Hannah J.

Major/Minor

Junior, BS in Interactive Media & Game Development

Completed Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) at the Bar Harbor, Maine Project Center.

An IQP is often called life-changing by WPI students, requiring teams to delve into a problem that matters to real people.

Project

Over the summer, Hannah and her IQP team made up of five other students tested the feasibility and implementation of a reservation system for Cadillac Mountain to help alleviate excessive tourist congestion. She and her teammates conducted surveys on public opinion, collected data on visitor patterns, performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of different reservation options, and designed a prototype reservation process.

Reflection

In addition to the breathtaking fireworks show during the fourth of July that she got to experience with friends, the most valuable part of Hannah’s time in Bar Harbor was the fact that she was able to work with a group that set its own goals and timelines, as opposed to having due dates and specific tasks assigned to them in a regular classroom environment.

Hometown

Nashua, NH

Major/Minor

BS in Interactive Media & Game Development

Project Advisor(s)

Frederick Bianchi

Project Sponsor

Acadia National Park

Achievements

Maintaining good academic standing by making the Dean’s List each term.
Making strong ties with many of the members of my IQP team.

Aspirations

Creating memorable experiences that resonate across many audiences.

More about Hannah’s Project

More about the Bar Harbor Immersion

Weekday Timeline

6:45 AM

Wake up and get ready for breakfast.

7:30 AM

Breakfast at the College of the Atlantic dining hall.

10:00 AM

Meet with group members and leave for Acadia National Park, where we’ll usually head up to Cadillac Mountain to collect data.

1:00 PM

Return to cottages at the College of the Atlantic for lunch.

2:30 PM

Reconvene after lunch to collect more data or analyze the data we’ve already collected.

4:00 PM

Update and revise documents from our IQP prep class, and work on developing our final presentation.

5:30 PM

Head to dinner back at the College of the Atlantic dining hall.

6:30 PM

Free time, usually spent either in the common room of my cottage playing games with housemates or taking the Island Explorer bus into Bar Harbor for a grocery run.

10:00 PM

Go to bed.

Weekend Timeline

8:45 AM

Wake up and get ready to meet friends.

9:20 AM

Take the Island Explorer bus into Bar Harbor and eat breakfast at a café or in the Village Green gazebo.

10:30 AM

Explore Mount Desert Island by sightseeing and shopping around Bar Harbor or traveling to a scenic location or hiking trail.

2:00 PM

Eat lunch, either something we packed before hiking, or at a restaurant in town.

5:00 PM

Return to the College of the Atlantic and relax in the common room.

7:00 PM

Order pizza with housemates

10:00 PM

Go to bed.

Meeting with the local sponsor on the porch steps of the students’ housing to discuss the progress of the project

Conducting a survey with a tourist regarding an online reservation system on the top of Cadillac Mountain

Taking a hike on trails from Cadillac Mountain with project teammates

Enjoying the natural landscape and beauty of Bar Harbor

WPI’s project-based curriculum has impacted my education by allowing me to gain more experience working in an unstructured environment where my group and I must set our own due dates and goals.