Creighton4Good, a student-led program, is turning surplus campus food into a resource for those in need.

When most class projects are shelved at the end of the semester, Creighton4Good keeps building. The new organization develops software for real clients, giving students experience working on projects with real-world expectations and impact. One project in particular is a platform that connects hungry students with surplus food on campus. 

The organization operates beyond the traditional one-semester class model, instead pursuing multi-semester collaboration on real-world software projects that address community needs. 

Kevin Lumbard, an assistant professor of computer science who helps oversee the program, said the goal is to create an environment “that mirrors industry software development practices.” 

This semester, four paid interns joined the effort. They are collaborating with students in journalism, marketing, data science and computer science courses. 

Interns take contributions from service-learning courses and integrate them into sustainable projects such as the food app. They are also responsible for maintaining, updating and deploying both new and existing projects. 

Lumbard said the cross-disciplinary structure is intentional. While computer science students focus on software development, students in journalism, marketing and design handle research, communication strategy and outreach planning. This allows students to operate in more professional teams. 

“To our knowledge, this academic model is new and unique to Creighton, and we are excited to see how it evolves,” Lumbard said. Creighton4Good’s current project, an app designed to reduce campus food waste, began with a request from Ed Gauhari, Creighton’s associate director of public safety, according to Sherri Weitl-Harms, an associate professor of computer science. 

“Food takes up resources, land … but we have people who are hungry and can’t afford food,” Weitl-Harms said. 

The app, currently in its prototype phase, will alert students to surplus food from Creighton dining services and Sodexo-catered events. It will also track data on food waste reduction to support sustainability initiatives. Lumbard said the idea for the application is based on “Hungry Hawks,” a food waste app developed by Lehigh University students. 

Since becoming operational in fall 2025, Creighton4Good has received several requests for software support from various groups, including a local nonprofit and a university research team. While current efforts are focused on completing the food waste app, Weitl-Harms and Lumbard said the organization expects to take on additional projects in the future. These projects could continue addressing community needs while giving students ongoing opportunities to apply their skills outside the classroom.