Top UMD Undergraduates Cap Fall “QUEST” With Showcase

A semester of hard work came to a close as QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Cohort 40 presented their final capstone projects Dec. 5, 2024.

Forty-two students from the cohort worked with nine clients, including companies such as BAE Systems and Fannie Mae. A team of five students that worked with Capital i, a company started and run by Smith alumnus Tony Danko, MBA ’15, was named “Most Outstanding Capstone.”

“Honestly, every team’s project was exceptional this year, so any team could have won,” said Karen Nguyen ’25, a Smith finance and information systems student and member of the winning team.

Nguyen praised the QUEST program and in particular this project in shaping her future. “Beyond the technical skills I’ve gained, I’ve sharpened my communication and teamwork abilities, which are invaluable in any career,” she said.

Capital i is a healthcare technology management (HTM) solutions company based in Springfield, Mo. The team was tasked with using AI to help the company prevent future inconsistencies in their central database, which manages over 70,000 medical assets. Nguyen said the QUEST team worked closely with Capital i’s data analysts and engineers to develop solutions that will streamline their process, enhance business operations and ultimately increase patient safety.

"We continue to work with QUEST for the external perspective. The students definitely challenge us to describe our problem and think about how things are working. It's a fresh set of eyes coming in with fresh ideas as well as challenging us to really discuss what the key issues are," said Danko.

Nearly 300 students, parents, clients, alumni and University of Maryland partners attended the event, including Justin Barnes, MBA ’15, Smith alumnus and CFO of Capital i.

"The fact that QUEST is naturally set up in a sprint-type workload is very advantageous for us. We're able to quickly get a really high-quality deliverable. The manpower that the students put in along with their efforts to dig into multiple technologies and platforms would normally take multiple full-time employees," said Barnes.

Each winter, QUEST admits talented freshmen enrolled in the Robert H. Smith School of Business; the A. James Clark School of Engineering; and/or College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. For over 30 years, the QUEST Honors Program has provided dynamic learning opportunities for students. Through the completion of experiential learning projects, students gain unique teamwork, communication and problem solving skills to prepare them for the ever-changing business landscape. Cohort capstones are presented at the end of each fall and spring semester.