From Classroom to Competition: Project Management Students Win 1st Place at Health Rewired

On October 8th, Master of Project Management (MPM) students Victoria Little and Olivia Ontijes stood alongside their teammate, undergraduate Logan Hammon, to present an idea they had spent the last three weeks building: Indri, a digital wellness app designed to help college students monitor stress, improve self-regulation, and build resilience.

This presentation was part of the annual Health Rewired event hosted by Wake Forest University’s Center for Remote Health Monitoring and the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, which challenged participants to design innovative digital healthcare tools. 

Groups this year explored remote health monitoring, AI development for clinical applications, and technology commercialization, with some going as in-depth as to create a fully functioning, coded app. 

Victoria, Olivia, and Logan each brought their own unique talents, experiences, and perspectives to the project—and it paid off with a first place win. 

“We were looking at each other thinking, ‘What? We actually won this,’” recalled Olivia. “All the groups did such a good job, so it felt surreal when they called our name.” 

A Path Sparked By Experience 

For Victoria, she brought her experience from last year’s build-a-thon, when her team also won first place, to the table. Except last year, she participated in the event as a student in the Master of Communications program.

Her experience at the 2024 Health Rewired event forced her to re-evaluate if that was the best path for her: “Communications is a great base, but when I took on a project coordinator role for the event, it sparked an interest in me that I wanted to continue to pursue.” 

Shortly after her team won, Victoria connected with Wake Forest SPS faculty and staff and decided to transition into the MPM program. It was in that program that she connected with Olivia, who already earned her master’s in public health and had extensive experience in health research. 

“Ultimately, I want to sit for the PMP certification after the program,” Olivia said. “My public health degree taught me a lot, but I wanted to add more tools to my toolbox, and this program is helping me do that.”

The program also introduced her to Victoria, who quickly turned from a peer in class to a friend. 

“Before they announced the event for this year, I knew that I wanted to ask Olivia to do it with me,” Victoria recalled. “With her experience in health and research, I just knew we would be like the dream team.” 

And it turns out, they were. 

Building Indri

At the kick-off meeting, Olivia connected with the third member of their team, Logan, a freshman computer science major. From that point on, the team had three weeks to bring Indri to life.

Their idea was inspired by findings from the LEMURS study at the University of Vermont, which analyzes Oura ring biometric data to try to identify trends and build a model that can ultimately predict panic attacks. In a nod to the work they were building off of, the group named the app “Indri”, which is one the largest lemur species, known for being very calm and peaceful.

“We really wanted to create something that helps students catch signs of burnout before it happens,” Olivia explained. “There are so many resources out there, but not enough tools that help students be proactive about their own mental health.”

With Logan leading the app design, Victoria managing the timeline and deliverables, and Olivia handling survey design and research integration, the team found their rhythm early. 

“We defined our roles right away,” Victoria said. “Having that clarity helped us move efficiently and make the most of the three weeks.”

Still, the timeline was tight, and the team had to make some pivots. When they realized they wouldn’t be able to fully code the app in time, the group decided to shift their project to focus on telling the story visually. 

“We didn’t have a fully functional app, but we were able to show how Indri would look, feel, and function in the real world,” explained Victoria. 

When they presented their final pitch, the judges praised the team’s clarity, attention to detail, and human-centered approach. 

“We made sure to connect every feature back to stakeholder feedback,” Olivia said. “That was really important to us.”

The Power of Project Management

Both Victoria and Olivia credit their MPM coursework for helping them succeed in the competition. 

“Everything we learned, about stakeholder communication, scope, risk, and time management, was directly applicable,” said Victoria. “This project is almost like a mini capstone in real life.”

Olivia agreed: “You can have a great idea, but without structure and communication, it won’t go anywhere. The MPM program gave us the tools to bring our idea to life.”

Learn more about the Master’s in Project Management program and request more information today.