One of QUEST’s most valued benefits is our strong network of alumni, who continuously gives back to the program long after they’ve graduated. One way in which alumni pass on their knowledge and skills to current students is by becoming project champions. Each project champion acts as the main point of contact between their company and a QUEST team throughout a capstone project, meeting weekly with the students and providing valuable support. I interviewed two QUEST alumni who have served as project champions to hear about their experiences and why they chose to give back.
Jeff Gamerman, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Cohort 12, is currently a Quality Engineer for Oceaneering and has been a QUEST capstone project champion for over 5 years. Oceaneering offers engineering services and products to the oil, gas, defense, entertainment, logistics, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries. Gamerman’s first project involved tracking Oceaneering’s assembly workflow which led to their current improved “assembly request” workflow. His most recent project aimed to streamline their BOM (Bill of Materials) creation and parts library process, where the QUEST team found that the deeper issue lies in how employees were being trained- which became useful information for their management team. Gamerman wanted to become a project champion because he knew Oceaneering had processes that could benefit from the fresh ideas of QUEST students and wanted to be involved with the QUEST community again. Gamerman is looking forward to being a project champion again this fall and recently hosted scoping class for a tour of the facility and project brainstorm.
A recent scoping visit to Oceaneering, with project champion Jeff Gamerman (Cohort 12) on the far right
Brett Schwab, a Business Management graduate from Cohort 18, is another alumnus who has gotten involved as a project champion. He currently works at D&H Distributing Co., and like Gamerman, said they had processes that needed improvement and knew QUEST students were the ones for the job. D&H Distributing is a technology and electronics goods wholesale distributor. Schwab has led two projects so far: one to improve the handling process of aged inventory and another to streamline inventory purchasing decisions.
D&H Project Champion Brett Schwab (Cohort 18)
Both Gamerman and Schwab shed light on how to be a successful project champion and how to be a successful student team. According to both champions, communication skills, frequent meetings, and attentiveness are key to leading a team. When it comes to what QUEST teams should bring to the table, Schwab looks for creativity and familiarity with online technology tools, while Gamerman looks for enthusiasm, emotional intelligence, and insights into how solutions work for the culture within a company. Gamerman advises future teams to set up weekly communication, ask plenty of questions, provide need-by dates, and share email meeting minutes. Schwab recommends putting effort into understanding the industry of their champion and researching how their organization functions within it. When asked about which advice they would provide to current QUEST students, Gamerman recommended investing in communication skills and understanding the communication styles of others. Schwab advised current students to become well-rounded and spend time outside the classroom trying new experiences.
Being a project champion is no easy task, but the value they bring to the QUEST community and its students is priceless. When project champions are former QUEST students, they bring an additional understanding of the ins and outs of the program and can give both academic and professional advice. If you are an alum looking to become a QUEST project champion, reach out to Jess Roffe, Assistant Director of QUEST, at jroffe@umd.edu.