This year’s competition united 22 interdisciplinary student teams, more than 56 innovators, who tackled real-world business and technology challenges and harnessed AI-driven creativity to develop forward-looking products.

Launched this past September, the challenge began with a rigorous evaluation of technical feasibility and market potential. Fifteen teams advanced to develop production-ready prototypes spanning healthcare, education, cybersecurity, analytics, and beyond. The teams were judged by an expert panel from academia and industry.

We are very proud of all participants for their bold ideas, functional products, and impressive growth demonstrated throughout the competition. We encourage every team to continue iterating and pushing your innovations forward.

Prizes for this competition were made possible due to the support of our corporate donors: AGS Prime, IQ4, JobWorks, Apprenti, Training Funding Partners, and the Public Consulting Group.

A heartfelt thank you to all the judges, participating teams, and corporate donors.

First Place — Career Canvas (Portfolio Builder) 

Team Members: Sai Charan Gopisetty, MSDA, ‘25 and Abhignya Jerripothula, MSDA ‘26
Product: https://profile2portfolio.com/

Judges’ Summary:

• Delivered a clear, compelling value proposition, transforming a resume into a hosted portfolio in under 60 seconds.
• Showcased excellent user-centered design, with intuitive onboarding, accessible features, and seamless navigation suited for all users.
• Demonstrated strong product completeness, offering real functionality (hosting, accounts, dashboards) while maintaining simplicity and polish.

Second Place — Code Sentry (AI-Powered Code Analysis) 

Team Members: Neha Chaudhari, MSCS ‘25 and Kedhar Phanindra Sai Gurram, MSCS ‘25
Product: https://code-sentry-io.vercel.app/

Judges’ Summary:

• Tackled a critical developer need by reducing false positives and improving accuracy in code security and vulnerability detection.
• Implemented an efficient developer workflow, including automated PR comments, faster performance, and near-instant dashboard load times.
• Expanded usability and accessibility, thanks to improved onboarding, new dashboard views, and interactive analysis tools, while also receiving constructive suggestions for functionality expansion and multi-language support.

Third Place — TactIx (AI-Powered Cyber Analysis) 

Team Members: Abhijyot Brar, MSIT ‘25 and Raymond Rodriguez, MSIT ‘25
Product: https://lightslategrey-crow-982046.hostingersite.com/fast.html

Judges’ Summary:

• Developed an accessible cybersecurity solution tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.
• Provided a clear and compelling product introduction through an effective homepage and thoughtful user experience details, such as real-time processing comments that build clarity and trust for users.
• Received strong recommendations to extend the concept, adding go-to-market clarity, privacy transparency, and conversational query functionality to enhance adoption and depth.

Congratulations to the winners and to all participating teams!

Your creativity, persistence, and problem-solving reflect the best of what technological innovation can achieve. We look forward to seeing how your projects evolve and the impact they will make beyond the competition.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. Jas Singh for creating and leading this Challenge; to our dedicated volunteer judges; to Dug Jones; to BHEF; and to our generous sponsors for their invaluable support.

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The IEEE CAI is an international conference and exhibition focused on the applications of AI and key verticals that drive innovation across industries.

Congratulations to our outstanding students! These achievements highlight Clark’s expanding influence within the global AI research community.

Presentation highlights from the conference

• Deep Learning-Based CAD System for ECG Image Classification
  The research presented an improved CNN-based method for detecting myocardial infarction from ECG images, using a novel image-cleaning technique and MultiVision architecture to enhance accuracy.
  Keerthana Goka, Kunal Malhan, Shail Jyala, Shubhika J., Prathamesh Kulkarni, Ahmed ElSayed, Khald Aboalayon

• Multinomial Classification Deep Learning Approach for Knee Osteoporosis
  This work focused on developing a deep learning model to classify various stages of osteoporosis from knee X-rays using fine-tuned CNN architectures to support early diagnosis.
  Nithin Rachakonda, Jothsna Praveena, Naveena C., Sai Nithisha Marripelly, Khald Aboalayon, Ahmed ElSayed

Click on the picture below and the photo gallery will expand to full size.

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“We recognize the excellence of our students and faculty, and the positive influence they have on our campus and in our community,” said John LaBrie, dean of the SPS and associate provost for graduate studies and international programs.

The newest members of the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate Honor Society were inducted at the ceremony. (The full member list is available below). Certificates for outstanding academic performance were presented to students with the highest GPA in their major or program, as well.

Rachael Romain, MPA ’25 was recognized with the Fern Johnson Award, which is given annually to an Accelerated Degree Program student who has excelled in academics and who has also positively influenced their community.

Raj Nayan Sheth, MSPM ’25 received the Laura Myers Community Service Award, which is given to a graduate student who has made significant contributions to the local community through their time, actions, talents, and dedication.

Lilo Altali earned the Fiat Lux Award, which honors an up-and-coming faculty member who embraces new ideas and approaches to teaching. Lilo Altali is an award-winning product innovator, serving on the faculty at Clark University for the past year, where he teaches Project Economics and is developing a new curriculum in AI and Product Development. Known for his hands-on teaching style, he brings learning to life with games, LEGO, role-play, and simulations. Outside the classroom, he’s the Leader of Product Design and Strategy at MVP Health Care, where he drives healthcare innovations to market.

Andrea Jaskulski was recognized with the Jonas Gilman Clark Award, which is awarded to a seasoned faculty member for effectiveness and creativity in teaching. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Information Systems & Analytics from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in Database Management and Business Intelligence from Boston University. With over seven years of experience in digital security and fraud business intelligence, Andrea has worked in both e-commerce and financial industries to design data-driven solutions that detect and prevent fraud.

Dr. Khald Aboalayon received the Semita Vitae (Path of Life) Award, which recognizes an instructor who has proven to be an extraordinarily conscientious, supportive, and inspiring mentor to advisees. Dr. Aboalayon is the Academic Director of the MS in Data Analytics and Applied Artificial Intelligence programs at Clark University. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Bridgeport. His research centers on leveraging machine learning, deep learning, and statistical methods to build advanced models for image and signal processing, with a focus on addressing real-world challenges in human health. Drawing on extensive experience in AI and Data Science, Dr. Aboalayon teaches courses such as Applied Machine Learning, Linear Regression & Time Series, Data Visualization & Storytelling, and mentors capstone projects that equip students to solve practical, industry-relevant problems.

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The goal of the competition was to empower participants to tackle industry-relevant challenges, develop leadership skills, and gain valuable insights into practical project management practices.

Event Highlights:

• Industry Mentorship:  17 experienced professionals volunteered their time to provide guidance and industry insights.
• Professional Networking:  The event facilitated networking opportunities between students and local industry professionals, fostering connections that could lead to future internships and job opportunities.
• Expert-Led Judging: Teams presented their findings to a panel of judges from various industries, with the top-performing team receiving a prize, and all participants earning a certification.
• Skill Development: Participants enhanced their problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills through hands-on collaboration and formal presentations.
• Collaborative Spirit: The competition encouraged collaboration between students, faculty, alumni, and industry experts, strengthening the ties within the Clark community.

Congratulations to the winning team! A big thank you to the PMI Central Mass chapter and all the mentors who participated.

Did you miss the chance to participate? Get ready for next year’s competition in Spring 2026!

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Elizabeth Rozmanith ’24 is putting her art history background and her Master of Public Administration degree to work at the Fitchburg Art Museum.

As an artist herself, Rozmanith combined her passions with an interest in nonprofits administration to pursue Clark’s MPA program.

“I’ve always been interested in arts nonprofits, and particularly looking how to make them more relevant and accessible to our communities. Public administration is a great way to be immersed in the art world from a different view of it, and have administrative influence,” she noted.

Within the program, she found inspiration from her cohort.

“It’s the Clark community that I come back to. The people here are amazing, and everyone is so passionate about so many different things.

“In my MPA program, everyone’s focused on different things. Public administration is very broad, but they’re all so passionate about specific issues. It’s inspiring.”

Working at the Fitchburg Art Museum as a grant writer, Rozmanith applied her coursework directly to her role, and used the challenges she observed in her capstone project.

She identified the need to provide outcomes reporting and detailed data to support the museum’s strategic planning. Her capstone work gathered and assessed visitor feedback data.

Her capstone provided a well-researched plan to assess survey feedback, focusing on visitor services, museum members, donor relations, and events. Rozmanith provided best practices and specific implementation recommendations as part of her project.

“I wrapped up my capstone project for Clark. And then the same week, I presented it at a development committee meeting at the museum… [The committee] said they love the idea of surveys and would like to start implementing [my proposal]. It was exciting to get such positive feedback.”

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“It gives me great pleasure to celebrate this year’s accomplished award winners.”

“We recognize the excellence of our students and faculty, and the positive influence they have on our campus and in our community,” said John LaBrie, dean of the SPS and associate provost for graduate studies and international programs.

Tiffany Vo, MSC ’24 was recognized with the Fern Johnson Award, which is given annually to an Accelerated Degree Program student who has excelled in academics and who has also positively influenced their community. Tiffany’s academic journey has been marked by dedication and a thirst for knowledge, including a double major in English and Marketing and a semester abroad in Seoul, South Korea. As an SPS Peer Mentor and Graduate Assistant in the Office of Study Abroad, she has provided invaluable support to her peers and to the SPS staff.

Varshitha Manjunath, MSDA ‘24, received the Laura Myers Community Service Award, which is given to a graduate student who has made significant contributions to the local community through their time, actions, talents, and dedication. Varshitha was instrumental in promoting mental health and wellness among Clark students through yoga, providing a safe and nurturing space for self-love and mindfulness. Additionally, Varshitha actively participated in disaster relief efforts, and dedicates her time weekly to serving at Mustard Seed, addressing food insecurity within our local community.

The newest members of two SPS honor societies – the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate Honor Society and the Alpha Sigma Lambda Undergraduate Honor Society – were inducted at the ceremony. (The full member list is available below). Certificates for outstanding academic performance were presented to students with the highest GPA in their major or program, as well.

Three SPS faculty members also received awards, based on votes by their students.

Dr. Ali Maalaoui earned the Fiat Lux Award, which honors an up-and-coming faculty member who embraces new ideas and approaches to teaching. Dr. Ali Maalaoui’s students described him as “passionate about his work” and “encouraging”.  One student wrote, “I aspire to achieve at least half of what he has accomplished.”

Peter Wyner was recognized with the Jonas Gilman Clark Award, which is awarded to a seasoned faculty member for effectiveness and creativity in teaching. Professor Wyner’s “infectious enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods infuse the classroom with energy and excitement, transforming otherwise theoretical concepts into engaging learning experiences.”

Dr. Jason Augustyn received the Semita Vitae (Path of Life) Award, which recognizes an instructor who has proven to be an extraordinarily conscientious, supportive, and inspiring mentor to advisees. His students wrote in the nomination that his “supportive and encouraging demeanor, coupled with his ability to demonstrate real-world applications of our concepts, is invaluable.”

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In today’s dynamic and complex world, effective governance and administration are indispensable for the well-being of societies. The Clark MPA Senior Leadership MPA Program stands as a crucial gateway for individuals aspiring to lead in the public sector and nonprofit organizations.   Here are seven critical reasons for choosing the Clark MPA Senior Leadership Program.

1. Specialized Expertise

The Clark MPA Senior Leadership Program  equips graduate students with specialized knowledge and skills essential for navigating the intricate landscape of public administration. From policy analysis to financial management, students gain a comprehensive understanding of public sector operations, allowing them to make informed decisions and implement effective strategies. This expertise is invaluable in addressing contemporary challenges such as economic inequality, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

2. Leadership Development

Effective leadership lies at the heart of successful public administration. Through coursework, and experiential learning, the Senior Leadership program cultivate leadership qualities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making. Graduates of this program emerge as visionary leaders capable of inspiring teams, fostering collaboration, and driving organizational change in pursuit of public interest objectives.

3. Policy Innovation and Implementation

Public policies shape the fabric of societies, influencing everything from healthcare and education to infrastructure and social welfare. With the Senior Leadership MPA, individuals gain the knowledge and tools necessary to develop innovative policies that address emerging challenges and meet evolving societal needs. Moreover, they learn how to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and effectively implement policies, ensuring their intended outcomes are achieved.

4. Advocacy and Social Justice

The MPA Senior Leadership program instills a commitment to social justice and equity, empowering graduates to advocate for marginalized communities and promote inclusive policies. Whether combating systemic discrimination or advancing human rights, Senior Leadership alumni are equipped to champion causes that enhance the well-being of all citizens. This emphasis on social responsibility is fundamental to fostering a more just and equitable society.

5. Public-Private Collaboration

In an era of increasing interdependence, collaboration between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors is essential for addressing complex societal challenges. MPA Senior Leadership graduates possess the skills to facilitate partnerships, negotiate agreements, and leverage resources across diverse stakeholders. By bridging sectoral divides and fostering cooperation, they contribute to more effective and sustainable solutions to pressing issues.

6. Public Service Ethos

At its core, public administration is about serving the public interest and upholding democratic values. The Senior Leadership program instills a strong sense of civic duty and public service ethos in students, motivating them to pursue careers dedicated to making a positive difference in society. Whether working in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or international institutions, MPA Senior Leadership graduates are driven by a commitment to the common good.

7. Career Advancement

Earning a Clark MPA  can significantly enhance career prospects and open doors to a wide range of opportunities in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Whether aspiring to roles in government administration, policy analysis, nonprofit management, or consultancy, MPA graduates are in high demand for their unique blend of skills and expertise. Furthermore, the Senior Leadership program offers networking opportunities and professional development resources to support graduates in advancing their careers.

Obtaining a Clark Master’s in Public Administration is of paramount importance for individuals aspiring to lead and make a meaningful impact in the realm of public service. Through specialized expertise, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice, Senior Leadership graduates are equipped to address complex challenges, foster collaboration, and advance the common good.

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“Technology is one of the reasons, but there are also societal changes that are happening at an accelerated rate,”

says Mary Piecewicz, Director of the Master of Public Administration Senior Leadership (MPA-SL) at Clark University.

The Clark MPA for Senior Leaders is designed to help municipal and nonprofit professionals keep pace. Its flexible, low-residency design combines online learning with regular in-person sessions, making it a manageable fit for working professionals looking to expand their skills and advance their careers.

Students attend from across New England. “Their most immediate concern is staying relevant, including keeping up with new technologies, best practices, and emerging management trends,” Piecewicz says. “They also see the opportunities that retirements and defections to higher-paying private sector jobs are creating.”

Addressing workforce, media, and housing challenges

At the heart of the degree requirements in the MPA-SL program is the capstone project each student completes with the guidance of a faculty member. According to Piecewicz, students choose challenges they are passionate about for their capstone. “Most have a common theme – improving the public good,” she says.

Recent submissions underscore the growing complexity of the challenges facing municipal and nonprofit leaders.

In their capstone, program graduates Jessica Feldman and Drew Russo investigate how Gateway Cities in Massachusetts – midsize urban centers that anchor regional economies around the state – can build a representative workforce. Their research identified “unnecessary barriers to employment, such as inflexible degree requirements, which pose an obstacle to building municipal workforces reflective of the populations they serve.” Feldman and Russo propose a critical re-thinking of recruitment and retention strategies, including “revised hiring criteria and offering opportunities for continuous education in order to recruit and retain employees that represent the cultural and generational diversity of these communities.”

Clare Robbins’ capstone examines Worcester’s changing media landscape and its effect on political participation, zeroing in on how the demise of local newspapers and journalism in Worcester may contribute to a declining interest in local politics and elections. Her recommendations include “engaging with residents through social media, and residents promoting transparent journalism.”

In her capstone, graduate Sen. Robyn Kennedy makes the case for adopting a Housing First approach in Massachusetts to serve families who are experiencing homelessness. Otherwise, “the state will continue to only serve families once they have exhausted all their resources and assets.” Kennedy proposes “a new model in which the state addresses barriers to sustainable housing and implements a model whereby families are able to fully access resources that prevent housing instability and thereby forego the need to access emergency shelter.”

Learning that aligns with national trends

Topics explored through MPA-SL capstones represent issues that are a priority across the United States and around the globe. The International City Management Association says new technology, a global pandemic, a warming planet, and political and social instability have “dramatically and forever altered the conditions in which local governments operate.”¹ Martha Fedorowicz of the Urban Institute and Sarah Weller Pegna of the National League of Cities recently wrote that “every day, cities across the country confront complex, interconnected issues spanning health, housing, workforce development, and climate change.”²

The MPA-SL program at Clark has a graduation rate of 98%, and 62% of alums secure higher-level jobs within a year of receiving their degree. To learn more about the program, visit clarku.edu/mpasl.

1. https://icma.org/local-government-reimagined

2. https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/11/03/how-municipalities-can-pursue-strategic-policy-solutions-to-complex-problems/

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MPA for Senior Leadership convenes in Newport, RI

Recently students in the low-residency MPA for Senior Leadership program convened in Newport, RI for an in-person session.

Over two days, graduate students engage with Dr. Paula Martin & Edward Byrne, MBA during a presentation entitled “What’s your why in DEI?”  and Drew Russo, MPA, & Bridget Quinn, Public Employee Unions for “Our partners in serving the public.”

About the Program

Clark University’s Master of Public Administration Senior Leadership program is designed for experienced public sector and non-profit leaders who seek to accelerate their careers and expand their capacity to make a positive impact in their communities.

The flexible low residency program blends online learning with regular in-person sessions, making it a perfect fit for working professionals. In-person residency sessions focus on collaborative discussions focused on key issues faced by today’s public sector and non-profit leaders. Discussions are led by expert faculty, and allow students to expand and strengthen their personal and professional networks.

Alumni Kristen Gutierrez Livoti ’24 says she has “already applied the analytical frameworks she learned in her courses” to her present role as Director of Engagement for Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester.

Students also highlight the many advantages of working in close collaboration with a cohort of similarly passionate people. Alumni Dan Benedict 24’ emphasizes that he “learned as much from his peers as from his instructors”.

Applicants come from diverse backgrounds and occupations, including elected officials, town and city administrators, first responders, and non-profit agencies. Students are exposed to professional perspectives and form lasting networks that are instrumental to any future leader.

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