News Story

Clark School Student Wins "Code for Community Challenge"

Sophomore bioengineering major Joan Zhang (right) with teammates Elisa Escapa (left) and Neelnavo Kar (center).

Joan Zhang, a sophomore bioengineering major in the Clark School of Engineering, and her teammates won first place in the inaugural University of Maryland "Code for Community Challenge", held earlier this April.

Open to all undergraduate students at the university, the challenge is to develop a mobile or web application to help meet a community need.

Zhang, in collaboration with Neelnavo Kar, a sophomore computer science and mathematics major, and Elisa Escapa, a junior communication major, developed a web-based application for the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation. The application will make the department’s website more user-friendly on smartphones, allowing users to easily search for park resources and facilities.

Zhang’s group, Team P_Recs, was selected as the first place winner by a panel of judges from Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, Baltimore City Planning Department and the University of Maryland’s Division of Information Technology. 

The Code for Community Challenge is a competition that gives students the opportunity to enhance their coding skills while engaging in outreach and community service. Learn more about the Code for Community Challenge here.

May 15, 2013