Beyond the classroom with the Wildcat MicroFUND: WSU students build software platform
OGDEN, Utah — What began as a capstone project at Weber State University has grown into an impactful student-led technology initiative.
In 2021, the Wildcat MicroFUND partnered with Richard C. Fry, professor in the School of Computing and director of the Catalyst Software Incubation Lab, to address a real-world challenge: streamlining the Wildcat MicroFUND’s entire workflow process from application intake to post-award reporting.
The Wildcat MicroFUND is an early-stage seed fund that helps businesses start and grow with grants up to $3,000. Recognizing the inefficiencies of existing processes, and lack of a suitable commercial solution, Catherine Holbrook Clark, manager of the Wildcat MicroFUND, saw an opportunity for improvement. She partnered with Fry to launch a collaborative initiative that would empower students.
Under their mentorship, a multidisciplinary team of WSU students designed and developed a custom software platform from the ground up.
“We wanted to give students a project that mattered and we needed a real system with real users and real impact,” said Holbrook Clark. “We needed a product that simply didn’t exist in the marketplace.”
From the onset, students were empowered to lead every phase of development. Beginning with stakeholder interviews and detailed needs assessments, they mapped out pain points and process bottlenecks. That foundation gave way to user journey mapping, wireframe creation, and interface design.
The technical work that followed spanned nearly five years. Students coded, tested, and refined the platform across multiple iterations, translating a fragmented manual process into a smooth, web-based experience.
As the project matured, Fry selected promising students from his upper-level software engineering and systems development courses to join the team. These students gained hands-on experience in agile development, version control, full-stack engineering, and direct collaboration with stakeholders — practical skills that are often difficult to acquire through traditional coursework alone.
In spring 2024, Holbrook Clark selected seven standout student developers from Fry’s courses to lead the final push toward launching the platform for real users — entrepreneurs seeking support from the Wildcat MicroFUND.
All seven students graduated that semester, and Holbrook Clark brought on the graduate student software engineers to take on the final stages of development and oversight of the beta testing phase. Their efforts culminated in the official launch of the platform in August 2024.
“This wasn’t just about learning to code, it was about working on a team, meeting expectations, and building something that mattered,” said Traci Day, graduate project manager.
The final product is a robust web-based software solution that powers the workflow process of the Wildcat MicroFUND. It handles application submissions, review and approval workflows, award tracking, post-award reporting, data management, and analytics. The system is already in full use and has been designed with scalability in mind, making it ready for other departments or institutions to adopt.
“Catherine took a big, big chance on us and placed a tremendous amount of trust in our abilities,” said Kai Cottrell, graduate lead full stack developer. “I am forever grateful for her mentorship and her unwavering belief in our ability to deliver the end product. She did not just set all of us up for success in the workplace, she cared about each one of us and fostered our individual and collective talents.”
Holbrook Clark said the project underscores the power of mentorship. With guidance from faculty and staff, students were given the autonomy to take the lead and gain experience.
“This platform showcases the exceptional talent and marketplace readiness of our students,” said Holbrook Clark. “It’s proof that innovative ideas and impactful solutions originate in the classrooms of Weber State University.”
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Rachel Badali, news coordinator
801-626-7362, rachelbadali@weber.edu