May 2020. For many Cohort 29 and 30 students, this date seemed distant and surreal. Yet, the days until graduation have dwindled, and our QUEST seniors are about to dive headfirst into the real world. As some of the most driven and hardworking students in the QUEST community, we cannot wait to see what’s in store for these QUESTees. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to learn about many graduating seniors’ QUEST experiences and future plans. 

After graduation, Zarek Peris (Cohort 29) plans to work at Google in NYC as a Software Engineer, and later “probably quit to become a pro Smash Bros player and adopt a cat.” When asked about his QUEST experience, Zarek reflected,

 “Imagine if your group projects were always filled with people that not only did their work, but did it with a higher standard, were incredibly fun people and had the competitive fire to bring it all home. That’s what being in Cohort 29 was like. Everyone knew everyone, everyone thrived, and everyone is unforgettable. The program taught us so much about business and consulting practices and real-world application, and we got to explore it together. That’s what being in QUEST is like.” 

The next senior I spoke to was Jacqueline Deprey, a Cohort 30 student majoring in Computer Science and Operations Management and Business Analytics. Jacqueline recounted that her favorite QUEST memory was going to South Carolina with her 490H team. “Not only did I get to learn more about our client, Sealed Air, by seeing their facilities in person, but what I treasured most is what I learned about my teammates. The trip brought us so much closer together, and they even taught me how to swim! The real House of Quality is not the inter-relational diagram describing the overlap between customer desires and the firm capabilities, but the home that the Quality Guild has built within QUEST. I am so grateful for not only everything the Guild has taught me, but also the community they have built within the program! After graduating, I will be working as a Software Engineer at Dropbox, and I look forward to staying connected to fellow QUESTees through being an active member of the New York network!”

I also had the pleasure of speaking to Laura Zheng, a Cohort 29 senior studying Computer Science. Laura will be returning to College Park in the fall to start the PhD program in computer science, with an interest in computer vision and HCI. When asked how QUEST has impacted her college career, Laura said, “QUEST shaped my undergrad experience in a very unique way. We always consider social life and academics to be mutually exclusive, but QUEST enables both. I think the reason why people have a good time in 490H, generally, is that you’re working hard with the smartest and most fun people. The skills students learn throughout QUEST are universal to all careers. Even though I am pursuing a research track, there are many presentation, proposal, client interaction, and user vs. customer lessons I can apply to make the most impact in my work. My favorite memory is just hanging around the QUEST Lab. My schedule outside of QUEST was busy and far from the business school, but when I did go into the lab to socialize or get work done, it was a blast. I really love my cohort. They’re amazing people and they are going to change the world without a doubt. I want to give a shoutout to Dr. Pam Armstrong. She’s a stellar professor, mentor, and friend. I really wouldn’t have made it into grad school without her guidance. I plan to be around for the next more-than-a-few years, so I hope to see everyone again soon.”

After graduation, Nikhil Modi, a Cohort 30 senior majoring in Accounting and minoring in Public Leadership, is planning on taking some time to volunteer in his community. From there, he plans on joining Deloitte as a Risk & Financial Advisory Consultant. When asked about his experience in QUEST, Nikhil explained, “I’ve learned so much while being in QUEST – from the courses, staff, faculty, and my peers. My favorite memories are working until 5 A.M. with my 490H team hopped up on Skittles, Pop Tarts, and McFlurries. HUGEST shoutout to the best 490H team that ever teamed, the Radioheads – Chad Simon, Colin SyBing, Gina Wingate, and Olivia Wolcott! Also a huge shoutout to Jess, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Armstrong for supporting me throughout my entire tenure in the program!”

Lastly, I spoke to Ari Riske, a Cohort 29 Marketing and Operations Management & Business Analytics major. After graduation, Ari is hoping to still go to Croatia with her family before starting at Bain & Co in the fall. “Joining QUEST changed the trajectory of my college career. I met some of the most accomplished, humble, innovative, and wonderful people, many of whom I can’t imagine my life without. My favorite story from QUEST, aside from the infamous Cohort 29 sleepover in the QUEST lab, was the day of the QUEST Conference. During our rehearsal, Doron Tadmor (also in Cohort 29) rewrote Ariana Grande’s “Thank You, Next” to “Thank You, QUEST” and sang it to us on the stage as we all cheered him on and sang. To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed and smiled so hard (I hope one day he will post the video so others can see it!!)” 

Each of these seniors has made a profound impact on the QUEST community and spoken so highly of the support, mentorship, and lifelong memories they’ve made along the way. When I asked them for advice they’d give younger QUESTees, many said to make the most of the knowledge of the Quality Guild, along with getting close with their peers. As Ari explains, “Senior year will come quick, and although QUEST projects can be stressful and time-consuming, try to enjoy the work, team, and opportunity. It’s hard to separate from the stress sometimes, but those are team memories you won’t forget!” When asked about advice, Zarek said “Team bond like crazy, your teammates are the best. Go to the QUEST events and join the QUEST orgs. They rock, and it’s great for your careers and for making friends. Finally, take advantage of everything and everyone this program has to offer, because you only really get it for three years. Go to Dr. Armstrong’s office hours to talk about current business, coding practice, and life goals. Go to the QUEST lab to print. Join mentors or scoping and be in a small class of people doing and learning big things. Have those experiences. Special shout outs to Dr. Bailey and Dr. Armstrong for teaching me a whole lot more about life than about CAD and to Rachel and Jess for always being there for us, even when some of us were very late with our four-year plans. I’ll get it to you guys one day!”

The QUEST Community will truly not be the same without Cohorts 29 and 30, but we can’t wait to see all the big things they do. Graduates: Thank you for the advice, mentorship, fond memories, and friendships. Congratulations!

Congratulations to QUEST students Shannon Donaldson (Q29) and Hadas Elazar-Mittelman (Q30) on their team’s Alumni Cup victory! They led a team of eight Materials Science and Engineering majors in the design and assembly of a Rube Goldberg machine. 

The Alumni Cup is an annual engineering design competition hosted by the A. James Clark School of Engineering and its Alumni Association. Students from each Engineering department create a machine that will exercise a fundamental task. In this year’s competition, students were required to build a Rube Goldberg machine with 20 steps leading up to a small basketball being dunked into a hoop. 

Teams had one week to design their machines, which also needed to showcase the disciplines of their respective engineering department. The machines were presented and judged at the competition on Friday, February 21 to conclude Engineers Week. 

Shannon and Hadas led six other Materials Science and Engineering students in the week-long design, with about 20 people helping build the machine. Overall, Hadas and Shannon estimate the team spent at least 54 hours working on the machine! “While we were all in the same engineering major, everyone brought something unique to the table, and it was a humbling experience piecing everyone together into a functional team,” Hadas said.

Hadas thinks that her and Shannon’s experiences with QUEST helped them lead their team successfully. “QUEST teaches you valuable leadership and people skills both within the context of teams and personally,” Hadas said. “QUEST emphasizes that a team is only as strong as the sum of its parts, and to function as a good Alumni Cup team everyone needs to participate. It’s clear early on that every person is a valuable asset, and this concept is rampant in all QUEST curriculum.”

The names of the winning team members will be written on the Alumni Cup Trophy, kept in Glenn L. Martin Hall. Congratulations to Shannon and Hadas for their leadership and hard work!

Christina Giovanazi (Cohort 31) is a junior studying Finance and Operations Management & Business Analytics.

QUEST means a lot of things to different people, but the majority of the QUEST community agrees that the values, skill sets, and connections gained from QUEST have been invaluable to them in their academic, professional, and personal lives outside of QUEST. Neehar Peri, a computer engineering major from Cohort 31, is one such student who used a lot of QUEST concepts while conducting research on vehicle reidentification on campus.

Peri first heard about QUEST through fellow QUESTee David Rosenstein from Cohort 29. David and several other QUEST students were giving an interactive presentation where students in the audience were asked to participate in a group activity.Peri said he “really enjoyed the activity and found it aligned with [his] strengths and interests.” Peri is also a member of the Business, Society, and Economy Scholars program and mentioned that the program “taught [him] the value of human centered design and creating with the customer in mind.” This madePeri wish to pursue consulting and “find a community of like-minded individuals,” which is why he applied to QUEST.

On campus,Peri works for the Center for Automation Research (CfAR), a subgroup at the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. Peri’s role is to develop new methods of re-identifying vehicles. “My research focuses on applying computer vision and deep learning to traffic analytics in dense urban environments. Cities around the world are increasingly interested in modernizing their infrastructure and gathering insights from data streams from existing sensors. The goal of my research is to accurately identify a single vehicle identity across different cameras in varying orientations, lighting conditions, and weather.”

This is a very difficult problem since many vehicles have very similar attributes and datasets do not collect license plates since it is considered personally identifiable information (PII). Because of this, Peri’s research “focuses on finding discriminating attributes like bumper stickers, decals, and other small aberrations that can be used to uniquely identify a single vehicle regardless of its orientation.”

When asked how QUEST concepts tie in with his research, Peri told me that “a core competency taught through the QUEST program and required in research is the ability to communicate complex ideas in a way that is interesting and engaging.” Peri has to present his work frequently, and QUEST has “taught [him] how to effectively deliver [his] ideas in both written and visual formats.” Completing QUEST projects in multidisciplinary teams has taught Peri the importance of dividing responsibilities, having clear and concise communication, and keeping teammates accountable for their work. Peri believes having proper team dynamics is essential since “research, much like the QUEST, is built on a process that rewards clear, concise, and engaging discussion. Being a team player is integral to success in both QUEST and research. No one has all the answers.”

Being a computer engineer himself, Peri has experienced firsthand QUEST’s impact on engineers. He explained, “QUEST is uniquely positioned to give you experiences that you could never get through a traditional engineering curriculum. Engineers in QUEST have a competitive advantage both in the engineering school and the business school since they are both business-minded engineers and engineering-minded business students at the same time. QUEST engineers have a chance to reach across disciplines to bring new perspectives to every challenge. It’s important to lean into the strength and diversity of the QUEST experience.” On a final note, he shared, “I’ve become a more well-rounded student, made lasting friendships, and it has made my college experience more meaningful. How many other students can say that they worked with real clients on meaningful consulting projects as an undergraduate student? Applying to QUEST has been one of the best investments I’ve made in myself. Everyone can benefit from QUEST.”

Peri is just one of many students who believe that the impact of QUEST carries over into different areas of their lives they are passionate about. His passion for Computer Vision allowed him to immerse himself into his research and fully realize how he can utilize different concepts from QUEST into his work. Similarly, QUEST can help other students realize their passions and learn how to utilize important business and engineering concepts while pursuing them.