2017 Winners

Congratulations to UMass Lowell's 2017 $50K Idea Challenge Winners! Challenge categories and winners are as follows:

Campus-Wide DifferenceMaker

Operation250 - $6,000:

An online platform focused on educating both young adolescents and parents on how to prevent online radical extremist recruitment.

  • Tyler Cote, Senior, Political Science and Criminal Justice
  • Jaime Keenan, Junior, Criminal Justice
  • Jonas Pierribia, Senior, Criminal Justice
  • Nicollete SanClemente, Sophomore, International Business
  • Danielle Thibodeau, Senior, Criminal Justice and Psychology
For more information about Operation250 visit their website

Significant Social Impact

Guardian - $4,500:

A sensor platform that attaches to commercially available drones for use in search and rescue operations.

  • Julie Pham, Senior, Business
  • Yomar Salazar, Senior, Business
  • Austin Stevens, Junior, Electrical Engineering
  • Kyle Stuart, Senior, Electrical Engineering

Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle

QBell - $4,500:

A mobile app nursing call bell system that allows patients to request nurse assistance, and allows nurses to manage a list of patients' requests.

  • Jeremy Arzuga, Graduate, Computer Science
  • Vivien Chow, Graduate, Computer Science
  • Theresa Fullerton, Senior, Nursing
  • Gao Gao, Graduate, Computer Science
  • Andriana Kanellos, Senior, Nursing
  • Sary Nhet, Senior, Business
  • Renee Vigneault, Senior, Nursing
  • Stephany Wilson, Senior, Nursing

Innovative Technology Solution

A non-invasive and cost-effective prosthetic hand using a combination of 3D printing and advanced machine learning software.

  • Roma Aurora, Junior, Marketing
  • Gregory Dorian, Junior, Mechanical Engineering
  • Christopher Johnson, Junior, Accounting
  • Travis Kessler, Junior, Computer Engineering
  • Maxell Roy, Junior, Electrical Engineering

First to Market

Breezy - $4,500:

A real-time air quality monitoring device which can be tracked with a phone or online.

  • Anne Faber, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Honorable Mention

Bioprinting with Multimedia Curriculum - $2,000:

A cost-effective 3D bioprinter with multimedia curriculum and optional homework modules for STEM education in high school.

  • Adam Hogue, Alumni, MBA
  • Siddhant Iyer, Freshman, Chemical Engineering
  • Venkatesh Manikantan, Junior, Electrical Engineering
  • Bala-Ji Sathyamoothy, Graduate, Robotic and Computer Engineering
  • Vaishnavi Srinivasan, Junior, Biotechnology
  • Stephanie Stroll, Junior, Biotechnology
  • Louise Wu, Nursing, Sophomore

Clot Catch - $2,000:

A new designed clot filter to eliminate the risks of current filters such as shifting, vessel puncture, and strut fracture.

  • Alexander Anthony, Senior, Plastics Engineering
  • Terry Fox-Koor, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Elena Mottola, Junior, Nursing

Cyborg - $2,000:

A hybrid musical instrument, designed to transform any object into a touch-sensitive musical instrument.

  • Jishnu Menon Asokakumar, Graduate, Computer Engineering
  • Ram Das, Graduate, MSITE
  • Adam Ferguson, Graduate, Sound Recording Technology
  • ChandraSekhar Kolli, Junior, Mechanical Engineering
  • Dhiren Rathod, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Digibank - $2,000:

A digital financial transaction system that allows consumers to deposit change obtained from cash transactions into a designated account via a card or mobile app.

  • Siven Hang, Junior, Business
  • Cullin Lam, Alumni, Computer Science and Biology
  • Bun Soth, Alumni, Computer Science
  • Kody Thach, Sophomore, Computer Science
  • Daniel Uk, Senior, Political Science

Spread the Love - $2,000:

A website for lesson plans that would be given to schools with 50% or more students with free or reduced lunch.

  • Julie Bornstein, Junior, Accounting
  • Autumn Sacramone, Senior, History

Fan Favorite

UML Green Roofs - $1,000:

A program to implement safe and ecologically friendly outdoor study spaces to UML's campus by designing and building green roofs for buildings such as libraries and dorms.

  • Rachel Papazian, Freshman, Biology
  • Mike River, Freshman Biology
  • Meagan Timmins, Freshman, History
  • Kierra Walsh, Freshman, Biology