


If you’re at all inspired by Kavin’s story or have an interest in educational technology, Kavin is always happy to connect. As he works to grow Puddle, he’s actively seeking a technical cofounder to continue improvement. Feel free to reach out to him at kseralat@terpmail.umd.edu to learn more or explore ways to get involved.

Hooked on Innovation: Turning a QUEST Class Project into Reality

Posted on by

Have you ever tried walking or biking across campus while carrying your backpack, water bottle, headphones, gym clothes, and a cup of coffee? Well, you could use a DooHooky! 

As part of our BMGT/ENED290H: Introduction to Design and Quality QUEST course last semester, my team – Patrick Hong, Roni Magidson, Gil Vadel, and I, all in Cohort 44 – teamed up to create what would become the DooHooky, a simple, compact product designed to make it easier to carry items when they’re not in use.

The team and their BMGT/ENED290H: Introduction to Design and Quality mentor, Patricia Guillen (Cohort 40), left, after the final presentation

The DooHooky initially focused on finding a secure place to put over-ear headphones but expanded as the team collected data from surveys, interviews, and focus groups. It’s strong enough to hold headphones, water bottles, and other items at once. Made of faux leather, it comes in four styles: black, brown, and both colors with Maryland flag print. 

The four styles of the DooHooky being sold

Vadel mentioned that the use of each prototype made him realize how effective the DooHooky was in everyday life. “I would carry my headphones, water bottle, and even grocery bags on my DooHooky prototype, seeing the potential it could have.”

Shortly after the final presentation in May 2025, our team decided to actually sell the product and sent out a preorder form where DooHookys were sold 50% off, and customers received their product during the fall semester.

Starting a business while beginning a new semester hasn’t been easy. Hong shared, “The biggest challenge was coordinating times and action items to be completed by each team member since we each have many other commitments.” This experience taught us that strong time management and communication are essential to delivering a great customer experience.

The DooHooky’s relevance grew when the University of Maryland adopted a new interim policy requiring all riders of bikes, scooters, skateboards, unicycles, and other micromobility vehicles to wear helmets on University property. Students who used to wear headphones while riding can now hook them securely to their bags. This ensures they are complying with the University policy and keeping their items safe.

Hong said, “If you’re passionate about an idea, don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing it.” I’ve found that it doesn’t matter how important others think the idea is. What matters is your passion and the people it can help.

While our team sells mainly to students on campus, we also offer shipping for an additional charge. To get your own DooHooky, visit our Instagram @doohooky and fill out the Google Form in our bio.

From an idea in the BMGT/ENED290H: Introduction to Design and Quality course to a real product, the DooHooky shows how creativity, teamwork, and persistence can turn a classroom project into something worth selling.

A packaged DooHooky preorder

Suited Up and Social: Students Embrace QUEST’s 11th Annual Networking Event

Posted on by
The 11th Annual QUEST Networking Event in the Stamp Student Union Colony Ballroom

QUEST Corporate hosted its 11th Annual Networking Event on Monday, October 6th! Instead of long lines or rushed elevator pitches, students actually got the chance to talk and connect with alumni and recruiters. Attended by 130+ students and 26 companies, the smaller setting made the whole experience feel less intimidating and more personal.


“It didn’t feel like do-or-die networking,” said Carleigh Mahaney, Cohort 46, comparing it to the cutthroat atmosphere at other career fairs. “It was more about making conversations and connections.” Aliyah Hampton, Cohort 45, mentioned it was her first fair for this academic year, but it was definitely a genuine one. The QUEST alums that came back as recruiters were easy to talk to and honest about their paths, as they “opened up to talk about their QUEST experience.” For her, the fair felt real in a way most networking events aren’t.


While many students came looking for internships or job leads, the fair was just as meaningful for alumni who came back to recruit. Yash Mehta, Cohort 31, attended as a representative for Guidehouse. Mehta said he loved hearing what current students are learning about in their classes. “It’s always great to come back and see what new tools and skills [QUESTees] can bring to the table.” Mehta was also joined by Joel Liebman, Cohort 14, who also returned as a representative for Guidehouse. Liebman mentioned that during his time in QUEST, they didn’t have the personalized career fair opportunity like we do now, but there was already the power of the QUEST network where you could make concentrated conversations, connecting with alums from different companies. “Conversations just feel easier when you already share that connection.”

Mehta (left) and Liebman (center) at the event


Networking within QUEST doesn’t just stop at the career fair. Nadia Sumah, Cohort 41, mentioned that when she first started her summer internship at Deloitte, a QUEST alum had reached out to connect with her, and they were more than happy to help. “It made me less afraid to network,” Sumah said. “Just having natural conversations goes a long way.”


The QUEST Networking Event provides an opportunity for students to network with approachable alumni and recruiters, smaller crowds, and real conversations, all without it seeming intimidating or forced. Special thanks to the QUEST Corporate team for planning, especially the co-leads Carly Merwitz (Cohort 43) and Bhavini Pandey (Cohort 43), the alumni and recruiters that came and engaged with our students, and the QUEST staff that makes it all happen!

Websites, Welding, and Research Wins: How QUEST Students Spent Their Summers

Posted on by

Hello QUESTees! I hope your fall is off to a great start! For this month’s issue, we’re highlighting how three QUEST students went above and beyond during their summers! From creating a website for local non-profits to working on airplanes, let’s go see their stories!

Continue reading →

Chomps, Convos, and Connections: QUEST’s Summer Happy Hours

Posted on by

This summer, QUEST students kept in touch through the happy hours in New York City, San Francisco, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Seattle, which brought together students, alumni, faculty, and staff for a chance to connect, swap stories, and hang out over some yummy food.

Le in the middle, attending the DC happy hour.

Current student Anh-Mi Le, Cohort 43, attended the D.C. event along with her BMGT/ENES 390H team. “We just wanted to hang out and meet some alumni,” she said. What stood out to her most was how welcoming the alumni were. “I met a Cohort 1 alum who came back because QUEST had such a big impact on their life.”

Yang on the right in Seattle.

Over in Seattle for his summer internship, current student Andrew Yang, Cohort 42, enjoyed the mix of food and conversation. “It was fun catching up with QUESTees in the area,” he said. Talking to alumni in the startup space stuck with him. “They gave me a better idea of what it takes to be a good founder.”

Prof. Bardossy seated in the back left for the Baltimore event.

Professor Bardossy joined the Baltimore happy hour and enjoyed hearing from alumni across different cohorts. “Their stories about successes and failures are always fun,” she said. “There’s a lot to learn from the failures too.” She shared the enthusiasm that faculty and alumni have when hearing about the innovation that each additional cohort brings to the program.

Whether it was swapping advice, hearing about career paths, or just grabbing a bite together, the happy hours showed how much the QUEST community values staying connected.

Thanks to all of the alumni who helped plan these great events!

  • Samantha Taskale, Cohort 38 (NYC)
  • Michele Fried, Cohort 17 (San Francisco)
  • Tiffanie Choi, Cohort 36 (Seattle)
  • Abby Bond, Cohort 37, and Ishaan Kapur, Cohort 36 (DC)
  • Nakisa Rafiee, Cohort 36 (Baltimore)

September Reset: Advice for Balancing Classes, Careers, and Campus Life

Posted on by

The start of a new semester always feels like opening a fresh notebook, full of blank pages, possibilities, and potential. The air is just a bit crisper, campus is buzzing with old and new faces, and after a long (and hopefully) restful summer, it is time to dive back into the beauty of routine. Like every year, this September also kicked off with peak recruiting season as internships and new-grad roles continue to open up left and right. For many QUESTees this means learning to balance rigorous classes, social responsibilities, and a recruiting season in full swing, all at once. This month, I had the opportunity to connect with two senior QUESTees who had plenty of advice on how to best prepare and survive the start of the Fall semester. 

Continue reading →

Cohort 45 Sets Sail: A Bright Start to the QUEST Journey

Posted on by

Guest feature by Cohort 45 Mentor Jimmy Miller (Cohort 41)

In the early hours of the day on August 28th, 45 students from QUEST Cohort 45 embarked on their QUEST journeys by taking off to Sandy Hill Camp in North East, MD for Orientation. The sun was shining, and the weather was perfect for a day of team-building, problem solving, and meeting new friends. The excitement of the semester on the horizon and the prospect of the team’s future projects filled the air with an energetic buzz. Returning to QUEST Camp as a mentor evoked a feeling of nostalgia, deja-vu, and excitement for Cohort 45’s future. 

Cohort 45’s Group Picture!

After spending the morning bus ride talking with their seat buddies, the students arrived at Camp ready to tackle the many events planned for the day. Cohort 45 continued to get acquainted with one another before finding out the team they would be on for the rest of semester in BMGT/ENED 290H. After having the opportunity to speak with their team and mentor, the students were launched into multiple activities including Ships Ahoy, Pilot Products, and Low Ropes. 

During these various events, students received a crash course on problem solving, collaboration, and team dynamics. QUEST Camp is designed to help teams bond quickly and effectively, so that they will be set up to succeed and hit the ground running during the semester. My personal favorite activity to oversee was Ships Ahoy! Students had to think outside of the box in order to build a ship out of cardboard, duct tape, and trash bags. After a 45-minute build sprint, each team selected a captain to paddle their boat about 30 yards off the coast and back. To my surprise, many of the teams built sea-worthy vessels that stood the test of the Chesapeake Bay with impressive success. 

After changing and drying off from their sea journey, students experienced one of QUEST Camp’s traditions: Pilot Products. This is a brainstorming/pitch sprint where students think of real world problems, come up with novel solutions, and design a pitch to share with their classmates the following day. Teams are given just over an hour to complete all of this. I was blown away by Cohort’s 45 creativity and enjoyed seeing each and every group pitch realistic, innovative solutions to real world problems students face on campus everyday. 

The final activity before dinner was low ropes. This offered Cohort 45 the ability to get out of their comfort zone and build trust with their new teams. During this activity, we worked as a team to pass a tennis ball as efficiently as possible between 17 group members. The winning time was about 0.2 seconds. I am still not completely sure how we did it that quickly. We also worked as a team to pass everyone through a spider web, lifting one another off the ground and passing them through different openings on the web to get everyone across safely. It was encouraging to see Cohort 45 become more open with one another and put their minds together to succeed. 

After dinner, the teams came up with their names and presented them to one another through light hearted and comedic skits. Afterwards, we were all able to enjoy smores over the campfire which was a picture perfect ending to the first night of Cohort 45’s QUEST journey. As students retired to their cabins for the night, many games broke out including an intense and fun game of mafia. 

Day two of QUEST Camp began like most days do, with an alarm going off way too early. Except instead of your usual iPhone alarm, QUEST students were awakened by Pitbull reminding them that “every day above ground is a great day.” A wonderful and not so subtle reminder that QUEST offers students the Time of [Their] Lives. After getting ready and enjoying breakfast together, students listened to each team’s pilot product pitches. After a long and difficult deliberation, the Quality Guild (QUEST faculty and staff) selected the winning team. Congratulations to SMACK who designed an alarm clock that could funnel sound to only one person in a room, allowing one roommate to wake up while the other could continue their sleep unbothered. I know I could have used a product like this a few years ago!

The winning team and their padfolios.

To wrap up camp, the students had the opportunity to learn from Program Manager Emily Marks about the stages of team development and communication styles. Teams were then able to discuss how they planned to move through each stage during the semester so that they could deliver the best projects possible. Afterwards, Cohort 45 had one last meal together before loading onto the bus to return home. 

As I reflect on QUEST Orientation, I am filled with excitement for what Cohort 45 has in store. In just two short days, I saw the students work together, solve complex problems, and share exciting ideas all while having fun meeting new friends. I know that the semester ahead will be one of great success and growth as Cohort 45 progresses through the QUEST curriculum. If QUEST orientation was any indication at all, I know the new future of QUEST is as bright as it can be. I can’t wait to see what each team does this semester and beyond!

Jimmy (center) and his BMGT/ENED 290H team members.

QUEST Plans Return to Brazil: Reflecting on Past Journeys, Inspiring New Ones

Posted on by

QUEST is excited to be returning to Brazil for our 2026 winter study abroad trip for the first time since 2011! Almost 15 years later, I took a journey back in time with QUEST alumnus Vikram Bhandari (UMD ’13, Cohort 18), who attended the 2011 trip.

When Bhandari, founder of the Campus Maps app, reflected on his time at the University of Maryland, he described it as a period of exploration. While initially hesitant at the idea of going abroad alone, Bhandari said that the spirit of carpe diem took over and led him to the QUEST trip to Brazil in 2011—a two-week trip that he now counts among the highlights of his time at college. 

Bhandari at Maracana stadium on the 2011 Brazil Trip

“We got this incredible access,” he said. “Factories, major companies, executives—things you’d never normally see as a student.” The students visited numerous companies—from accounting firms to manufacturing plants. Among those visits was a Johnson & Johnson plant, where students observed toothbrushes being produced from giant rolls of paper, and a battery factory where workers shoveled raw lithium on the floor by hand into machines. “It completely changed the way I thought about production,” Bhandari said. “In class, you imagine everything as perfectly automated. But seeing how much human intervention goes into everyday products—quality checks at every step, not just at the end—reshaped how I think about building things, even in my own company.” 

Other stops included meetings with executives at Goldman Sachs, Accenture, Deloitte, and multinational companies. Bhandari remembers being amazed by how much customer needs drove strategy. “It wasn’t just about listening,” he said. “It was about going beyond — anticipating what people would want before they asked for it. That connected directly back to what we learned in QUEST about the voice of the customer.” 

But the trip wasn’t just about business. In Rio, students explored historic churches, tried street food—which had some regrettable effects for Bhandari—and even visited the Maracanã soccer stadium while it was still under construction. Nights out in the city, including a memorable visit to the Sky Bar overlooking São Paulo’s skyline, deepened his cultural immersion. “It really felt like we were on top of the world,” Bhandari said. 

The experience broadened his perspective on the world. “College is a sheltered environment, even with all its opportunities,” he reflected. “Brazil showed me another way of living, a different world. Talking to people on the street in broken Portuguese and them talking to me in English—it was beautiful. That kind of exposure is what makes your education complete.” 

For today’s students considering the upcoming winter Brazil trip, his advice is simple: Go! “The trip changed how I see the world. It made a lasting impact on my life.” 

QUEST Faculty Member David Ashley and Program Manager Emily Marks will lead this year’s trip. Marks shared, “QUEST has a ton of exciting plans for our program in Brazil this January. We will be going on some incredible site visits to learn about the manufacturing, agricultural, energy, and banking industries in the country. High-level executives and industry professionals will host us at places ranging from a renewable energy company to an airplane manufacturer to a coffee farm, giving us valuable insight into these diverse industries. We will also be doing plenty of fun cultural activities, including site seeing around São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, visiting the city’s gorgeous beaches, taking the cable car up to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain, and sampling delicious Brazilian food.”

Check out the full trip itinerary here, and be sure to apply by September 30th! Reach out to Emily Marks at ekmarks@umd.edu if you have any questions.