HECCMA: Connecting College Campuses to the Worcester Community

Project Sponsor

Student Researchers

• Nelson Diaz: I am a Computer Science major and in my 3rd year at WPI. I have lived in New Windsor, New York for my entire life. I first taught myself how to code in my junior year of high school and believe I have learned a lot since then. I have had past group project experience in the Software Engineering course where I was the Lead Software Engineer for a group of 10 other students. From that class, I learned a lot about working with people on a large project while also gaining more experience with creating software meant for real-world use.

• Kleo Golemi: I am an Electrical and Computer Engineer in my 3rd year at WPI. I live in Worcester, MA, and have lived here for 12 years now. I attended Doherty Memorial High School, which is 5 minutes away from WPI. Since high school, I had an interest in math, which is what was my first declared major when I applied to college. After taking my first theoretical math class, I switched to an engineering subject that is mostly applicable to math. My experience in Electrical and Computer Engineering is in Analog Circuit Design as well as microelectronics, with experience in other disciplines such as computer engineering. I have other experience in team-based projects because I recently took ECE2799 which is a project-based course. I am a reserved individual and do not go out of my way to communicate if I do not have to, which is something I’m looking to grow in.

• Nathan Lipka: I am a 3rd-year student from Clinton, MA. I have had an interest in engineering since a young age and this took me to FIRST Robotics in high school which then led me to WPI. I have been successfully running my online arbitrage business full-time for 3 years now and it has taught me a myriad of life skills such as organization and time management. I am looking forward to taking on a new challenge with this project and expanding my repertoire of skills.

• Di Abdimash: My name is Di Abdimash, I’m from Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. I am currently in the process of completing my dual degree in Aerospace Engineering, with a specialization in Aircraft and Spacecraft guidance and control. In my free time, I enjoy a variety of activities that allow me to stay active and engaged such as swimming, running, reading books, and aeromodelling. I believe that a balance of physical activity and mental stimulation is important for maintaining a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle, and these activities provide a perfect balance for me. I have experience working as a backend and database developer. 

Project Goal and Objectives

The goal of our project was to create a way for the Worcester community to interact with college campuses more. We gathered opinions from various stakeholders to determine the current social landscape and created a prototype event calendar. The prototype calendar is automatically updated with events, is easy to use, and is resilient to change. We also created a long-term plan involving Discover Central MA to help future-proof our solution.

Objectives:

• Investigated Public Experience
  • Interviewed counselors 
  • Interviewed community groups 
• Contacted Colleges
  • Learned about the events offered on college campuses
  • Learned about how colleges handle their calendar events
• The Final Product
  • Recommendations for Colleges
  • Created a Prototype
  • Created a Long Plan Term

Final Report and Deliverables