Category Archives: Editorials, Columns, & Opinions

Looking Forward to Senior Year!

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Article by Jeff Jacobs (Q17)

Cohort 17 - Jeff Jacobs

As the tenuous tittles of time trickle tenaciously towards the terminal task of my Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams Noble Threefold Path to Enlightenment, I have many hopes, fears, and questions about what exactly this final act of QUESTlightenment entails. Cogitating my apprehension one day whilst grazing the hallways of Van Munching Hall, I came upon a burning copy machine. After taking my sandals off instead of pulling the fire alarm for some reason, I heard the voice of the great JP Beezy (Dr. Bailey), the QUEST deity himself, speaking to me from the incendiary consumer electronics device in his characteristically soothing yet attention-grabbing tone: “[490] will be a great opportunity for students to take what they’ve learned in QUEST and in their majors and apply this to a real-world consulting project. My hope is that students realize how much trust we put in them to work with our corporate partners and make good decisions about what to do and how to do it. My job–and the job of all the QUEST staff and faculty–is to support our student teams in accomplishing their goal of successfully completing a great project and appreciating how much they are learning in the process. [Now go, tell the people of my teachings and bring them out of 390 land and into Seniorville!]”

Next thing I knew, the flame had been extinguished, and the copier had not been consumed! The only indication that anything out of the ordinary had just occurred was a single bowtie on the top of the copier. Placing this aberration of the laws of thermodynamics in the back of my mind for future speculation, I ran to tell fellow cohort seventeenian Reeta Francis of this Van Munching Miracle. Upon finding her in her natural QUEST lab habitat, she tells me that she, too, had been spoken to by the great Beezy of the QUESTlightenment, and that since the miracle all she could think about was how excited she was to finally “be a top dog in QUEST, ARF ARF!”

Feeling somewhat disturbed by this sudden outburst of unbridled canine emotion, I left the QUEST lab to find a nice quiet place to mull over the overwhelming experiences I’d encountered that day. Finding myself in Cornerstone, I pull a chair up to the bar, order a tall pitcher of Everclear, and begin to work through my thoughts. I think, what do I expect to get out of my senior year in QUEST? What have the past two years been preparing me for? Upon completion of my third pitcher, it hits me: all I could ask for from my senior year would be to finally see the confidence I’ve built up in myself and in my fellow QUESTees come to fruition in the successful tackling of a real-world problem. After two years of learning each other’s strengths, weaknesses, talents, aspirations, and passions inside and outside of the classroom, we will finally have the opportunity to come together and experience firsthand just how important diversity in all of these aspects is for true innovation.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am excited to see next year. Always remember, in the words of the late great James K. Polk, “keep swaggin’ on the hundred thousand trillion, QUEST.”

QUEST Students Relay for a Cause

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Article by Jeff Jacobs (Q17)

As the rain cleared and the sun came out to illuminate Ludwig Field on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, it seemed as if the heavens had parted to bequeath this fateful day with a sunshine so magnificent that all University of Maryland students would forget their earthly troubles and concentrate their efforts instead on opening their senses to the musica universalis, if only for long enough to hear the delicately plucked notes of a fleeting nocturne. QUEST students, sensing this cosmic disturbance with the acuity only a QUEST student could possibly possess, came out in droves to have fun, eat great food, and raise awareness for an important issue.

Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is an annual event held at over 5,000 venues both in the United States and abroad. The event is a celebration of the lives of cancer survivors, a remembrance of those who have lost their lives to cancer, and a commitment to continue fighting the disease until we reach the day of its eradication. Through the event, QUEST students were able to raise $400 for the American Cancer Society, paving the path towards a brighter future for victims of the disease. Reaction to the event from QUEST students was overwhelmingly positive. Cohort 18 student Char Kwon stated that the event “was a great opportunity to meet other cohort members, and was a good team-bonding experience overall,” with Cohort 18 student Alex Bansleben adding, “The tent we had was great! It really made the night!” Cohort 17 student and QSO president Marc Kramer was also a fan of the tent, affirming that “the tent was top notch.”

While the exquisitely crafted tent (pitched by yours truly with an attention to detail which would made Frank Lloyd Wright’s collective works look like the Lego block creations of a four-year-old) was certainly a hit, the night would not have been the same without cornhole. For those inexperienced in the ways of the cornhole, two boards are set up in a line so beanbags can be thrown back and forth in an attempt to get them into a small hole cut into the boards. Don’t be fooled by the deceptive simplicity of these rules, however – the strategic prowess and physical dexterity required of its players would humble even the most skilled of ancient gladiators, shoguns, five-star generals, and Bruce Lee.

Between grueling cornhole sessions, QUEST students had the opportunity to recuperate with various carbonated beverages and an entire Domino’s pizza case literally filled to the brim with the culinary culmination of 600 years of Neapolitan culture – steaming, savory, sizzling, scintillating, succulent, saporous pizza. Overall, it seems that the tent, the cornhole board, the massive satchel of Domino’s pizza, and, most of all, the QUEST community came together for an unforgettable night of great fun for a great cause. Future QUEST events will forever bask in the radiant glow of this one divine night – including the QSO barbeque on Saturday May 7th from noon to 2pm!

Maryland's Relay for Life event in full swing!

Maryland's Relay for Life event in full swing!

The History of QSO

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Article by Russell Lyons (Q16)

Community is one of the most important aspects of QUEST. The close relationships that are created within the program can be difficult to find elsewhere at the University of Maryland. The faculty are very open to input from students about how the program should be run. One of the ways that the students in QUEST have their voice heard is through the QUEST Student Organization (QSO).

QSO has not always existed, though. It originated from a group of Cohort 9 students as a project in their mentor class. The class was faced with the task: how to keep the small community cohesion while the program was growing. At the time, the cohorts had about 40 students in them. After some brainstorming, they decided to begin the process of creating an official student organization for QUEST students. Chris Troilo, from Cohort 9, had experience starting up another student club and stepped forward to guide the progression and ended up becoming the first QSO president.

Initially, it was mostly a way of getting more funding for activities for QUEST students. But, it also started the development of many of the social community events that continue to this day. One of the first events was a small barbeque on La Plata beach that included a competitive game of Frisbee. The next year, the annual bowling tournament took place for the first time. Events like these have not only allowed for students to become more connected with their own cohort, but to also create more interactions and community between cohorts of students.

However, it was not all burgers and bowling. There were other events that focused on some of the more academic and learning aspects of QUEST. The first learning type event was a “How to Survive 190” panel. During one of the first couple weeks of the semester, a panel of older cohort students was put together and the 190 students were able to ask them any questions about the course and dealing with the professors.

QSO has evolved over the years and keeps pushing to bring new ideas to the table. Recently, it helped organize the first alumni dinner, where alumni and current students ate together and were able to network. There was also a Relay for Life team organized this semester. QSO provides students with a great opportunity to take on a leadership role within QUEST and to work with others to help build the community.  I hope they continue to bring fun and interesting activities to the program in the years to come.

QSO Officers of years past

QSO officers from years past

Spring Break in Dubai

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Article by Jeff Lue (Q16)

Seeing as how it was my last spring break ever ( 🙁  ), I felt it was fitting to go out with a bang. So I packed my bags and embarked on what will be the trip of a lifetime. Now I want preface this article and show you the mindset I had going into the trip. I have wanted to go to Dubai for four years: I even presented my COMM107 report on all the buildings they were building in Dubai. I had very high expectations going into this trip. As I would learn soon enough, this trip would meet my expectations, and then skyrocket above them.

For those of you who have seen the movie Inception, Dubai is a dream where anything is possible and architects can build structures that seem to defy the laws of physics. The UAE as a whole is just full of “–est in the world”, and we got to see all of them. The Burj al Arab is the most expensive hotel in the world. After a tour of a suite on the 25th floor, we learned that the particular room we toured cost $20,000 for ONE NIGHT. When we went to Abu Dhabi, we stayed in the only 5-star hotel (or any hotel for that matter) that was built over a formula one race track. While we were there, we rode the fastest roller coaster in the world, hitting speeds of up to 149 mph. We also visited the most expensive hotel ever built, the Emirates Palace. This hotel cost $3 billion to build, has over 1000 Swarovski chandeliers, and even has an ATM where you can buy gold. We went to the Sheikh Zayed (creator of the UAE) Mosque, the 8th largest mosque in the world boasting the largest single piece of carpet (it was very plush, I might add). Most of us ascended the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, and then walked around the Dubai Mall (the largest mall)after we came down. The lavish, mind-blowing attractions are the Dubai that everyone knows about.

QUEST Senior Jeff Lue (Center) explores the less-known parts of Dubai over spring break

QUEST Senior Jeff Lue (Center) explores the less-known parts of Dubai over spring break

There is a Dubai that most people do not know about until they go there and experience it themselves. I think the most rewarding part of my trip was what I learned about the country and the Muslim culture in general. After a trip to the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding, I had a completely different view than before. My group was also fortunate to meet a Crown Prince of the Ras al Khaimah Emirate, where he shared his experiences of the growth and development of the UAE from his perspective. We also attended Arabian Nights, which was a celebration for the Dubai World Cup, the largest horse race in the world. Here, there were performances and kiosks set up to exhibit more about the Dubai culture. While we were there, we even saw Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai! I never thought I would learn so much about Dubai and the UAE on this trip.

Dubai turned out to be so much more than just a Spring Break trip. Yes, I went to all the attractions that have given Dubai its worldwide reputation, but I was also taught about the Dubai and Muslim culture, things I could not fully appreciate unless I was there. For those who are able to go on this trip, do it. I couldn’t fit everything I did into this article, so I only included a few highlights. I could rave about Dubai forever, but I have class to go to. Looking back, I’m going to go and say that I made a good choice going to Dubai. I’ll leave you with my Facebook status when I got back: There aren’t enough words that can capture what was Spring Break 2011 in the UAE. Salaam Alaykum!

Is There Another QUEST?

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Article by Russell Lyons (Q16)

You may have wondered, “Are there any other educational programs out there similar to QUEST?” Many of us within the program like to boast “QUEST is best”. With a great group of students, faculty, alumni, and corporate sponsorship, it is tough to argue. However, like any great organization, it is important to continually evaluate and improve the offerings of QUEST. Comparing and learning from competitors is a crucial part of evaluating oneself.

The QUEST staff began this process last summer when it hosted a workshop which was attended by 9 other universities and organizations with programs similar to QUEST. These programs are classified as Multidisciplinary Engineering, Technology and Management (METM) programs. The workshop participants took the approach of designing an ideal METM program. The differences and similarities between the workshop attendees and other schools with METM-like programs are interesting to look at.

Two programs that are quite similar to QUEST are the Technology & Management programs at Georgia Tech and the University of Illinois. Both of these programs are very team-oriented and admit students in cohorts; however, students do not apply until spring of sophomore year. These two schools require students to take a few more courses for a total of 22 credits compared with the 15 credits in QUEST. Dr. Bailey recently made a visit to Georgia Tech to interact more with the faculty of that program. A few differences he noticed were that their IQ-type events are more required, they do not have an organization similar to QSO, and that they lack alumni strength. It is understandable that their program does not have some of these community related attributes because they were only established in 2007. One area that QUEST may be able to learn from these two programs is that they have more participation from their corporate partners, including involvement in shaping the curriculum. One other program that jumped out to me was the Management &Technology program at University of Pennsylvania. This program is slightly different in that it has existed for 30 years and that students apply as high school students for a chance to pursue a degree in both engineering and business.

After becoming aware of other programs out there, so what? I am glad to see that QUEST is taking the initiative to organize events like the METM workshop last summer. Learning from others and creating a larger community that we can connect with is an excellent opportunity for our program. Maybe it could lead to some type of inter-college competition between programs in the future. We should all be excited about the opportunities it presents for us and future QUESTers.

Chorus of the Customers – Product Innovation at Johnson and Johnson

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Article by Manas Kulkarni
 
A tremendous benefit of the QUEST program is the opportunity for its students to interact with people whose jobs revolve around the very ideas taught in class: quality, voice of the customer, and many more. On November 11th, the Bailey Bowtie took a break from its post at the front of the class as Cohort 18 had the privilege of hearing from Linzell Harris, Vice President for Global Strategic Operations at Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Harris’ presentation focused on J&J’s different customers and how the company reacts to the different voices of those customers.
  Mr. Linzell Harris engages 190 students in a refreshing presentation

Before getting into product design, Mr. Harris gave the class a brief description of Johnson and Johnson, specifically how its empire spreads to nearly 180 countries and how it owns 92 consumer brands, including Band-Aid, Neosporin, Bengay, and Tylenol. The difficulty however, lies in the former; thanks to superior manufacturing capabilities, making a large amount of product is relatively simple for J&J. But the diversity in its consumer base forces it to diversify its products as well, which is far more challenging than production.

Mr. Harris introduced the idea of product innovation with a simple point: without the consumer, there is no product. Business major Hayley Brown remarks that “J&J’s strategy is very heavily based off of trend. It introduced ‘Total Care’ mouthwash simply because it identified a growing desire for fluoride in mouthwash.” Mr. Harris would call this “listening to the voice of the customer,” unsurprisingly a core mantra of QUEST. But because every customer is different, Mr. Harris emphasized the importance of listening to the all of the customers of different ethnicities, generations, and backgrounds. In that sense, effectively orchestrating a product’s success relies heavily on the chorus of the customers, rather than just the voice of one. That philosophy, in a nutshell, is the foundation of product innovation for J&J says Mr. Harris.

One product certainly added some flavor to the presentation: Cool Mint and Citrus to be exact. Each student had the opportunity to try one of four flavors of Listerine mouthwash. “At first, I thought it was unnecessary that that Johnson and Johnson made so many different flavors of Listerine” claims engineering major Nathan Elencweig, “but in the end, I was definitely persuaded that each flavor had its purpose in appealing to different customers.” Some students, however, were luckier than others; several unfortunate students were subjected to the much stronger taste of Gold Listerine, and they were far more frazzled than their relatively satisfied classmates. But, as Mr. Harris soon explained, one man’s trash is another’s….favorite mouthwash, and that the other person was likely to be a senior citizen. While younger generations clearly preferred the Cool Mint or Citrus mouthwash, the evident desire for Gold Listerine amongst older consumers convinced J&J to maintain its original brand. “It was interesting to see how the company has had to innovate Listerine to fit the needs of an evolving user base,” recalls engineering major Will Dunham.

And that is exactly what the products are doing: evolving. After concluding that mouthwash users today are looking for a less intense version of that still provides them with the feeling of freshness that they love from Listerine, J&J launched Listerine Zero, and in fact branded it with the slogan “less intense.” And when the students were each given a sample of the new product, the pleased reactions were enough to prove that J&J is indeed listening to its customers. And what is more, students were allowed to take home free bottles of mouthwash after the presentation. So aside from armfuls of mouthwash, Linzel Harris provided the students with a crucial tip of product innovation that day: just listen.