Guest feature by Annie Ni (Cohort 39)

At the break of dawn on January 23rd, the newest QUEST Cohort—Cohort 44—embarked on an unforgettable journey, setting out for their orientation retreat at YMCA Camp Tockwogh in Worton, MD. The crisp winter air and snow-covered trails served as the backdrop for two days filled with team-building, problem-solving, and the formation of lifelong friendships. Returning as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for another group of bright, eager students, I found myself navigating the snowy terrain of a new camp, excited for the experiences ahead. 

Upon arrival, students were greeted by the enthusiastic YMCA staff before being introduced to their teams and mentors for the semester. From there, they launched into a dynamic three-activity rotation designed to foster collaboration and innovation. 

One of the highlights was “Pilot Products,” an interactive session where students were challenged to conceptualize and present innovative solutions—a fitting preview of their first course in the QUEST program. As students brainstormed and pitched their ideas, their enthusiasm and creativity set the tone for what promises to be a transformative experience in the program.

Meanwhile, on the ropes course in the snow, students engaged in classic team-building exercises led by camp staff. These activities, ranging from balancing on a small block while singing “Happy Birthday” to hoisting teammates across a seven-foot-high plank, pushed teams to rely on communication, trust, and collective problem-solving. By the end of the session, bonds had been forged through laughter and teamwork. 

After warming up back at the main conference center with snacks in hand, students dove into their final challenge of the day: “Ready, Set, Launch.” Armed with cardboard, tape, scissors, and rubber bands, teams constructed catapult-style devices, competing to launch ping pong balls and marshmallows with the greatest accuracy, distance, and power. The friendly competition, filled with strategic adjustments and enthusiastic cheers, made for an unforgettable afternoon.

As night fell, the group gathered indoors for a well-earned evening of relaxation. A bonfire crackled as students roasted marshmallows for s’mores, while others bonded over board games and impromptu ping pong matches—an easygoing close to an action-packed day.

Day two began with an unforgettable wake-up call—an energetic mix of the Angry Birds theme song and clattering pots and pans, courtesy of the ever-spirited TAs and mentors. Once breakfast was served, students rehearsed their product pitches, leading up to their first QUEST presentations. The culmination of their efforts resulted in compelling and creative pitches, with the standout team—Chips and QUESTo (Javier Coleman, Noah Gonzalez, Joanne Lee, Sydney Luong, and Sereen Aridi)—earning the coveted QUEST Padfolio for their outstanding performance.

The retreat concluded with an insightful session led by QUEST Program Coordinator Emily Marks on communication styles and team development stages. This discussion provided a crucial foundation for the challenges and collaborations Cohort 44 will navigate in the months ahead. With newfound confidence and strengthened connections, the cohort returned to campus, ready to embark on their QUEST journey. 

From innovative challenges to moments of camaraderie around the bonfire, the retreat at Camp Tockwogh set the stage for an incredible semester ahead in BMGT/ENES 190H. As Cohort 44 steps into their next chapter, they do so with a shared experience that will shape their time in QUEST—and beyond.

As the semester comes to a close, it’s time to congratulate everyone on their hard work they’ve accomplished. Whether it’s taking final exams, working on projects, or even participating in extracurricular activities, there is so much to be proud of! Some of the most hardworking students include our very own QUESTees, who have put in endless hours of work to complete projects for their clients. QUEST’s Designing Innovative Systems course (BMGT/ENES 390H) introduced projects with the Department of Defense (DoD) this semester, specifically the Navy and Air Force. With the DoD being such a large system, these projects challenged the students to understand complex problems, handle ambiguity, and push their creative boundaries.

I reached out to the course TA, Supriya Daddi (Cohort 40), to understand her perspective as an assistant for the updated course. I first asked her how the course is now structured and how they chose to allocate class time. “The class met once a week on Mondays, but each week, the students switched off with a client meeting the first hour and then had teamwork time or lecture time for the remaining period.” Daddi also mentioned that students were split into teams of 5-6 and about half of the class was working with the Navy, while the other half worked with the Air Force. As a TA for the course, Daddi found it very exciting to see the final presentations. “They showcased the tools they were able to use, and the clients were so impressed and engaged. It was truly a very rewarding experience overall!”

Cohort 41 students Shareen Ahmed and Jimmy Miller told me about their projects related to data management for the Navy. They conducted data analysis before designing a new process to make the Navy’s data system more efficient. 

Overall, Ahmed enjoyed the process of using their analysis to develop a solution for their client and found it extremely rewarding. “It was definitely a lot of work and challenging at times. But, I think it really paid off, and I’m proud of our final presentation!” 

Miller spoke about his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the Navy. “Working with the Navy allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of one of the biggest, most important organizations in the country. Getting a behind the scenes view of their data management systems and AI applications was fascinating!”

Next, I heard from Parsa Sedghi (Cohort 41) who worked with the Air Force’s Program Office for Mission Support. Their team was tasked to optimize their service acquisition process and provide improvements for their client. Sedghi enjoyed his experience getting to learn about the federal government as well as implementing strategies he has learned in class. “We were able to apply methodologies such as Strategy Canvases and Monte Carlo simulations. I also gained a deeper understanding of the client’s needs as well as the many intricacies working with the federal government.”

I also got a chance to speak to some students that won awards for having especially outstanding presentations! Faith LeBrun (Cohort 41) spoke about an opportunity her team received from their client. “Our champion, Michele Wolfe, was incredibly supportive and committed to our team’s success. She provided invaluable insights and guidance throughout the project. As recognition for our efforts and being the winning Navy team, she has graciously offered us a tour of the Pentagon in January!” LeBrun is absolutely thrilled and honored by this opportunity to engage with the Navy and see the impact of their work.

Regardless of which QUEST course you completed this semester, each and every one of us has definitely learned something valuable and worked extremely hard! QUEST wishes everyone a wonderful winter break and some much needed relaxation time. Until next semester, happy holidays!

In the spirit of continuous improvement, the BMGT190H/ENES190H curriculum was updated this semester to concentrate on a semester-long product redesign project, rather than two projects. These exciting changes allow students to do a deep dive in product development and even develop prototypes by the end of the semester.

QUEST alumnae Cat Ashley, a chemical engineering grad from Cohort 19, and Shannon Larson, a bioengineering grad from Cohort 25, are part of W.L. Gore’s UMD Campus Recruiting team which sponsored a $50 material stipend for each 190H team to fund their prototypes. About the recruiting team, Ashley said, “This team essentially works to develop strategies for engaging students, engaging departments at the university, and working with different student organizations.” Larson said that they continue to work with QUEST because “QUEST teaches skills that are helpful for your professional career. Skillsets like prototyping and design iteration are translatable skills for professionals.”

While W.L. Gore usually participates in the QUEST networking event and guest lectures, Ashley said that this year, they wanted to explore different methods of engagement. Larson said that through the summer and beginning of the year, they communicated with QUEST’s assistant director, Jess Roffe, who worked with the rest of the Quality Guild (faculty and staff) to devise a new engagement strategy.

Dr. Fox Troilo, the 190H professor, said that a student directly contributed to the material stipend idea. Troilo said, “A student in class asked, ‘Will there be a budget for the project?’ I thought that’s a good question, so I brought it back to the Quality Guild and I was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’ It just so happened that at the same time, Gore was in conversations with Jess. And that’s how it came about.” On one reason why the material stipend was chosen, Larson said, “I don’t want lack of materials to be a roadblock for students’ innovation and learning experience. Physical prototyping and early R&D can be a good way to not just check your own ideas, but to better communicate the design vision to an audience.”

Dr. Troilo also spoke about the new prototyping lab visits in 190H this semester, led by Professor Joshua Cocker, a Cohort 27 QUEST alumnus and Keystone Instructor at UMD. According to Dr. Troilo, a goal for the new curriculum was to teach students to build physical prototypes. He said that he spoke with Professor Cocker over the summer on ways to engage students in prototyping. Troilo shared, “Josh said that he guessed students didn’t even know that these prototyping labs existed.” After gathering feedback from students, Troilo said that “most did not know that you could just for free, go into the sandbox and 3D print.” Troilo said these conversations led them to their solution of “taking [students] to the shops and hopefully dispelling the myths.”

When asked about student feedback on the curriculum changes, Troilo said, “I find that the students in the new class do seem to understand the material better and connect the material to learning objectives.” Some students in the class also provided their feedback on the class so far. Jessie Fang, a finance and information science student from Cohort 43, said “I think the work we’re doing is very hands-on. We are doing product redesign, which is really hands-on and collaborative. I’m gaining more than I expected out of QUEST already.” Anthony Nguyen, a computer science student from Cohort 43 said, “I think 190H is a class that provides a lot of design experience and data gathering and processing, which will help set up my skills for our consulting work in the other classes down the line.”

On further changes to the QUEST curriculum, Troilo said, “It’s funny because 190H is almost like my product redesign. You know, I got feedback and data. I did interviews. Now, I have put together what I think is a quality high-fidelity prototype, but right now, we’re in a testing phase.” On the next steps for curricular change, Troilo added, “We’ll continually get feedback from the students and have an open mind to how we can make every class better.” Troilo said, “We are in the service industry, and the students are our clients. We want to provide the best possible experience for all of you, coupling that with what we think will arm you to be the most competitive on the job market once you graduate.” Thanks to everyone for talking to us and for working to improve the QUEST curriculum!

As Cohort 39 wraps up their QUEST experience, let’s see what they have been doing to prepare for their capstone presentations at the QUEST Conference on May 6th!

Adelina Seck is thrilled to be working with BAE Systems on their ESS-IT program. Seck says that she has learned a lot about how developing a plan for meaningful change can be very important for the company as a whole. Aside from working on recommendations and conducting meetings with the client and the team’s advisor, the team has also been on site visits to York, PA! When asked what advice she had for the next cohort, Seck said, “Establish good, consistent communication with your client and make sure that everyone is on the same page throughout the entirety of the semester.” 

Annaika Taneja has been working hard on delivering meaningful change for her company, Capital i. In order to prepare for the conference, Taneja and her team have been meeting twice per week to work on their final deliverables. They have also been having weekly meetings with their client and team advisor. Taneja advises future cohorts that if data analysis is necessary, do it early! Finally, she said that spending time with her team has made the class worthwhile.

Annaika Taneja (second from the left) and her team meeting with their clients for the first time.

Annie Ni is also working with BAE Systems in their Combat Mission Systems department, which manages online access for suppliers and utilizes manufacturing routings through Oracle. Ni says that the most exciting part about working with BAE Systems is that their work is held to a high standard and taken seriously. Interestingly, Ni’s team has taken a couple of extra steps throughout their time on the project to prepare for the conference. In order to understand and remedy complicated concepts, the team translates the processes into layman’s terms. Just last week, they used a sandwich analogy in their second status presentation! Ni suggests that future cohorts always be ready with a backup plan, especially because the class has a strict timeline for deliverables. 

Annie Ni (middle) and her team.

Matthew Weirich is working with PepsiCo on developing a totally new project, allowing the team members to exercise their creative sides. Weirich thinks it’s important to continuously incorporate feedback from the client and faculty in order to enhance the presentation and project. For future cohorts, Weirich believes that regular, in-person meetings are the way to go. “Building strong connections with your teammates is key, since making friends with your team members makes it a much more fun and productive class!”

But never fear, Cohort 40! Jimmy Takieddine says that 490H is hard work, but very rewarding!

Good luck Cohort 39. We are so excited to see your presentations!