Catnap, a device designed to alert parents when their sleeping child is having an asthma attack, won the ninth annual DifferenceMaker Francis College of Engineering Prototyping Competition, held recently at University Crossing.

Solar Crowdfund, a platform that would let people invest money to fund large-scale solar projects, won the 10th annual DifferenceMaker Innovation Contest, sponsored by Digital Federal Credit Union and the Manning School of Business.

A dozen Manning School of Business students shared their entrepreneurial ideas and networked with students from across the region at the Harvard Innovation Labs’ Cross-University Mixer.

UMass Lowell’s Innovation Hub in Haverhill hosted the Digital Equity Challenge, where entrepreneurs and nonprofits pitched their ideas and projects for increasing digital access and literacy in Essex County.

Amara, a social media platform designed to create a more positive experience for users, took top honors at the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute’s 10th annual $50,000 Idea Challenge, held recently at Moloney Hall.

Local college-minded high school students discovered how UMass Lowell supports entrepreneurship, innovation and creative problem-solving during recent campus events hosted by the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute.

For many students, a bond with a professor, an advisor, a coach or another person on campus can make all the difference in their college experience and set them up for future success. We checked in with several River Hawks who talked about their mentors on campus and the impact they’ve had.