INFORMATION FOR
The Center for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CSREI) at William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business will host its inaugural Tech Innovation Day on Thursday, April 30 from 12 to 1:30p.m. in the 1600 Valley Road café, bringing the campus community together to explore student-developed tech solutions to real-world challenges.
This semester, students from across disciplines have been working towards Tech Innovation Day. Working individually and in teams, participants have identified meaningful challenges and developed practical, socially responsible tech solutions through a structured program that includes workshops, mentorship, and progress check-ins.
“Tech Innovation Day represents the kind of cross-disciplinary, hands-on engagement that prepares our students for today’s dynamic professional landscape,” says Cotsakos College of Business Dean Tony Bowrin. “It reinforces the importance of understanding stakeholders, thinking critically, evaluating viability, and acting with integrity — hallmarks of sound leadership.”
During the April 30 event, eight student teams will present their projects to faculty, industry professionals, and community partners. Attendees will have the opportunity to see firsthand how students are applying their classroom learning to develop solutions that are technically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible. Selected teams will receive recognition, prizes, and opportunities for further development.
“Great innovation does not happen in silos,” says CSREI Director Sarbjeet Singh Rayat. “It emerges at the intersections of disciplines. Our goal is to help students move beyond theory and demonstrate the real impact of their learning. In an era where technology permeates every sector and almost every facet of our lives, innovators must be deliberate in meaningfully applying it to solve problems.”
Abash Niroula, a computer science major participating in the program, says the experience of translating his classroom knowledge to real-world problems – especially with students from beyond his major – has been rewarding. “Working with students from different majors pushes us to communicate better, see problems from new perspectives, and design solutions that are not just technically strong, but practical and genuinely useful.”
Tech Innovation Day is the inaugural event under Innovation for Impact, CSREI’s broader platform to foster the University’s culture of innovation and strengthen applied learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
