Together they are working on usable tech solutions to real-world problems, one of which was recently highlighted by Fox21. 

The collaboration began in Fall 2024 when Oliver Yehlik, a recent UMD graduate serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA, realized two professors were tackling opposite sides of the same coin. Jomara Sandbulte, associate professor of Computer Science, wanted her students to design user experiences to contribute towards real-world problems, while Aparna Katre, associate professor and Interdisciplinary Studies Program Director, was searching for software solutions to address complex local issues. Recognizing the perfect match, Oliver connected them. 

Supported by a Chancellor’s Innovation Grant, the resulting pilot program paired Dr. Katre’s Design Thinking class (CUE 3101) with Dr. Sandbulte’s UX Design course (CS 4132), bringing together students from completely different academic cultures to speak a common language and design technology for social good by tackling urgent challenges across Duluth. 

In Spring 2026, student teams began embedding themselves in the Twin Ports community. Rather than guessing what local organizations needed, the design thinking students led user research, conducted stakeholder interviews, and mapped out user journeys. 

At the final showcase on April 27, 2026, students proudly presented prototype solutions for four distinct local initiatives:

1. Safe Sharps Disposal (City of Duluth - Unhoused Response Division): Students designed a crowd-sourced application to facilitate and track the cleanup and reporting of safe sharps disposal, improving public safety. This project was highlighted by Fox21.
2. Community Information Systems (Health Equity Northland): Students built information frameworks to support local food security, nutrition education, and regional health equity.
3. Neighbors Helping Neighbors (Zeitgeist Hillside Coalition): Students developed a digital network focused on grassroots mutual aid. The system allows neighbors in Duluth’s Hillside neighborhood to coordinate immediate, localized volunteer efforts, such as helping elderly or disabled residents shovel snow during harsh winters.
4. Community Resource Accessibility (Family Freedom Center): Students designed a logistics solution to solve a pressing resource crisis by funneling large corporate and private donations of household items directly into the hands of families who need them most.

Looking ahead to Spring 2027, Dr. Katre and Dr. Sandbulte are transitioning the course model into permanent Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs) for both undergraduate and graduate students. They are proving that when you want to solve the complex problems of the 21st century, you look to both the future of technology and the heart of the humanities.

Thanks to the success of the pilot, Dr. Katre and Dr. Sandbulte are also looking to permanently establish the Technology for Social Change Living Lab. Please reach out to [email protected] and [email protected] for details on how you support its creation.