Mobile Apps Created for CSUN Students, by CSUN Students
California State University, Northridge students presented their innovative mobile applications in an entrepreneurial environment at the AppJam Showcase on April 30 in the Oviatt Library’s Ferman Presentation Room. Twenty-four student teams developed mobile apps in one of two categories – student life or student finances – for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $5,000 per team.
Each team used coding, graphic design, gaming, storyboarding and business development skills to create an app that relates to student life or financial goals. The mobile app creators left their footprint at CSUN by creating apps that will make campus life for future Matadors easier and eliminate some of the problems students face on campus today.
“Students received the opportunity to work collaboratively with students from other disciplines, learn valuable skills and compete for prize monies — all while making valuable apps for students who live in an increasingly mobile world,” said Deone Zell, CSUN’s associate vice president for academic technology.
“It was so exciting to experience the energy and anticipation in the room at the AppJam Showcase,” said Hilary Baker, CSUN’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “This was a terrific first CSUN AppJam and we certainly look forward to making it an annual event.”
The apps covered a broad range of functions including enabling students to connect with one another, quickly navigate their way on campus, find campus escorts for safety, manage money, find parking spaces, carpool or digitize CSUN’s Loyalty Cards. Students have the option to pursue a wide range of entrepreneurial outcomes with their apps.
During the showcase, the apps were judged on three criteria: relevance, innovation and user-experience. CSUN’s Office of Research & Graduate Studies, Department of Information Technology and Union Bank sponsored the 2015 AppJam competition and showcase.