{"686789":{"#nid":"686789","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Serve Up Solutions to Prevent Hunger and Homelessness at Capstone Design Expo","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis semester\u2019s Capstone Design Expo showcased the ingenuity and problem-solving skills of more than 118 student teams across seven disciplines. Among them, 17 teams represented \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ISyE), presenting a wide range of solutions, from optimizing scheduling for medical clinics, to refining inventory management for a major auto manufacturer, to enhancing sepsis detection through data-driven patient monitoring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECapstone Design Expo monodisciplinary Industrial Engineering award went to Serving Solutions. The team partnered with \u003Cstrong\u003ENorth Fulton Community Charities\u003C\/strong\u003E (NFCC), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing hunger and homelessness, to design scalable systems for enhancing the overall customer experience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy focusing on operational efficiency and accessibility, we delivered improvements across three key areas,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EEmma MacGregor\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year ISyE student on the team. \u201cWe modernized inventory management by implementing barcode scanners to streamline tracking; we enhanced customer order processes by developing a more accessible interface supported by a digital queueing network and automated ticketing and printing system, and optimized the pantry layout to create more usable space while also reducing travel time through the pantry.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to MacGregor, the full team consisted of \u003Cstrong\u003ESamhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan,\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EZora Ripkova\u003C\/strong\u003E, under the advisement of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/xin-chen\u0022\u003EXin Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, James C. Edenfield Chair and ISyE professor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Chen noted that the team\u2019s success was measured not only in numbers and workflows, but in real benefits for the families NFCC serves.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cServing Solutions delivered measurable improvements to North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC)\u2019s pantry operations and the families it serves, such as optimization-driven reshelving that expanded usable shelf space by 16.4%,\u0022 said Chen. \u201cWatching students transform classroom concepts (optimization, stochastic modeling, and applied data science) into practical systems that volunteers can easily run was truly inspiring.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe added that the benefits extend directly to the community, and how partnerships like these strengthen both student learning and nonprofit operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCollaborations with food pantries like NFCC showcase the immense value of ISyE partnerships. When our students engage with mission-driven organizations, they don\u2019t just apply theory; they create solutions that significantly enhance community impact.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003EI look forward to more opportunities where these collaborations continue to drive lasting improvements that strengthen communities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the expo, read the full capstone story\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/self-assembled-eyeglasses-wearable-device-bladder-health-win-capstone-expo\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u202f\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Serving Solutions team took home the Capstone Expo monodisciplinary Industrial Engineering award. Their project exemplified how engineering can drive meaningful community change, helping North Fulton Community Charities serve families more efficiently for greater impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The project showcased how ISyE students applied innovative engineering solutions to help a local nonprofit expand its impact and better serve families in need."}],"uid":"36736","created_gmt":"2025-12-08 18:32:37","changed_gmt":"2025-12-08 18:48:29","author":"ebrown386","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678790":{"id":"678790","type":"image","title":"Serving Solutions, Capstone Design Expo (Fall 2025)","body":null,"created":"1765219631","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 18:47:11","changed":"1765219631","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 18:47:11","alt":"Serving Solutions, Capstone Design Expo (Fall 2025)","file":{"fid":"262869","name":"IMG_1457.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1680865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_1457_0.jpg?itok=PYKC5A11"}},"678791":{"id":"678791","type":"image","title":"Team members: Samhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan, Emma MacGregor, and Zora Ripkova","body":null,"created":"1765219670","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 18:47:50","changed":"1765219670","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 18:47:50","alt":"Team members: Samhith Aravind, Sachin Bharadwaz, Shaktik Bhattacharyya, Elyse Daniel, Erin Hinnegan, Emma MacGregor, and Zora Ripkova,","file":{"fid":"262870","name":"IMG_4496.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2144069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/IMG_4496_1.jpg?itok=6KPXFS1v"}}},"media_ids":["678790","678791"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EErin Whitlock Brown, Communications Manager II\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}