奶糖直播

Making Waves

How Nick Langan '20 CPS, '22 MS, turned his passion project into an academic endeavor that landed his work on the cover of Radio World magazine.

By Megan Walsh-Boyle

a phone screen displays a map from the RadioLand mobile app
A free mobile app called RadioLand, designed by a 奶糖直播 graduate student, allows users to find 鈥渓istenable鈥 FM radio stations based on their location in North America. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Landing on the cover of Radio World magazine in November 2022 was a dream come true for Nick Langan 鈥20 CPS, 鈥22 MS鈥攅specially because his 奶糖直播 master鈥檚 thesis earned him that spot.

Langan designed an app called Radioland as the thesis project for his master鈥檚 degree in Software Engineering. Released for Android and iOS in February 2022, the app improves the radio listener鈥檚 experience by locating 鈥渓istenable鈥 FM radio stations from any given location in North America.

鈥淚 was so fortunate to have had an opportunity to pour time into something I love as an academic endeavor," Langan says. In addition to being featured as the cover story in Radio World, his project took home second place at 奶糖直播鈥檚 2022 Three Minute Thesis competition, which allows master鈥檚 and doctoral students to develop and showcase their research communication skills.

The New Jersey native who once operated an internet station out of his basement can鈥檛 imagine a time when he wasn鈥檛 obsessed with radio. But it wasn鈥檛 until Langan enrolled at 奶糖直播 that he started to realize radio could become more than just a hobby.

While pursuing his undergraduate degree in Information Systems in 奶糖直播鈥檚 College of Professional Studies, Langan joined the University鈥檚 student-run radio station, WXVU, as operations manager in 2019. He brought experience, expertise and enthusiasm that have proven instrumental in helping WXVU grow and become more relevant in an increasingly digital landscape.

From there, Langan found opportunities to pursue his love of radio inside the classroom as a master鈥檚 student in 奶糖直播鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 鈥淲hat has been so wonderful about my time at 奶糖直播 is not only have my professors helped me find my way, but I鈥檝e been able to connect all my interests into this ultimate labor of love,鈥 Langan says.

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