Team Members: Shane Sharma, Aidan Rus, Gerardo Medina, Jasmine Vu, Noor Soror

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ankita Mohapatra

Award: $6,000

Nested is a smart care management platform designed to improve accountability, efficiency, and quality of care in assisted living facilities. The project addresses a major gap in elder care, where many facilities still rely on paper-based systems that can increase documentation errors and reduce transparency for families.

The platform combines a caregiver mobile app, an administrative dashboard, and a Bluetooth-enabled wearable that automatically logs caregiver-resident interactions. By modernizing workflows and creating clearer records of care, Nested aims to reduce neglect, improve operational transparency, and support safer, more dignified elder care.

Team Members: Preston Morawski, Usama Albadarin, Marco Lomeli

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Annie Ji

Award: $4,000

Curb Climber is an assistive wheelchair add-on that helps manual wheelchair users navigate curbs safely and independently. The project responds to persistent accessibility barriers in older and underfunded neighborhoods, where missing ADA-compliant curb ramps can make everyday mobility dangerous or impossible.

The design uses powered linear actuators to lift the wheelchair's front wheels over a curb, while rear safety wheels improve balance and reduce the risk of tipping. By offering a practical and lower-cost mobility aid, Curb Climber aims to expand freedom of movement for wheelchair users in underserved communities.

Team Members: Oliver Castaneda, Juan Rodriguez, Jasmine Cerasuolo

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jin Woo Lee

Award: $2,000

Civic Sidekick is a digital guidance platform that helps immigrants navigate complex immigration paperwork with greater clarity and confidence. The project addresses how confusing legal language, scattered information sources, and unclear instructions can create unequal access to visas, citizenship, and residency processes.

Designed through research with immigrants, attorneys, and technologists, Civic Sidekick simplifies form completion through clearer guidance and a more user-friendly path through immigration documentation. Its broader goal is to reduce errors, improve completion rates, and make the immigration process more transparent and equitable.