2016 Winners

Congratulations to UMass Lowell's 2016 DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge Winners! Challenge categories and winners are as follows:

Campus-Wide DifferenceMaker

eNable Lowell – $6,000:

A chapter model to help expand eNABLE – an international volunteer organization that produces 3D printed prosthetic hands for kids around the world.

  • Katherine Bilodeau, Senior, Exercise Physiology
  • Allison Dunbar, Junior, Exercise Physiology
  • Kreg Kaminski, Senior, Biology
  • Craig Kelly, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering
  • Peter Larsen, Senior, Biology
  • Shannon Maguire, Sophomore, Business Administration
  • Alexander Peters, Senior, Mechanical Engineering
For more information about eNABLE Lowell visit their website

Significant Social Impact

Veteran’s QRF – $4,500:

A web platform that will simplify the application process for Veteran service connected disability benefits.

  • Henry DeLima, Alumni, Psychology
  • Terry Fox-Koor, Sophomore, Plastics Engineering
  • Brian Holt, Junior, Criminal Justice
  • Ann McGill, Alumni, Adjunct Professor
  • David Tetreault, Senior, Management

Contribution to a Healthier Lifestyle

OmniSense – $4,500:

A specialized device to track the bar path of a barbell when it is in motion. This device will sync to a smartphone so users will have real time access to their lifting data such as bar path and acceleration.

  • Bolutife Anifowose, Senior, Marketing
  • Michael Dollogono, Graduate, BioMedical Engineering and Biotechnology
  • Martin Lee, Senior, MIS

Innovative Technology Solution

invisaWear – $4,500:

A wearable device that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. With the simple push of a button, it sends help messages and location information to predetermined emergency contacts.

  • Rajia Abdelaziz, Senior, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  • Erin Graceffa, Senior, Electrical Engineering
  • Raymond Hamilton, Senior, Electrical Engineering
For more information about invisaWear visit their website

First to Market

TopaCan – $4,500:

A product – Can Ashtray that turns any empty can into an environmentally friendly way to dispose of your cigarette butts.

  • Justin Lozier, Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Honorable Mention

Biodigester Aided Solution in Haiti (BASH) – $2,000:

A new waste management system for the city of Les Cayes, Haiti that would improve the quality of water sanitation while creating job opportunities.

  • AgMohd AgmohdTahir, Senior, BioChemical Engineering
  • Michael Doane, Senior, Chemical Engineering and Biology
  • Andrew Koplove, Senior, Plastics Engineering and Business Administration
  • Shaquilla Terry, Senior, Public Health

Happy Heart Cart – $2,000:

A program that provides advanced therapeutic and holistic practices to improve patient stays in adult hospitals through an activity cart that can either be wheeled between rooms, or stationary and present in every room.

  • Irtiza Khtar, Graduate, Mechanical Engineering
  • MaryKate McDonough, Junior, Business Administration
  • Olivia Vieira, Senior, Nursing

Security Top – $2,000:

A reusable bottle cap for the purpose of increasing the prevention of contaminates that enter a bottled beverage.

  • Cleveland Atkinson, Senior, Plastics Engineering
  • Joshua Desrochers, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Travis Goodrum, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Tabatha Ferreira, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Craig Frigon, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Malinna Pheng, Junior, Plastics Engineering
  • Andy Polanco, Senior, Plastics Engineering

SmartEater – $2,000:

An Automated Diet Monitoring (ADM) System designed to help people to manage their dietary behavior.

  • Yang Gao, PhD, Computer Science

WordPro – $2,000:

A vocabulary builder – Digital flashcards – aimed at high school students learning a second language.

  • Ruban Isagolov, Freshman, Business Administration
  • Yovaldi Venter, Graduate, MSITE

Fan Favorite

Expect – $1,000:

An application that facilitates communication between referring facilities/emergency medical services and accepting inpatient/emergency units.

  • David Machado, Computer Science
  • Emily O’Brien, Nursing, Senior
  • Amanda Reardon, Nursing, Senior