This project analyzes aspects of ESports and gaming in relation to college/university students and college/university campuses. The specific focus of the project was establishing that there was an interest in additional Esports and gaming engagement on campus and then determining what manner of engagement was most desired by students. In order to discover the most popular form of Esports and gaming engagement for students, we held two events: a recreational ESports Competition and tutorials to teach students how to mod video games. After carrying out these events we established that an Esports Competition was a more popular form of engagement. However, we also established that both forms of engagement would be successful with proper marketing and execution.

This project analyzes aspects of ESports and gaming in relation to college/university students and college/university campuses. The specific focus of the project was establishing that there was an interest in additional Esports and gaming engagement on campus and then determining what manner of engagement was most desired by students. In order to discover the most popular form of Esports and gaming engagement for students, we held two events: a recreational ESports Competition and tutorials to teach students how to mod video games. After carrying out these events we established that an Esports Competition was a more popular form of engagement. However, we also established that both forms of engagement would be successful with proper marketing and execution.

For our Founders Lab Thesis Project, we are investigating the viability of a cryptocurrency that will be marketed towards students, prospective students, alumni, and faculty members of Arizona State University (ASU). Our cryptocurrency is known as “Hippocampus”. Essentially, individuals within the target audience will have the opportunity to exchange their fiat money for our university-affiliated cryptocurrency. These individuals will be incentivized to utilize the university-affiliated cryptocurrency as opposed to fiat money, because this cryptocurrency will offer them discounts on college-related expenses, such as tuition, student loans, textbooks, supplies, on-campus housing, on-campus dining, and much more. As the demand for Hippocampus increases, so will its value, which will benefit ASU as a whole. We created a Spring 2022 Semester Survey and surveyed a sample of 250 ASU students regarding the viability of our Founders Lab Thesis Project. 73.2% of participants revealed that they would support a university-affiliated cryptocurrency, and 62% of participants revealed that they would personally utilize a university-affiliated cryptocurrency. Additional activities that we completed to enhance our Founders Lab Thesis Project include interviewing an avid cryptocurrency user, learning about the Blockchain Research Lab, meeting with a financial advisor to understand the financial implications of a university-affiliated cryptocurrency, collaborating with a group of university students at Portland State University who implemented their own university-affiliated cryptocurrency, and touring a cryptocurrency-mining company to grasp an understanding of how cryptocurrency is mined.

For our Founders Lab Thesis Project, we are investigating the viability of a cryptocurrency that will be marketed towards students, prospective students, alumni, and faculty members of Arizona State University (ASU). Our cryptocurrency is known as “Hippocampus”. Essentially, individuals within the target audience will have the opportunity to exchange their fiat money for our university-affiliated cryptocurrency. These individuals will be incentivized to utilize the university-affiliated cryptocurrency as opposed to fiat money, because this cryptocurrency will offer them discounts on college-related expenses, such as tuition, student loans, textbooks, supplies, on-campus housing, on-campus dining, and much more. As the demand for Hippocampus increases, so will its value, which will benefit ASU as a whole. We created a Spring 2022 Semester Survey and surveyed a sample of 250 ASU students regarding the viability of our Founders Lab Thesis Project. 73.2% of participants revealed that they would support a university-affiliated cryptocurrency, and 62% of participants revealed that they would personally utilize a university-affiliated cryptocurrency. Additional activities that we completed to enhance our Founders Lab Thesis Project include interviewing an avid cryptocurrency user, learning about the Blockchain Research Lab, meeting with a financial advisor to understand the financial implications of a university-affiliated cryptocurrency, collaborating with a group of university students at Portland State University who implemented their own university-affiliated cryptocurrency, and touring a cryptocurrency-mining company to grasp an understanding of how cryptocurrency is mined.

The college experience is enlightening, empowering, educational, but can also be overwhelming and stressful. If one investigates the atmosphere at your standard university campus, there is no doubt that all students are exhausted in their own unique way. The various responsibilities and obligations inherent in the academic course load, student organizations, sports teams, and other extracurricular activities that a student commits to fosters this stress. A common pattern, especially among students, is the progression from stress to exhaustion to lack of motivation, or helplessness. The Mayo Clinic published an article stating: “when stress begins to accumulate from negative or challenging events in life that just keep coming, you can find yourself in a state of feeling emotionally worn out and drained” (https://www.facebook.com/MayoClinicHealthSystem, 2020). That being said, the implementation of gamification in the college experience can significantly improve intrinsic motivation within students, thus reducing the stress and exhaustion. Gamification with regards to higher education is the use of game design elements in non-game contexts in order to engage and motivate learners. The primary purpose of gamification is to make learning more fun and interesting, as well as to increase learners’ engagement, motivation, and productivity. Video games and the concept of gamification in general have shown positive signs of relieved anxiety and increased enjoyment in many different aspects of life, such as education. The overarching goal of introducing gamification into the college environment is simple: To increase satisfaction, learning, participation, engagement, and retention among the student population.

Polar Hydration is a company whose mission is to combat the risk of dehydration in cold climates and inspire the adventurer with all of us. Through ASU’s Founders Lab and a partnership with NASA, we set out to take NASA patented technology and develop a business plan through gauging public interest via surveys and interviews, and implementing a marketing strategy based on those results. Our product consists of a freeze-resistant hydration pack which uses insulation and electronics to actively heat its water contents and prevent freezing. With outdoor activities, the colder the weather the higher the risk of dehydration. This is due to the intake of colder dryer air as well as it being harder to recognize that you are losing liquids through sweat as it is in warmer climates. In winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding as well as colder conditions for hiking and hunting, this can become a huge problem as water is not readily available. That’s why, at Polar Hydration, we took NASA patented technology to design our freeze-resistant hydration pack. It’s designed like most other hydration packs, consisting of a backpack with a plastic bladder holding water and straw to drink from, but with additional layers of insulation and electronics to prevent water from freezing. With this, we will combat dehydration and inspire the adventurer within all of us.