Learn more about each team's problem statement and watch their video presentations!
Problem Discovery Track
| AnkaPonics |
|
Team Members: Katie-Rose Slade (EAS), Henry Craig (CS), Enrique Perez (CE), Gavin Williamson (ME), Albert Lu (CS), Rachael Germany (Bio) Problem Statement: The global population is growing exponentially, and thus, the strain on food resources is growing as well. Hydroponic farming has emerged as an alternative method to soil farming because it uses significantly less water and land, allowing for greater and more sustainable food production. Despite being such a promising alternative, the US hydroponics industry is growing slowly, and many startups in the industry have already failed. Our group will dive deep into the hydroponics industry to identify the problems that are hindering their growth in order to advance towards a more sustainable future. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCajKe3B2Oo&feature=youtu.be |
| Aqualove |
|
Team Member: Jinwoo Park (CS), Alice Zeng (CS), Benjamin Rochford (CS), Zachary Beckham (IE), Luke Dague (BME), Chandler Pitts (ME) Problem Statement: Late stage dementia patients develop coordination and memory problems that prevent them from drinking a healthy amount of water. Routine activities such as picking up a cup become a physical and mental exercise that often leaves patients no choice but to abandon liquid water in their diet. This inevitably leads to their disease being exacerbated by simple dehydration that can be mistaken as more serious symptoms of dementia, causing unnecessary prescriptions of dangerous medication. Aqualove aims to break this harmful cycle by improving the hydration habits of elderly and dementia patients by offering a more accessible medium to consume water. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7KpenS4TSM&feature=youtu.be |
| Fight Girl's Mutilation |
|
Team Members: Yvonne Njeri Mogwanja (CE) Problem Statement: Understand the driving factors behind the 22% prevalence of FGM in Kenya. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfWy6XFqUUI&feature=youtu.be |
| Resource Bridge |
|
Team Members: Samuel Costa (BA), Kathryn Farley (BME), Shenelle Campbell (Architecture), Swaraj Agarwal (ID) Problem Statement: Homeless organizations in the Atlanta area often work towards similar development goals without effective communication and resource allocation between individual nonprofits, medical facilities, church groups, and other organizations. Understanding the current communication network between homeless organizations will help identify why there are allocation problems for potential shared resources like food donations, logistics, and bed availability. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwkK0JC_niw&feature=youtu.be |
| Strategic Park Design for Sustainable Ecotourism |
|
Team Members: Angelica Acevedo (LMC), Shrinka Roy (MBA & Masters in ID) Problem Statement: The Tompkins Conservation Fund donated one million acres of private land to the Chilean government to be used for the creation and expansion of national parks in the Patagonia region. Currently, the land is being used for strictly recreational purposes, and most of the areas of the existing park are unreachable. Through our focus on key areas of access, stakeholder interactions, and infrastructure, we plan to develop a proposal for design and interactions to optimize the relationship between conservation and tourism in Patagonia, Chile. Video Presentation: https://youtu.be/fOb89AWEb7Y |
| Partners in Dignity |
|
Team Members: Adele Payman (AE), Dharesha Jhaveri (IE), Jonathan Hou (CS), Jessica Zhang (IE), Aisha Abdullahi (IE) Problem Statement: In many parts of the world, women lack the resources needed to manage menstruation in a safe, comfortable and dignified manner. Inadequate access to menstrual products, guidance and WASH facilities, and in some cultures, restrictive menstrual taboos make menstruation a stressful and burdensome experience. These circumstance negatively affect women’s physical and mental well-being, educational outcomes and ability to work. Efforts to improve Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in developing nations are currently centered around education and the distribution of supplies, but these efforts have had limited impact thus far. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFgF8Lfa0VA&feature=youtu.be |
| Resettling Identity |
|
Team Members: Cara McClain (ALIS), Kayleigh Nortje (BA), Mackenzie Fraser (IA), Lindsay Shurtz (IA) Problem Statement: The refugee crisis is an increasingly dire issue being confronted by communities across the globe. As issues of nation-state instability continue to require the mass immigration of peoples across borders, the identities of both these peoples and the local communities they relocate to will continue to shift and potentially be endangered. An emerging facet of an individual's identity is their digital identity, as advanced data technology is rapidly condensing a complex individual's entire identity into simplified data. Our project will focus on mapping the ethical, logistical, and cultural ramifications relating to the evolution and applications of both digital and cultural identities during the process of a refugees migration process. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEiA61eesfU&t=19s |
| Thinking Globally Acting Locally |
|
Team Members: Vishal Sharma (Ph.D. IC) Problem Statement: The COVID-19 pandemic has put everything on a halt and affected millions of lives worldwide, resulting in the economic slowdown. Researchers argue that if left unchecked a much larger crisis of climate breakdown will soon be unleashed upon us. They noticed that COVID-19 provides us with an opportunity to learn climate change mitigation and adaptation, considering both the crisis include the global-to-local response. Analyzing individual and collective efforts at a local level to abate COVID-19 could provide an understanding of much-needed community-driven efforts necessary to address climate change as well. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMlhl1ZEmt4 |
| Trafficked |
|
Team Members: Amanda Miller (BA) Problem Statement: The stigmas surrounding the sex industry perpetuate the lack of public interest and allow traffickers to continue to accumulate profit and create massive networks for transporting victims. Many of these “modern day slaves” are vulnerable minors who are at high risk for exploitation because they do not have adequate support systems. The city of Atlanta serves as one of the most frequent locations used by traffickers and is one of the most dangerous cities for at-risk kids because of this. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byBO2cFIvcI&t=5s |
| Travelosophers |
|
Team Members: Joseph Carothers (MBA), Yann de Luca (MBA) Problem Statement: Studies show that students who take a gap year, perform better academically; are 80% more likely to vote and be civically engaged; and inevitably more prepared for the global workforce. What are the most influential factors that affect the extent to which America’s youth (Age 18-25) travels abroad? Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsW7XQSACNo&t |
| MARTA Ridership |
|
Team Members: Walker Butin (BA) Problem Statement: Atlanta’s MARTA system has logged ridership dips during the past 4 years despite increases in transit desirability and MARTA improvements. I will be examining this problem in depth with hopes of finding insight into the reasons why this problem, which ultimately hurts our carbon footprint as a city, exists. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHal7w3yxNU&feature=youtu.be |
Solutions Track
| Afterlife |
|
Team Members: Clotilde Bignard (MBA) Problem Statement: We say throw away an object, but there is no such thing as “away”; when we throw something, it must go somewhere. We accumulate our waste in piles on the outskirts of our cities. Rich countries have turned poor countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America into their junkyards. There are many reasons that can explain this accumulation: planned obsolescence of products, consumerism, marketing, etc. The reason that our app “Afterlife” wants to tackle is the lack of information (available to consumers?). We don’t know what to do with our products once we are done using them. Afterlife will give a solution to reuse the object with DIY projects, give to an organization that will transform it, or give you the recycling rules. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_6_ZZKwiE&feature=youtu.be |
| Atlanta Youth Energy Corps |
|
Team Members: Sharon Gurung (Env. Engineering), Gwyn Rush (IA), Dakota Mitchell (Biology), Brittany Judson (Math & Econ) Problem Statement & Solution: The Greater Atlanta area ranks third in the number of energy burdened low-income homes in the United States. Energy inequity, which describes the unfair distribution of energy consumption and production, disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color, particularly Black and Latinx communities in the Metro Atlanta area. Most recently, Georgia Power implemented a new rate case which will, ultimately, raise energy costs for bill payers. With this in mind, energy-burdened households will feel the heaviest impact from the rate hike. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O-Dv97K2ks&feature=youtu.be |
| Carrie's Closet |
|
Team Members: Huda Tauha (CS), Benjamin Frumkin (ME), Riley Geran (ChemE), Sakshie Rao (IA) Problem Statement: We are interested in bettering the Georgia foster care system preferably through legislation (Georgia is behind on common foster care legislation such as the Foster Care Bill of Rights). Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR_9aHVS1g |
| Fuel the World |
|
Team Members: Mohammadreza Nazemi (Ph.D. ME) Problem Statement: Net energy importing regions are mandating increasingly to achieve significant portions of their energy consumption from renewable energy sources to wean themselves off utilizing fossil fuel sources they have been reliant on for the past century. Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, the development of a cost-effective and sustainable method of storing this energy when supply exceeds demand in the grid is an urgent need. As the cost of renewably derived electricity continues to decrease, there is a growing interest in fuels and chemicals electrosynthesis that can be used as fuel, energy storage molecules, and/or chemicals. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqgGnLTpX54&feature=youtu.be |
| Gymsplat |
|
Team Members: Brandon Olson (BA), Kimia Kavanroodi (CS), Ashul Ahluwalia (CS), Maksim Tochilkin (CS), Filipp Zakharcher (CS) Problem Statement: Congestion is a huge issue at many gyms, especially university gyms. With the recent fear and uncertainty surrounding the global spread of COVID-19, congestion has never been a bigger issue. How can gym members stay healthy and fit while avoiding crowds? Video Presentation: https://youtu.be/hUQI_BDJ2fE |
| Invenovate |
|
Team Members: Alejandro Campos (ME), Tillson Galloway (CS) Problem Statement: 60% Children with Autism and Elderly people with dementia suffer from elopement(wander off) tendencies from a caregiver. These tendencies lead caretakers getting lost, panic from caregivers, and in the worst-case scenario injuries or death of caretakers. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDPArsZdmwA&t=4s |
| Reflex |
|
Team Members: Usman Jamal (CS), Nevin Gilbert (CS), Reed Blanchard (ME), Amelia Abernathy (BA), Akash Harapanahalli (CE), Lauryn Wright (BME) Problem Statement: US EMS responds to about 240 million 911 calls each year. 11.7 million of these calls are life-threatening, including incidents like cardiac arrest, stroke, or major bleeding where the first five minutes are critical for the victim's survivability and long term health. Life-threatening situations require timely emergency response. For example, the American Red Cross found that every minute survivability decreases by 7-10% for out of hospital cardiac arrest. This becomes a large-scale issue when considering that the average urban and rural response times are both beyond the five minute threshold, at 8 minutes and 14 minutes respectively. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YSlaSPs_18&feature=youtu.be |
| Rise Up & Care |
|
Team Members: Samuel Chappell (IA), Swati Gupta (BA), Brian Lee (CS), Kaylin Berinhout (Econ & IA), Mehnaz Ruksana (CS), Problem Statement: Rise Up & Care identifies and builds personal relationships with leaders of successful, passionate, and innovative non-profits in developing communities around the globe with at least five years and preferably ten years of success. All of our partners use high-level performance training to transform the lives of young people. We believe that performance-based organizations provide a ladder of inspiration, teamwork, identity, and opportunity for success. These include a range of activities like badminton, acrobatics, theater, dance, photography, soccer and more. We believe performance-based organizations can provide long-term transformations and professional opportunities. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80IgYyZhkp8&feature=youtu.be |
| Kites |
|
Team Members: Divya Sindhu Alay, Jake Bulim, Samantha Boswell, Shalu Gupta (MS Information Systems) Kennesaw University* Problem Statement: The current state of Georgia emergency derives from a 911 system to handle both medical emergencies and mental health emergencies. The current system is a costly and less efficient use of resources of what it can be with a separate system called a 988 number. The ability to separate mental health calls from 911 calls will assist in fewer hold times for physical emergency callers, improve resource efficiency, and help mental patients be able to get the help they need while minimizing taking up prison holding areas and hospital vacancies. Video Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj905ufDOcM&feature=youtu.be *We are excited to welcome KSU as a partner in the 2020 Ideas 2 Serve Competition |
| MedDrop |
|
Team Members: Lauren Wilch (BME), Jaydra Von Behren (BME), Andrew Maze (BA), Joshua Chan (ID) Problem Statement: Medical patients are currently required to obtain necessary medications and prescriptions on their own from medical providers and pharmacies. Patients face great difficulty in obtaining their medication when mobility is restricted due to physical conditions, or even more so in times of quarantine from disease pandemics. As a result, we plan to provide a way to efficiently and securely deliver patients' medications directly to them. Video Presentation: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3o6Ovkg6P30 |