STEM Projects
2025 Future Innovators Summit - Roots Among the Stars
Our Park Idea
Our goal was to create a large scale theme park attraction for Epic Universe's Universal Orlando Resort. Featuring our main characters, Oakley and Fernan, guests could experience an emotionally touching story of two plant characters leaving their planet to save what was left of it. An asteroid struck and took a large chuck of their world with it--in order to save what was left, the duo must find suitable seedlings to return their Terrarium's ecosystem back to normal.
Some key park features are:
• Lush greenery and plants integrated across the park’s landscape
• Interactive experiences where visitors can return collected leaves and seeds, triggering lighting changes, plant growth, or surprise character appearances
• Sustainable canopy structures designed after trees; thoughtfully placed throughout the park for comfort and shade.
• Some use sunlight to show art or directions; optical projection
• Some canopies have voice-activated character interactions, cooling mist stations, and convenient water refill/dispenser points
• A striking multi-story tree-building as a central hub
• A plant-based restaurant atop the central hub; offering spectacular views and a large plant-based image of our main characters
• Diverse games and rides, including The Oakley and Fernan Story Ride (small AR roller coaster)
• In addition to a larger signature ride that lets guests experience leaving their planet
An Intellectual Property assignment was given by Comcast, Universal Studios, and Universal's Epic Universe during the first annual Future Innovators Summit in 2025.
I was one of the selected participants to attend the three day event. I explored the parks, conducted research, used information technology, and digital storytelling to determine this hypothetical theme park attraction.
Contributions:
I took detailed notations of all team ideas, connected the dots, designed and organized the presentation (narrowing down our idea points into a story, concept, and ideation from seven pages of ideas); project lifecycle and notations, recommended realistic implementations, created feedback loops, participated in non-participant observations of guests, creating the storyline, and more.
Collaboration
I worked with undergraduates from Code Path and Urban Arts to create this concept.
Contributors: Dantes Nava, Aissaiya B., Jenny Zeng, and Esterlin Jerez Paulino. With support from Assistant Director of Universal Creative - Advanced Technology Initiatives, Research, and Development--who was our advisor, Patrick Goergen.
This is a polished version of our presentation.
For this challenge, my team (Nebula Navigators) was assigned Prompt A.
Goals for this Project
Despite the project meeting an end. I want to expand on it by exploring interactive and emerging technology by using extended reality (XR), virtual production, and other forms of physical components to push digital engagement. This could help me simulate a real roller coaster while highlight key factors of this project; small and larger rides.
I am also considering creating a short video game to highlight how this concept could expand. I would like to work with my previous team, and also welcome new members.
2025 L'Oréal Brandstorm - MANifest Beatuè
Inspired by innovative companies like Native, Stitch Fix, and HIMs, which have revolutionized their industries through personalized experiences. This app emphasizes the year-round importance of sunscreen by scanning L'Oréal products and using facial tracking to demonstrate skincare benefits, aid in skin condition treatment, and continuously improve through user feedback and data. It focused on male-beauty and skincare treatment plans.
I worked on a team of three. I was added later on to the team; with a close deadline of three days. Within two days, I created the initial concept for an artificial general intelligence (AGI) face-tracking app--drawing from my passion for innovative skincare solutions and accurate innovative facial tracking software.
I crafted our pitch and summary, gave inputs on the design, created the presentations and Figma mock-up, created visuals, managed our time, conceptualized ideal client services, made last-minute edits, researched the user, and built the product concept to simulate real life.
AGI is considered a strong Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) tool that utilizes a database. It takes in queries and utilizes quick optimal data retrievals to find an answer; training and deploying this requires an AI model(s) (algorithms, data sorting, and testing to receive correct information). The development of AGI's goal is to create a self-learning AI with the data and mimicry of a human; having the capability to understand complex concepts, learn on its own, and apply previous knowledge to answer queries/ tasks.
However, people would not be replaced. Our goal was to provide a service, educate out client, and then follow-up with a real dermatologist on-call/ stand-by to answer anything personal to the client.
2024 Hack Dibner: Dibner's Techies
Hack Dibner is NYU Libraries' premier technology competition that challenges students to develop innovative solutions for improving the library. We developed technical solutions to enhance user experience within NYU's library system; addressing real challenges and serving 50,000+ students.
My team made it to the final round and became one of seven teams to receive a certificate, pitch the project live, and gain key knowledge on how our project could have been utilized on a large-scale/ network.
The competition began with 28 teams, two proposals, one presentation, and various informative meetings on innovation, technology, and the library.
As the lead of the group, I created the concept, pitched our project, designed the graphics and the presentation, researched and wrote the proposal papers, and pitch an unscripted live review to the library representatives regarding the project's scalability, accommodations, and purpose.
2023 HackNYU: EDIA Health Project
EDIA Health (Education on Disability Inclusivity & Awareness) is a project created during HackNYU 2023. This project was created to accommodate disabled people, educate others, and allow health tests. Ex.: Converting audio on a device to allow the participant to hear everything on it.
This was a collaborative project with Rick Li, Mohan Lu, and Mayuri Upadhyaya. This project is completed and won Best use of MATLAB.
I was the lead for this project, pitched the idea, worked on the graphic elements, and collaborated on the end product. This was the first time I ever used Figma; featured below.
You can learn more by clicking on the buttons below.
BMCC Success and Innovation Lab: Give Food, Get Food (GFGF)
This was a project created for my Computer Programming Club and moved to the BMCC Success and Innovation Lab. The goal was to learn how to make a chatbot, receive IBM badges, work in a team, and make a chatbot for Zero Hunger and Zero Waste.
This was a collaborative project with Umme Habiba. This project was completed and won second place.
I pitched, researched, designed the graphics and websites, and managed the information on our site.
BMCC Virtual Make-A-Thon for Social Good Fall 2020: Passage
This project called "Passage" began in my Computer Programming Club and moved onto the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC Virtual Make-A-Thon for Social Good) in Fall 2020. Our goal was to try to change people's lifestyles and ability to travel during Covid-19. The project would have allowed a "new normal" with the help of CDC's health guidelines.
This was a collaborative project with Bridget Screvane. This project is completed. I lead, created graphics and animations, and pitched the idea. This is the first time I ever participated in an event like this.