Originally launched in 2022 as an Honors College thesis project, the OSU Events app was designed to increase student engagement by centralizing events hosted by the Honors College, and later the College of Engineering, in one place. Now, through the work of honors students Havel Konda and Noam Yaffe, the app has expanded to include student clubs from across Oregon State University, making it easier for students to connect with campus life and find community involvement.
Havel, a third-year computer science major, and Noam, a second-year computer science major, both found community and opportunity through student clubs at Oregon State. “Clubs have been the best way for me to meet people and understand what this community is about,” says Havel. For Noam, club involvement led to both friendships and leadership development. “I joined Beaver Hacks through Havel,” he says. “I’m now a marketing and outreach officer, which has shaped how I think about building connections.” Those shared experiences ultimately inspired them to expand the OSU Events App to help other students find these kinds of opportunities.
The two met in an honors seminar, Generative AI and Society, taught by Laurie Bridges, instruction and digital initiatives librarian at Oregon State University’s Valley Library. Their mutual academic interests led to collaboration on a project and, eventually, to co-leading development of the OSU Events App. “When we inherited the app, we took over a large existing codebase, which came with a steep learning curve,” says Noam. “The first weeks were really focused on understanding and improving what was already there.” They credit previous HC student developers Adrian Baker and Oliver Elliott for providing support during the transition. “Having that guidance early on gave us a solid foundation to work from,” says Havel.
They each approached the project with a defined focus. Noam led back-end development and analytics, working on the admin panel, improving data organization and refining analytics features for faculty and administrators with access. Havel focused on the front-end experience, refining navigation, improving link behavior, adding event tags and expanding the clubs and organizations page. “We wanted the app to feel intuitive and personalized,” he says.
Bringing clubs into the app required collaboration beyond the student development team. Havel worked with Natasha Lavelle, Director of Engineering+ and Senior Instructor in the College of Engineering, to gain additional institutional support for the update. “There were some setbacks within the approval process and development stages,” says Noam. “Having the College of Engineering on board with the clubs expansion was incredibly helpful.” Over several months, the students refined and tested new features, which launched on March 31 at the start of spring term. The app now features events from a growing range of clubs and organizations across campus — including cultural, religious and recreational groups — with ongoing software updates planned.
Havel and Noam have enjoyed sharing news and updates regarding the OSU Events app with students and asking them for feedback. At the start of fall term 2025, they presented the app to incoming honors students at the first-year student induction. "It felt like presenting at a TED Talk,” says Noam. “It was one of the coolest experiences in my college career. I loved seeing how interested the students were.” For Havel, the moment carried personal significance. “I think about what I would have wanted as a first-year student — being able to pull out my phone and find events, resources and ways to get involved, all in one place,” he says. “Helping provide that kind of resource for new students feels incredibly meaningful.”
Both students agree that collaboration and support have been key to the success of the app.
Noam expresses gratitude for the resources and encouragement provided by the Honors College, while Havel credits ongoing guidance from campus partners, including Melissa Ward and Natasha Lavelle in the College of Engineering, as well as Honors College Communications Coordinator Kallie Hagel, their supervisor. Looking ahead, Havel looks forward to seeing the app continue to evolve as it’s passed on to future student developers. “It’s exciting to be part of something with so much potential,” he says. “The sense of community behind this project is really why we do this work.”
The Honors College is exploring adding additional college partnerships in the future. Students are encouraged to download the OSU Events App from the app stores for Apple and Android devices to explore clubs happening across campus as well as Honors College and College of Engineering events. Club leaders interested in featuring their organization on the app are encouraged to reach out to Noam and Havel or fill out this form and get involved.
By HC Student Writer Mandy Eng.
