OREANDA-NEWS. April 12, 2016. DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management recently announced the winners of the fourth annual Senior Project Showdown, a national competition in which students apply skills and expertise from their fields of study to solve real-world business challenges. This year’s top projects were the Car Seat Alarm, Unconventional Deli and Cropnostics.

The competition, for undergraduate and graduate students in their final semesters, encourages classmates to collaborate on innovative ideas and creative solutions to local business problems. Each student group submits a short video demonstration and description of their work.

“At DeVry University, we empower students to explore real-world scenarios through curricula and experiences that take them outside of their day-to-day coursework and into the business world,” said Donna M. Loraine, Ph.D., chief academic officer and provost of DeVry University. “We are continually impressed by the creativity students use to apply their education, evaluate actual business challenges and create solutions to overcome them.”

A panel of DeVry University faculty and staff chose the top 10 projects, which were then further evaluated by representatives from companies including AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Microsoft and Adobe. The top three were ultimately selected by public voting.

This year’s top three Senior Project Showdown projects are:

First Place — Car Seat Alarm: Created to prevent infant heat stroke, Car Seat Alarm uses a microprocessor and wireless communication technology to detect when a child is in the car seat. A custom sensor activates a key fob alarm if the fob goes out of range or a specified time period elapses. The students designed the custom flexible sensor system to be compatible with any child car seat and to use a battery that recharges through the car’s power outlet. Car Seat Alarm is easy to install and use in any car seat in order to protect a child, and give peace of mind to parents and caregivers.

  • Students: Jordan Pabingwit, Veronica Kelly and Hannah Sprague
  • Campus: Phoenix, Arizona
  • Click to view the project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kHUqlWmzxQ
  • “This looks like a viable solution; the concept of modularity and the flexibility to use in any car seat were extremely compelling.” — Cisco representative

Second Place — Unconventional Deli: Unconventional Deli was designed to help local restaurant, Deli News Pizza, increase revenue, gain new clientele and seize market share. The students conducted market research and used it to create ways to improve point-of-sale interactions and reporting, increase social media presence and market catering packages to surrounding schools and office buildings.

  • Students: Mary Maxion, Laura Mae Echon, Megan Borunda and Heather Smith
  • Campus: Long Beach, California
  • Click to view the project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoiWayr4-J4
  • “The team gave an excellent overview of their extensive project research, and how it shaped their recommendation to increase social media presence and make upgrades at the point of sale.” — Cisco representative

Third Place — Cropnostics: An all-in-one data gathering Android app to aid in crop farming, the portable, self-sufficient system monitors soil moisture and temperature levels, rain, ultraviolet sunlight, wind speed and ambient air temperature to help farmers and gardeners monitor crop health in real time. Cropnostics can be accessed remotely from any internet-connected device, with data presented on a user-friendly dashboard through which the user can perform trend analysis to determine when the crop needs attention.

  • Students: Bryan Kasun, Gavin Johnsen, Dallas Broughton and Bradley Ward
  • Campus: Chicago, Illinois
  • Click to view the project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSL_VdGWAo
  • “This product is modern, low maintenance, flexible and versatile. With solar charging, alert functionality, and desktop and app compatibility, this product is cutting edge.” —Google representative

The top three student teams received cash awards ranging from \\$500 – \\$2,500. The first place team also received a one-year Adobe Creative Cloud® membership.

To learn more about DeVry University’s Senior Project Showdown, visit: http://www.devry.edu/current-students/senior-project-showdown.html

About DeVry University

DeVry University’s mission is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, business, science and the arts. Founded in 1931, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs onsite and online within its five distinguished colleges of study: Business & Management, Engineering & Information Sciences, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Media Arts & Technology. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC, www.hlcommission.org). Its highly credentialed faculty members have experience in the fields that they teach, providing real-world experiences designed to prepare students for in-demand careers.

With locations across the U.S., DeVry University is one of the largest private-sector universities in North America. The university is a part of DeVry Education Group (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services.