SchedPro: Turning "I'll Do It Later" into "Already Done"; Business Resource Groups and their Struggle in the US Tech Sector
Lopez De La Cruz, Mauricio, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Norton, Peter, Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Vrugtman, Rosanne, EN-Comp Science Dept, University of Virginia
How do organizations promote collaboration and trust among teams? A group’s efficacy depends not only on the tools it has or policies that govern its members, but also on interpersonal communication, relationships and trust.
To help students manage their academic and personal responsibilities, SchedPro is a full-stack productivity platform designed to optimize time management through intelligent scheduling. Using Java, AWS, and a heuristic recommendation engine, the system prioritizes tasks by urgency, user preferences, and real-time availability. Initial user testing demonstrated the value of dynamic and personalized scheduling in reducing stress and improving productivity. Continuous feedback emphasized the need for enhanced visual design and features for handling unexpected schedule changes—insights that will guide future iterations aimed at fostering academic community and student well-being.
In the US tech sector, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are intended to promote workplace inclusion by fostering interpersonal trust, mutual support, and advocacy for marginalized employees. On BRGs, DEI professionals and tech employees collaborate. Yet BRGs are frequently impaired by corporate oversight, unpaid labor expectations, and economic precarity. Firsthand accounts suggest that BRGS, though meant to foster inclusion, can become a polished façade: attractive yet concealing the burdens they impose on those they purportedly serve.
BS (Bachelor of Science)
Business Resource Groups, Scheduling, Diversity
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Technical Advisor: Rosanne Vrugtman
STS Advisor: Peter Norton
English
2025/05/02