TCNJ

35 innovate. inspire. engage. A deep sadness about a troubled classmate spurred Nivi Harishankar '16 to make mental health resources at TCNJ no more than a swipe and tap away. For a mobile computing class, Harishankar, an interactive multimedia major, connected the death of that classmate to an assignment her junior year: Create an app. "It just came together in my mind that this app would be a small step toward bringing students the resources they need," says Harishankar. To gear up for the project, she attended HOW Design Live, a weeklong professional graphic design conference in Chicago, giving her the expertise and motivation to bring the project to life. Who picked up the conference tab? Andy and Maria Polansky (both '83) endowed a fellowship that had Harishankar's name all over it. e Polanskys' target audience is students who lead and enrich the community through communication, media, and technology. "e conference taught me how graphic design can solve problems," she says. And that's exactly what she set out to do. e Android app allows students to lift their spirits, track their moods, and get help from the community, all while protecting their privacy. It features a mood tracker, suggested activities and exercises, and quick access to existing psychological resources at the college. A new alumna, Harishankar is now working at Amazon as a full-time user experience designer. Says the new West Coast resident: "Every single project at TCNJ was a step toward becoming a better problem solver." —Emily W. Dodd '03 2016 POLANSKY FELLOWS NAMED Rising seniors Ryan Laux and Chris Lundy are the next Polansky Fellows. e pair, both interactive multimedia majors and videographers, will present two campus seminars on filmmaking this coming year. See campus from the sky in their video tour: admissions.tcnj.edu. Help in Your Hand Inaugural Polansky Fellow folds mental wellness resources into an app. BILL CARDONI

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