Connecting Graduating Students to Professionals

Collaborating with a handpicked student team over three project phases, I created MGCReview.com, a website that connects graduating seniors in the Robert Busch School of Design and the School of Public Architecture to industry professionals and alumni who can provide employment opportunities. The outcome of MGCReview.com is a collection of graduating student portfolios that reinforces the world-class education offered at Kean University, which prepares its students to stand out in the highly competitive architecture and design industries.

Phase 1: Create a digital platform to connect students and professionals
This project began with student Mitch DeCastro working with colleague Edward Johnston on coding a website using open source code. Coupled with a conversation, the Robert Busch School of Design needed a portfolio website to promote graduating senior portfolios, connect students to professionals for jobs, and a repository to show student work at Open Houses. During Phase 1, the team created a low-tech, low-cost digital custom website and brand identity and named it "MGCSync."

PROJECT DURATION
Fall 2016–Spring 2017

STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Website Development: Mitch DeCastro (S’17)
Brand Identity/Design: Marc Rosario (S’17) + Perry Capelokas (S’17)

Phase 2: Improve site functionality and user experience
In Phase 1, the team launched MGC in connection with the Spring 2017 Senior Portfolio Review. Based on the Phase 1 outcomes, the team identified multiple improvement opportunities for further development in Phase 2. I worked on MGC Sync using academic release time throughout 2017-18 with a new cohort of student researchers. The Kean University Foundation provided student stipends and travel expenses for conference presentations. I also received a Design Incubation Fellowship in which I developed a project research paper presented at an international design educators conference.

ACADEMIC AWARDS
Kean University, Release Time for Research + Creative Works (Fall 2017–Spring 2018)
Kean University, Foundation Faculty Research Award (Fall 2017–Spring 2018)
Design Incubation Fellowship (Spring 2018)

PROJECT DURATION
Fall 2017–Spring 2018

STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Danielle Almoneda (F’18) + Daniel Goldstein (S’18)

Phase 3: Update site functionality, do user testing, and program site
From the launch of Phase I, I hired students to manually update the MGCSync website with the portfolios of graduating students from Fall 2017 through Fall 2019. Then, in Spring 2020, I applied and received academic release time to work on MGC Sync with a new group of student researchers. The main objective of Phase 3 was to rebuild the design files, update the user experience and site functionality, and secure funding to hire a programmer. Student researcher Jacqueline O'Connor was instrumental in the Phase 3 development. Jacqueline's process can be found on her personal portfolio website: https://jacqueline.design/mgc-sync.

ACADEMIC AWARDS
Kean University, Release Time for Research + Creative Works (Fall 2019–Spring 2020)

PROJECT DURATION
Fall 2019–Spring 2020

STUDENT RESEARCHERS
Website Development: Jacqueline O’Connor (S’20)
Brand Identity/Design: Logan LeBuis, Pranav Desai, + Alysia Kane (S’20)

Phase 3.5: The site needs to be functional immediately to host the first virtual Senior Portfolio Review
With Jacqueline O'Connor leading the effort, the student research team began developing a template-driven Squarespace website that mirrored a similar appearance and functionality as the custom coded Phase 3 design. In one very long week, the students developed the new website and began creating processes to collect student work. The team added additional functionality to the website, such as scheduling individual student virtual meetings (Calendly) with professionals on the day of and after the Senior Review. In addition, virtual Google Meets rooms were created for each program to host critiques or to greet alumni and industry professionals.