Smart Campus | Ying Wu College of Computing

For the first time, Verizon is sponsoring their annual Smart Campus Competition at NJIT. The competition encourages students from all academic disciplines and backgrounds to contribute towards a brighter, more connected future. Leveraging Verizon 5G and their other technologies, students will identify an aspect of their community, their campus, or even society as a whole, and devise an innovative technical solution to solve a common problem.

Up for It?

You, students, are as diverse as the problems that can be conquered with creativity and smart technology. Whether it’s improving local technical infrastructure, facilitating solutions for everyday problems, or using your ingenuity to create something completely new, you are the generation of changemakers for a better world. Show us what you’ve got.

Registration opens at the start of the Fall 2025 semester, highlighted by the Competition Kickoff Party on October 9th. From there, teams will form, register, choose a concept, and develop a value proposition, with event registration ending in mid to late October. The drop-in session on October 30th provides teams with the opportunity to receive feedback on their project ideas from experienced Verizon technology mentors. Round 1 begins in mid-November, with the video submission concept-pitch, from there, a designated number of teams will be selected to advance to the Round 2 Poster Showcase. See the Competition Timeline below.

Competition by the Numbers

Winning Teams	Award Money	Verizon Coaches
3	$3000	12
Prizes for First, Second, and Third place teams	Prizes for First, Second, and Third place teams	Professionals to guide teams along their way

Smart Campus Competition Events

Date and Time	Round	Location
October 9, 2025 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.	Kickoff	CKB Agile Strategy Lab – L70
October 30, 2025 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.	Drop in Session	CKB Agile Strategy Lab – L70
November, 2025 Exact date TBD	1 – Video Submission	Online
February 12, 2026 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.	2 – Poster Showcase	CKB Agile Strategy Lab – L70
March 5, 2026 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.	3 – Project Presentation	CKB Agile Strategy Lab – L70
TBD – March 2026 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.	The Winner’s Circle	Basking Ridge EBC

What’s In It for Me?

As an NJIT student, you’re busy. We know that. So why should you participate in this competition? First, participants get the unique opportunity to work directly with industry leaders from Verizon for the duration of the competition (October-March). This will give you a competitive edge heading into your careers. Being “in it’ will help boost your resume with practical experience and meaningful project work with a Fortune 500 company. Third? CASH PRIZES for winning solutions. Teams advancing into the 3rd Round will receive a $500 stipend to utilize in furthering project development. Then, the top three teams chosen to join the Winner’s Circle will receive $3,000 per team and the chance to present their idea to Verizon leadership at their headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ. Last but not least, teams may receive additional opportunities to further develop their ideas with Verizon. That means that if your idea reaches the final stages of the competition, there may be resources available to take your project to the next stages of development.

Verizon Tech Hub

Verizon has graciously curated the following articles and resources to help our participants understand and access these technologies for use in project development.

Meet the Verizon Mentors

These Verizon professionals from all facets of the organization have volunteered to provide expertise and insights to teams as they develop their projects. Read more about each coach below

Suzanne Schnaars

Associate Director - Technical Project Management

Amisha Tolat

Associate Director - Cloud

Annette Baltgian

Associate General Counsel

Carlo Thompson

Distinguished Engineer - System Architecture

Chris Mullen

Associate Vice President - Cloud

Cliff Jones

Associate Director - Cloud

Henry Kelch

Associate Director

Jayashree Kilkovalavedu

Associate Director - Cloud

Justin Lilly

Consultant - Program and Project Management

Kate Dobbins

Engineer II - Technology LDP

Nimesh Patel

Senior Director - Network Performance

Palak Agrawal

Engineer I - Full Stack

Punit Patel

Associate Director - Cloud

Richard LeGrand

Associate Director - Product Management

Shari Griffin

Senior Director - Cloud

Steve Fertal

Distinguished Engineer - Cloud and Edge Compute Planning

Frequently asked questions

General Information

What is the Smart Campus Competition?

The Smart Campus Competition encourages students to create innovative, sustainable, and technology-driven solutions to common, everyday problems. Projects may focus on areas such as connectivity, campus life, your community, social issues, sustainability and more. Be creative. Think big.

Who can participate in the Smart Campus Competition?

The competition is open to all 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students. Please note that teams should consist of 3-6 students, 2 of which MUST be from the Newark College of Engineering.

How do I register?

Click here! (hyperlink to google form registration page). Through this form, you can tell us all about you and your team. If you don’t have a team, we will do their best to pair you with other participants.

Prizes and Benefits

What prizes are rewarded for the winners?

The 3 winning teams that make it into the Winner’s Circle will each be awarded $3,000. In addition, they will have the opportunity to present their ideas to Verizon Leadership at their headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ. Teams may also receive additional opportunities to further develop ideas with Verizon. That means that if your idea reaches the final stages of the competition, there may be resources available to take your project to the next stages of development.

When will the Winner’s Circle be announced?

Those teams chosen to advance to the Winner’s Circle will be announced in late March when they’ll be invited to present their ideas to Verizon Leadership at their headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ.

How are the projects evaluated?

Projects are evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, impact, and presentation. Judges will look for creative solutions that are well-researched, unique and effectively address a real need.

Competition Overview

How is the Smart Campus Competition structured?

Competition Kickoff - October 9, 2025: Registration (link to registration form) opens and the event begins.

Drop In Session - October 30, 2025: After teams form, register, choose a concept, and develop a value proposition, teams will have the chance to receive feedback on their project from experienced Verizon technology mentors at this Drop In Session.

Round 1 - Video Submission - November, 2025: Hosted online, teams will upload their video submission for the 1st Round of judging. A designated number of teams will be selected to advance to Round 2.

Round 2 - Poster Showcase - February 12, 2026: Teams will create poster presentations which will be judged by Verizon mentors. Mentor support will be provided to teams invited to Round 2. A designated number of teams will be chosen to advance to Round 3.

Round 3 - Project Presentation - March 5, 2026: Finalists will have 10 minutes to present their fully formulated plan. Three teams will then enter the Winner’s Circle.

The Winner’s Circle - March 2026: Three teams will be selected to present their idea to Verizon Leadership at their headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ.

Project Criteria

How should I structure my project proposal?

The problem statement must be clearly defined and accompanied by a comprehensive explanation of the proposed solution, demonstrating its relevance and potential impact. Your proposal should include supporting research, data, and references.

What types of projects can teams pursue?

The idea for your project should be original and unique, showcasing innovative use of Verizon’s 5G and their other technologies. Your idea should reflect the ability to think outside the box and propose novel solutions to a common problem.

Should our projects have real-life applications?

The implementation plan must be practical and viable, addressing potential challenges, providing a realistic budget and resource requirement, and demonstrate the solution’s scalability and sustainability.

What type of presentations are the judges and audience looking for?

The presentation should be clear and well-organized, effectively communicating ideas and concepts, utilizing visuals, prototypes, and supporting materials, and engaging and persuading the audience.

Contact Information

For any further questions or inquiries relating to the competition, please contact: Dina Anello, Executive Director of External Relations, Ying Wu College of Computing dina.m.anello@njit.edu