Abstract
How may sociotechnical innovation optimize resource allocation consistent with human values?
To find a roommate, many university students rely on unregulated social media pages or word-of-mouth networks that disadvantage those without local connections or immediate access to campus. Hallmate, a mobile application, serves their needs. To create a fairer alternative, our team developed a mobile application using React Native, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Firebase that enables authenticated university login, lifestyle-based matching, and secure in-app messaging. Through iterative user testing with UVA students, we improved usability, reduced decision friction, and strengthened user trust. HallMate demonstrates that transparent algorithms and ethical design can translate digital matching into fairer, more human-centered outcomes.
Many energy-saving initiatives achieve only short-term success. Lasting conservation depends less on technology or incentives than on communication, fairness, and transparency. Drawing from behavioral economics, psychology, and environmental ethics, the paper shows that people conserve energy more consistently when institutions communicate openly, respect autonomy, and create participatory systems. In both projects, I found effective innovation requires not just technical efficiency, but social design – technologies that cultivate confidence, inclusion, and shared purpose.
