Category Archives: What’s New?

IBM Design Challenge Kicks Off

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By: Matt Masison (Q27)

On Thursday, September 7th, QUEST hosted IBM executives as they helped kick off the IBM Design Challenge, a case competition to go alongside the upcoming 25th Anniversary Gala on October 7th. 25 years ago, the QUEST (IBM-TQ) program started with a grant from IBM, and IBM is reconnecting with QUEST in our 25th year. Throughout September and early October, IBM is hosting a design challenge centered on the theme “The World is Flat,” highlighting the interconnectedness of the present age. At the kickoff event, students were presented with a wide variety of different examples of how IBM has found solutions to problems centered around connecting people. Now, eight student teams will work with alumni mentors throughout the month to find a solution of their own and present it to IBM judges on the day of the Gala.

QUEST Students and Alumni Getting Fired Up for the IBM Design Challenge at the Kickoff Event

The eight QUEST teams presented their preliminary pitches on Thursday, September 14 to the IBM judges. Jerry Goodman, Smith School alumnus and IBM partner that is spearheading the challenge from the IBM side, said that both he and his team were thoroughly impressed with the creativity of the idea pitch presentations. Now, each team will use the feedback to improve upon their solutions and start to develop a prototype. On September 28th from 5:30-7:30 PM, all QUEST students and alumni are invited to attend the prototype testathon in VMH 2333 to provide feedback for the teams.

The month of hard work will culminate with a final presentation of each team’s product or service on October 7th from 2-4:30 PM in ESJ 1224. We hope to see many students and alumni cheering on the teams in the audience! Student teams will wait patiently for the announcement of the winner that night at the Gala. The month ahead looks like a lot work, but also a lot of fun, especially for the winner. The entire winning team will be given a tour of IBM’s New York innovation center.

This next month is going to be a wild ride, and we can’t wait to see what the teams come up with!

Kylie King: A Happy Farewell

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By: Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

Kylie King, QUEST’s Program Director, recently announced that she will be leaving QUEST after seven years and taking on a faculty position at Champlain College in Vermont. As Kylie embarks on the next leg of her journey, we wanted to take the time to talk with her and reflect on her experience at Maryland and her work with the QUEST program. I recently had the privilege of interviewing her and getting a better understanding of where her mind is at prior to the big move. The following is a transcript of the discussion that ensued:

Kylie King (right) was honored at QSO’s End of the Year BBQ on May 7th

If you had 3 words to describe how you feel in this moment, what would they be?

Excited, Hopeful, Heavyhearted

Looking back on your time here, what are you most proud of?

I love the relationships that I’ve formed with people and the ones that I’ve helped people form with each other.

I’ve had the opportunity to teach and advise cohorts 18 through 28, and it’s wonderful meeting them as students and getting to know them better as they move on as alumni. Seeing where their careers go and what different ventures they move on to is a very rewarding experience. I’m actually still in touch with many alumni, and I hope to keep those connections open forever.

I also love that I’ve been able to help students and alumni meet each other. I believe it’s important for all members of the community to get an understanding of who is in the program and how they can leverage their connections and knowledge.

Is there anything that you would have done differently?

Looking back, when we moved into this new space, I think we could have thought a bit more about the design of the QUEST lab and the new QUEST classroom. There are so many different tweaks and changes that are just coming to mind now, and it’s a shame they couldn’t have been implemented the first time around.

Where are you headed to next?

I am going to be an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. It’s a small private school, and I’m looking forward to it since I don’t have much experience working within small institutions. Having said that, I think QUEST has prepared me well for that since it’s a very tight knit program in its own right.

I’m also excited for the opportunity to have a role as a faculty member as opposed to a staff member. I plan on continuing my research and shifting it to focus on how teams work in entrepreneurial settings. I have plans to continue partnering with people at the University of Maryland, so I’m excited to continue that connection!

What do you think you’ll take with you from your time in QUEST?

I’ve been around some really great teachers in the QUEST program. I remember when I was a Grad Assistant and I commented on Dr. Bailey’s classroom being like a magic show. It was as if the students were on the edges of their seats waiting to see what would come next! All the instructors in the program have been great role models and have taught me the value of relationships. I hope to build a community of learners in my own classroom at Champlain where discussions can flow and students can feel open to asking questions.

What words do you have for people taking 190H, 390H, and 490H?

For those in 190H, say yes to as many opportunities that you can in the QUEST program. The bulk of the academic content is already under your belt so don’t forget to apply that content in future classes. I encourage you to go to social events and say yes to meeting alumni or going to the conference. Try to put yourself out there as much as possible to maximize all that QUEST has to offer.

For those in 390H, you have a gap next semester so I encourage you all to stay invested in QUEST. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the classes that you take. When I talk to alumni, what really sticks with them are the opportunities that they took outside the classroom. Try to get involved with things and get to know people. If you think the first 2 years went by fast, just wait until the next two disappear!

For those in 490H, I hope that you continue to work hard. You’ve all worked hard in 490H and I hope you recognize that hard work is valuable in and of itself. You should want to do your very best at all times, but don’t do it just to impress people and get a good job. Do it so that you can feel good about the work that you’ve done! I hope you learn to appreciate the value of working hard for the sake of working hard, not just for what comes next.

What advice would you have to people considering making a big move in their career?

The first piece of advice is to believe in yourself. If you think a job is out of your reach, then apply yourself and put yourself out there. The worst thing that could happen is that you update your resume, build a bigger network, and put yourself in a better position for the next job. Having said that, make sure to take risks as your risk tolerance will allow!

The second piece of advice is to not be paralyzed by looking for the best possible option. Don’t be afraid to make a decision because you’re not sure if it’s the best decision. If making a move is better than staying where you are right now then you shouldn’t be afraid to make that move!

Thanks Kylie for all you’ve done for QUEST!

Meet the New Faces of Q29/30!

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By: Matthew Masison (Q27)

This March, QUEST admitted 90 new students into Cohorts 29 and 30! We look forward to welcoming them into the QUEST community. I reached out to three new students, Haley, Cavan, and Barret, to learn more about them and what they hope to gain from QUEST.

Haley Greenspan

Hometown: Columbia, MD 

Cohort: 29

Majors: Finance and Computer Science

Things Haley does on campus: Phi Chi Theta business fraternity, peer mentor, intramural volleyball

Fun fact: Accidentally slammed the door on Britney Spears

What Haley hopes to gain from QUEST: As part of the Business, Society, and the Economy scholars program, I live in the same dorm as and take classes with only business majors. While it helps in making friends with people with similar interests, I think QUEST will be a great opportunity to make both new friends and experiences outside the business school.

Message to new cohort: Congrats on making it in and I’m excited to meet everyone!

Future aspirations: Unsure of what I want to do right after college, but I would eventually like to work in finance for a film production company.

 

Cavan Morley

Hometown: Los Alamos, New Mexico, but I moved to Jessup, Maryland around seven years ago. 

Cohort: 29

Majors: Mechanical Engineering and Government and Politics

Things Cavan does on campus (clubs, activities, etc): I can usually be found studying. Otherwise, I am relaxing with friends.

Fun fact: I have a first degree black-belt in martial arts.

What Cavan hopes to gain from QUEST: I was concerned that college would provide me with a great deal of technical experience but not much practical experience. I hope that QUEST can make up for the latter through project management, teamwork, and real world projects.

Message to new cohort: I can’t wait to meet everyone and get started!

Future aspirations: I hope to pursue a masters in either mechanical or aerospace engineering, eventually going into aerospace as a career.

 

Barret Rus

Hometown: Reisterstown, MD

Cohort: 30

Major: Finance

Things Barret does on campus: Maryland Images Tour Guide, Club Climbing Team, TAMID Group, Change the World Consulting, Terrapin Trail Club, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, Sophomore Wall Street Fellows

Fun fact: Last semester, with Terrapin Trail Club, I hiked 45 miles in one day and completed the Four State Challenge.

What Barret hopes to gain from QUEST: I want to interact in a community of innovative and passionate individuals who are able to share their interests and ideas with me, see problems from unique mindsets, and build my network on Maryland’s campus and beyond.

Message to new Cohort: Embrace the QUEST community. Q30 brings together some of the top leaders, innovators, and thinkers across three prestigious schools on Maryland’s campus. Get to know people outside of your major and outside of your school. Ask questions, build new ideas, and constantly work with your QUEST peers to better the world around you.

Future aspirations: I want to go into the field of management or strategy/operations consulting, hopefully working for one of the Big 3 consulting firms. After making connections in the industry, I want to pursue my passion for politics and work in the lobbying field or for the State Department. My dream job is to be the United States Ambassador to Australia.

Thanks Haley, Cavan, and Barret, and welcome to all of our new students!

Ishaan Parikh: KPCB Fellows Spotlight

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By: Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

QUEST student Ishaan Parikh (Q28) was one of only two UMD students accepted into the KPCB Design and Engineering Fellows this summer. This program has just a 5% acceptance rate across the country! Learn more about Ishaan’s plans this summer below!

Congrats on your acceptance! What KPCB track are you in?

There’s the design track, the product track, and the engineering track. I decided to pursue the engineering track.

What is it that drew you to the program?

I’m a computer science major, and I really want to be in Silicon Valley and get into the startup culture, but I don’t want to dive too deeply into the coding aspects of it. I find coding interesting, and I think it’s the backbone of many companies, but I want to experience the entrepreneurial part of things.

KPCB understands the need to mold these two disciplines and will be giving me the opportunity to intern with their portfolio companies and receive advice from the founders of these companies. I see this as a chance to learn from the founders of the companies and build my network with the people in my cohort and the Venture Capitalists in the program as well.

Do you know what company you’ll be interning with?

I’ll be at a crowd funding startup called Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/#/picks_for_you).

Where do you see this taking you in the short term (after summer) and the long term (after graduation)?

I’m interning with a lot of cool people from across the country. UMD only has a few people in the program, but there are over 50 other interns from the country who I hope to connect with. In the short term, I’m hoping to make friends and gain an immediate network of people.

In the long term, I’m confident that these people will go on to do amazing things so I’m looking forward to learning from them. I know they all share the same goal of potentially starting a venture or being involved in the startup sphere, and I can’t wait to interact with them.

How do you think QUEST and your other activities at UMD are preparing you for your internship?

QUEST and the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship are teaching me a lot about the design process, which is going to be very important if I want to start a company. I’ve learned about empathizing, defining, and prototyping, which I’m sure will be beneficial during my time in the program.

What advice would you give to those interested in the KPCB fellows program?

Reach out to me when I come back from the summer and be sure to talk to other fellows at Maryland to hear their experience. I know they want more Maryland people so check out the website and apply!

QUESTDev Leads the Way to a New Kind of Website

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By: Jacob King (Q27)

QUESTDev is a brand new student committee, spearheading the effort to create the program’s first internal website. The team, led by alumnus Danny Laurence (Q19) and current student Genny Allen (Q23), is comprised of students from all cohorts who specialize in website and technological development.

QUESTDev aims to develop and maintain the technological entities of QUEST in order to enhance the QUEST experience and streamline its recruiting and marketing processes. This venture began three years ago when Danny Laurence began the process of creating a webpage just for QUEST students. It has since grown in scope to the point where it involves current students, alumni, faculty and staff.

I had the chance to interview the lead advisor on the project, Kylie King, QUEST’s Program Director. Kylie is very passionate about the potential for the site. At this point, QUESTDev is focusing on three projects: 1) a comprehensive resume book for all current and past students to be continuously updated for corporate partners, 2) a new alumni directory that is easily searchable, and 3) a calendar of all QUEST events. In the future, QUESTDev also hopes to create a working compilation of all QUEST 190H, 390H and 490H projects and presentations.

Kylie put a very strong emphasis on the priority of the resume book. This resume book has more applications than just a contact sheet; it has the ability to connect corporate partners to alumni and current students. Additionally, when current students need academic or career advice, they can search in the resume book to find a fellow student or alumni to connect with. Finally, it can be a way for alumni and corporate partners to connect current students with internship and job opportunities simply by filtering through resume criteria. This resume book will further the feeling of community that QUEST already gives to its members, and by prioritizing it now, QUESTDev can streamline the process for future teams so that they simply have to maintain the current system.

The goal of a future QUESTDev project is for QUEST students to show off the projects that were major milestones in their QUEST curriculum. These milestones are some of the most memorable moments of a student’s QUEST career, and the faculty would like to be able to archive these for future reference.

Another intrinsic goal that Kylie stressed was the idea that this website will be a place for QUEST to keep evolving and diversifying itself. The program began as a quality management program funded by IBM in the 1990’s and has pivoted many times over the years to improve its courses and activities based on student feedback. In the spirit of continuous improvement, the program has added courses in which students travel to Silicon Valley and Asia and has sponsored projects in which students work with students and firms in Europe and Australia. It has also moved from simply connecting business and engineering students to admitting other students ranging from computer science to biochemistry to the neurosciences.

The hope is that this website is not just a page for storing information, but instead a medium for the QUEST community to further its influence. From marketing and recruiting of QUEST prospective students to the recruiting of QUEST students for full-time careers, the sense of connectivity and professionalism is meant to emanate from this website. Through QUESTDev and their tireless efforts, the QUEST community will be able to better connect, brand and display their journey through this prestigious Honors program and encourage the next wave of QUEST students to do the same.

Looking Ahead at the QUEST Development Series

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Throughout the core QUEST courses, students are encouraged by their professors to go after their ideas and designs that they create within the classroom. For many, they will shrug this off and not follow through with their ideas. Every once in a while, some students find inspiration to continue with their projects, seeing the immense potential their ideas have in making a true change. For Amy Liang of Q24, she was one of those few. Now, she leads the new student organization, the QUEST Development Series (or QDeS, for short), which is making way for the potential to help revamp core aspects of the QUEST Honors Program, both in and out of the classroom.

As something that started as a mentor’s project by David Dorsey (Q23), Yash Mehta (Q22) and Chris Yeager (Q22), the initiative behind QDeS is to teach students in QUEST skills and knowledge that might not be known to everyone in QUEST. Being a multidisciplinary program, students come from all sorts of backgrounds and have an eclectic array of skill sets, many of which can be useful for other students to learn. This past academic year, QDeS started out as a series of workshops and lectures on a wide variety of topics, from how to properly manage personal finances to using CAD programs.

A QDeS Lecture held last Spring on CAD

A QDeS Lecture held last Spring on CAD

This upcoming spring 2017, QDeS is set on implementing another model that will allows professors from QUEST, as well as professors from the business, engineering, and science schools, to have these students hold guest lectures in their respective classes. This will be an opportunity for not only QUEST students to share their insights on a topic, but also allow the professors a chance to have these students come in and give a lecture on a topic in a different, fresh way. For example, if a professor’s class heavily revolves around a presentation, but the professor doesn’t have the ability to give a lecture on presentation etiquette, they will be able to reach out to QDeS to have a student teach the class one day on presentation skills in a fresh, interactive manner.

In the end, QDeS has the potential to provide students not only the opportunity to better learn from their peers, but also allow students to give a lecture on a topic they know well. In addition, professors from across these colleges will have an additional resource to pull from for their classes. Overall, QDeS has incredible potential to become an influential student group within the QUEST Honors Program.

Accenture Federal Services Digital Studio Creates Experiences that Matter

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On the corner of 12th Street and New York Avenue NW stands another office building among the hundreds in DC. City dwellers walk by, unaware of the ideation occurring inside in a small office on the sixth floor. Immediately inside, there is an art fixture of numerous colorful gears lining one wall on the right. On the left is a room with glass walls, a chalkboard, and a nostalgic assortment of Legos. Beyond this conference room is a mural of Sherlock Holmes peering into a looking glass directed at a television screen mounted on the wall. “Welcome to Accenture Federal Digital Studio,” the television reads.

Students might view federal work as a whole lot of red tape and not enough excitement. Accenture wants to change that view.

Accenture Federal Services (AFS) recently opened the digital studio this past July. Right in the heart of DC, AFS Digital Studio aims to foster innovation and design thinking by creating a collaborative, open work environment. Imagine the QUEST Lab with several extra thousand dollars in its budget, and Accenture Federal Digital Studio is the end result.

We create experiences that matter. – Accenture Federal Services

Earlier this month, QUEST students got an exclusive first look at the brand new space, led by a tour guide in addition to QUEST alumnus Russell Lyons of Q16.

We quickly noticed that every conference room in the studio is named after a famous inventor or scientist in history along with a memorable quote. In the Mendel room, green succulents line the windows. Next to Mendel lies Edison.

“I’m sure you all have heard of him?” our tour guide asks with a chuckle.

Around the corner, there is one name that our generation easily recognizes.

“This is the Elon Musk room, the only room named after a figure who is still alive,” our tour guide says, “A mistake, actually. We wanted the room to be named after Nikola Tesla, but I guess the designers made a mistake. He has a way to go, so hopefully he keeps his name clean.”

Most of the walls in the studio are meant to be written on – even the glass windows in the kitchen area. Many are bare – but with time, Accenture employees and clients will sprawl more ideas on these walls. We just need some time for the ideas to come to fruition.

AFS Digital Studio features a Fjord Design & Innovation team. Fjord leads in service design based on user experience – think back to your QUEST 190H bits-based projects – to help federal clients create digital solutions that promote a user-friendly experience. Ultimately, AFS Digital Studio will tackle the challenge of increasing government engagement from citizens and employees. By creating a space for employees that counters the typical setup of large professional services firms, AFS hopes that employees will think differently, too. And with the government’s longstanding traditions, a change in perspective might be just what we needed.

QUESTees on the AFS Visit

QUESTees on the AFS Visit

QUEST’s Plan for Continuous Improvement

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In the spirit of continuous improvement, the Quality Guild is excited to announce upcoming changes happening within the QUEST community! Based on student and alumni feedback over the past academic year, the following brand new initiatives are underway:

1) Starting with the next set of cohorts (29 and 30), all QUEST students will be required to take a 3-credit Data Analysis course.

As you may have heard through rumors, beginning with Q29 and Q30, students must take a course on Data Analysis as one of their QUEST electives, and the course must be taken prior to 490H. Kylie King, QUEST’s Program Director, currently teaches one of the courses that will count towards this elective requirement: BMGT438A, Applied Quantitative Analysis. With this change, future students will feel much more secure in their data analysis skills, which will be critical to the students’ success in 490H and beyond.

2) QUEST Resource Guide for new students

Starting with this year’s new set of cohorts, all students will be handed a QUEST Resource Guide at orientation. Instead of having to hear through the grapevine about how to nominate a QUEST elective, join QUEST student organizations, or visit the alumni directory, this resource will provide all students with the necessary information they need to know everything about QUEST. This is also available on the QUEST website for the entire community.

3) Orientation for Spring Cohorts to be held in January

A big concern for the spring cohorts is that they have the potential to feel disconnected from the QUEST community between the time they have orientation to when they start 190H in the spring. With this in mind, the Quality Guild has decided to pilot moving orientation for the spring cohort to January beginning with Q30. These students will still be welcome and encouraged to participate in fall events prior to the start of 190H.

4) More QUEST events (i.e. presentations, classes) in CS and Engineering buildings

For STEM majors that are part of QUEST, they rarely have classes outside of QUEST in Van Munching Hall, which can make visiting the QUEST Lab and classes a strain. While the prospect of opening another QUEST Lab on the Engineering area of campus is still in the works, the guild has been holding more class sessions and presentations in that area of campus in the meantime. In addition, the QUEST Student Organization (QSO) has plans to hold events on that side of campus in the near future.

With all of these changes factored in, the Quality Guild hopes that this will better accommodate students and ultimately make the QUEST student experience even better than before!

Introducing Alumni Advantage, QUEST’s New Mentorship Program

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By: Chineme Obiefune (Q25) and Jacob Wilkowsky (Q19)

We’ve all watched the speech. The one with the uber-successful CEO, competitive athlete, or nobel laureate, where they share their life achievements and how they reached the mountaintop. Maybe you watched Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address or saw a Tony Robbins Ted Talk. Phrases like “grit,” “failure,” “mastery,” and “happiness” repeatedly pop up. However, in this article, we focus on a buzzword sure to make an appearance as you surf Youtube’s catalogue of inspirational talks– mentorship.

QUEST embraces the consensus that strong mentorship is critical to a budding career. As such, the program launched the Alumni Advantage program, a revamped alumni mentoring program aimed at matching motivated students seeking career, industry, or graduate study guidance with an alumnus who has similar interests or experience in the area that the student wants help with. Alumni Advantage is a no strings attached program – students may only have a couple of questions or seek a long-term “mentor”/”mentee” relationship; it’s their choice.

With all of the benefits that mentorship has to offer, one drawback is often overlooked. Students don’t always have the time and energy to keep up a long-term relationship with a mentor in their industry. Classes, work, assignments, and other responsibilities can get in the way of developing a deep, long-term connection with their mentor. Thus, the Alumni Advantage program allows them to connect with an alumnus for a brief chat or a long-term conversation, depending on what they want.

We reached out to the QUEST community to hear more from students and alumni about how they view the Alumni Advantage program so far.

Isabelle Lock – Neurobiology and Physiology – Cohort 25

Where did you hear about the Alumni Advantage program?

I found out about the program from the TWIQ (This Week In QUEST Newsletter Update).

What do you hope to gain from the program?

I thought it would be beneficial to get the perspective of a former QUEST student who’s now in the real world.

How has your mentor been able to help you?

I was looking to deviate away from medical school, and he was able to give me some perspective from that industry. He had a lot of friends looking at medical school in undergrad and helped me see that just because I’m a biology major, I don’t have to necessarily go down a research route.

Chyanne Nader – Civil Engineering – Cohort 26

What is mentorship to you?

Mentorship is having someone to look up to and someone who can guide you when you are confused. It’s having someone in your field who can help you out.

What type of relationship would you want to have with a mentor?

A relationship where you don’t have to talk to them everyday and maybe check in with them once or twice a month.

What are some differences you experienced between the short-term and long-term forms of mentoring?

In the short-term, my mentor Veronica was big on skyping. In the long-term, you’re more likely to be sending emails back and forth. Therefore, a pro of the short-term is that the alumni really wants to get to know you in a quick amount of time. When you meet up, it’s more personal. It also takes a long time to get to know someone which often isn’t necessary for your needs.

After getting the perspective of students participating in the program, we reached out to Aditya Yerramilli, the Alumni Advantage lead on the QUEST Alumni Board to hear his thoughts on the program.

Aditya Yerramilli – Forensic Program Manager at Google – Cohort 15

How do you believe this iteration of the QUEST Mentorship Program differentiates itself from prior versions?

We designed this mentoring program to be leaner and quicker, get students connected fast, and help address their questions immediately. It is not meant to be an overly formal program, but rather something that students can touch and go with as they need to.
The latest iteration of the Alumni Advantage program was launched March 1st and currently includes 35 total mentees and alumni (5 – CMNS, 12 – Clark, 18 – Smith). Based on our investigation the reviews are certainly positive.

Thanks to all of the students, alumni, and faculty who aided us in the writing of this article. QUEST certainly has a lot to look forward to, and we cannot wait to see how the Alumni Advantage program benefits the community!

If you’re an alumnus interested in getting involved, please sign up here! If you’re a student interested in getting involved, please sign up here!

What’s Next For QUEST?

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Every semester, QUEST students in the 397 class, Mentoring Design and Quality Teams, take on a project in addition to mentoring 190H students. In the QUEST spirit of continuous improvement, these projects look into ways to improve the QUEST program. For this semester, one of the most daunting projects is focused on “What’s Next For QUEST?”

For Andrew Lee and Ananth Srivatsan, two Q23 members who have long awaited the opportunity to work together, this project’s scope goes way beyond simply looking forward, but rather also looking back into what has made QUEST the program it is today- which is what they say makes it that much more necessary and attractive.

“When QUEST students are told to describe the program, they tend to use words like practical learning, team-based, and innovation,” says Srivatsan, a junior ECE major.

By the end of this project, the two seek to have a more concrete and centralized idea of what the QUEST Program is and be able to answer questions such as “If QUEST were to focus on innovation and consulting, will this be applicable in 4 or 5 years?”

In their attempt to find a “Blue Ocean” for the QUEST program, Srivatsan has stated the importance of analyzing the current state of QUEST. This project is very data heavy as it must analyze what has given QUEST its competitive advantage in the past and how it can continue to be an innovative and enriching program.

In order to properly look at how QUEST has evolved and what direction it’s headed to, Lee and Srivatsan have even gone through binders from the first cohort of QUEST, back when it was called Total Quality Management. Additionally, to collect current information, the two have sent out a survey to current students and recent alumni.

“We’ve found that QUEST was pretty revolutionary when it came out and people continue to join because it’s different and practical.”

Although in school most engineering and business classes are centralized on the individual, the creators of the QUEST Program recognized that in the real-world you are never on your own and made this a framework of the program. However, while other organizations on campus take on team-based learning, this project proves vital in helping QUEST remain at the forefront of innovation and provide students with a program that prepares them for the real-world.

Srivatsan said that the fact that this project was very general, data intensive, and so open ended appealed to him and Andrew the most. The fact that answering the question “What is QUEST?” is so difficult, the two realized that answering “What’s Next For QUEST?” would be that much more interesting and fun to answer.

“I don’t think this project will ever be done,” says Srivatsan. “I hope that every couple of years students get involved in the discussion about the future of QUEST.”