Ļć½¶Ö±²„

Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”The student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery at Ļć½¶Ö±²„ will host an inaugural ā€œhackathonā€ this weekend [Sept. 23-24] for students to apply technologies in new and creative ways.

More than 200 students from 25 colleges ā€“ with Ļć½¶Ö±²„students comprising about half of the group ā€“ will work around the clock during the 24-hour event taking place in the Colvard Student Union. Students will develop an original project on Saturday [Sept. 23] and work through Sunday [Sept. 24] before presenting to judges that afternoon. Participants may bring their ideas but may not begin work on their technology project before the competition.

Called ā€œHackState,ā€ the event is ā€œa sprint-like innovation and coding competition during which student teams will design and build incredible new computer-oriented projects, such as web and mobile applications or hardware integrationsā€ according to student organizers. The competition is the first hackathon in Mississippi sanctioned by the official student hackathon league, Major League Hacking.

Charles Boyd, a senior Ļć½¶Ö±²„software engineering major from Madison, Alabama, said he hopes to see students ā€œcombine multiple technologies in a way thatā€™s never been done before to create something totally new.ā€

Competition judges will include computer science faculty and sponsor representatives.

Boyd is part of a student leadership team organizing the hackathon that includes the eventā€™s executive director and founder Natalie Larkin, a computer science major from Gaithersburg, Maryland; Kourtney Atwell, a computer science major from Hazel Green, Alabama, serving as operations and sponsorship director; and Amy Frances Farrar, an art/graphic design major from Amory serving as marketing director.

Donna Reese, Ļć½¶Ö±²„professor of computer science and engineering and ACM adviser, said hackathon participants will polish their computing skills with the goal of developing something innovative.

ā€œThis is an opportunity for them to really be creative with their skills and passions for computing,ā€ Reese said. She added that the student organizers who have prepared for the event also have developed valuable communication and leadership skills.

ā€œAll of those things theyā€™ve demonstrated in pulling off an event of this magnitude will serve them well as they go into the workforce,ā€ Reese said.

For complete event details, visit .

Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at .