Engineering Students Pitch Bold Ideas to Improve the College
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On Tuesday, February 24, the Riccio College of Engineering hosted its first Engineering Improvement Pitch event in the Campus Center Auditorium, inviting students to propose bold, practical ideas to strengthen the college community.
From 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., engineering students took the stage to present solutions across three focus areas: Improving Student Life Quality, Enhancing Academic Experience, and Advancing Sustainability & Environmental Issues. Proposals addressed challenges related to student well-being and belonging, curriculum and academic resources, and opportunities to improve resource efficiency and sustainability within engineering spaces. Each pitch was evaluated by a panel of faculty and administrators, with the top proposal receiving funding and institutional support to help bring the idea to life.
The Best Pitch Award went to Arnav Gholap (Engineering Management MS ’27) for Campus Compass, a proposal for a unified digital hub connecting students to jobs, housing, opportunities, and essential resources.
In his presentation, Gholap described the challenges many students face when navigating campus systems, particularly international students. According to his research, more than 1,200 international students arrive at UMass Amherst each year, often spending 40 or more hours and hundreds of dollars in their first month trying to secure housing, banking, and phone services.
Campus Compass proposes a verified, all-in-one platform offering pre-screened housing listings, a unified job board for campus employment and scholarships, and AI-driven recommendations tailored to individual student profiles.
The platform would integrate trusted community features through @umass.edu verification, helping students connect with peers while avoiding the misinformation and fragmentation common in unofficial online groups.
“I am the customer. I lived this problem. Now I’m solving it for thousands like me,” Gholap wrote in his pitch. With funding and college support, Gholap will now have the opportunity to further develop and refine Campus Compass for potential implementation.
Several additional students were recognized for innovative proposals that addressed pressing needs across the college:
- Asad Ali Ansari (Engineering Management MS ’27) – Riccio Knowledge Guild, a gamified peer-to-peer microlearning network. In this model, “Skill Captains” list topics and available hours, while “Cadets” book 15 to 30 minute sessions. Ratings translate into XP levels and Riccio recognition, encouraging collaborative skill-building.
- Jad El Aouji (Electrical Engineering ’26) – The Hidden Entrepreneur in Every Engineer, a proposed four-year innovation pathway embedded within the engineering curriculum. The plan includes a multi-year seminar sequence, competitions, prizes, and industry partnerships designed to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking from first year to graduation.
- Alex Reineke (Electrical Engineering ’27) – Feeding the Engineer, a proposal to bring affordable, healthy, and convenient food options to the Engineering Quad through health-focused vending machines, addressing food access and student well-being.