Students, with help from administration, bring back breakout hackathon
‘Why shouldn’t it be me?’ says U of A engineering major and Hack Arizona co-chair.
Software engineering junior Jacob Ishak-Boushaki is co-chair for Hack Arizona, to be held March 22-23 at the university’s Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library. All Arizona college students are invited to compete in problem-solving teams, and spectators are welcome.
Jacob Ishak-Boushaki entered the University of Arizona with a driving ambition to resurrect Hack Arizona. The student-run effort launched in 2015 and became the Southwest’s largest hackathon, attracting as many as 875 competitors. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the event to a halt.
Until now. Student organizers, with the backing of the Division of Undergraduate Education – as well as support from the College of Engineering, additional university units and local industry partners – will again host Hack Arizona March 22-23. They’ve attracted 300 competitors and hope to keep building up to pre-pandemic participation levels in subsequent years.
A hackathon unites teams around developing solutions to specific problems during a short time period. The term is formed by combining “hack” – referring to creative strategy development rather than illegal computer hacking – and “marathon.”
This year, groups will vie for first-, second- and third-place prizes in categories including artificial intelligence, marketing and sustainability. One challenge will task a team with teaching an AI model to navigate a digital twin of the university’s Biosphere 2 facility. Precision will be key, because if a robot using the AI veered off course, it could damage research projects.
Priorities and support converge
Ishak-Boushaki became captivated by Hack Arizona when his sister, a U of A theater major, served on the student committee that planned the inaugural 2015 event.
“I decided somebody should bring it back. Why shouldn’t it be me?” said the software engineering junior.
Ishak-Boushaki led an initial effort, organized a much smaller version for the spring of 2024 with the sponsorship of the College of Engineering. Fifty students participated, with winners taking home certificates and bragging rights.
“It was the most rewarding experience of my life. It was incredible and a ton of work,” he said.
As Ishak-Boushaki and his teammates were gathering steam for a return to a large-scale event, Kian Alavy, director of strategic planning and initiatives for undergraduate education, was part of a university task force that identified Hack Arizona as a priority.
“We wanted to bring it back to life and involve students from across the campus,” he said.
Numerous U of A units offered expertise and resources, including Research, Innovation and Impact; Tech Launch Arizona; the Institute for Computation and Data-Enabled Insight; and colleges. The U of A Libraries reserved CATalyst Studios, a university-wide makerspace, for Hack Arizona.
Students work at CATalyst Studios in the U of A Main Library. The makerspace offers high-tech equipment for students competing in Hack Arizona.
University of Arizona
Faculty and staff volunteered to advise the 10 students the division hired. Ishak-Boushaki is one of four co-chairs, working alongside fellow software engineering major Daniel Gallardo and students from the Eller College of Management and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences to lead overall planning and implementation.
The division’s goal was to provide continuity and institutional backing while keeping Hack Arizona a student-run event, said Greg Heileman, vice provost for undergraduate education and a professor of electrical and computer engineering.
“We wanted to create a backbone for this to operate around and give students the support they need,” said Heileman.
Local businesses, along with university units, have contributed to a prize pool valued at $10,000. Sponsor representatives will serve at the event by judging competitions, providing on-site guidance and conducting a variety of workshops for Hack Arizona participants and spectators.
More than friendly competition
Students at all levels from any state college or university will take part in Hack Arizona. In addition to learning from the challenges, Ishak-Boushaki anticipates students will network, gain knowledge from workshops and have fun.
“I want it to be something that students enjoy and think about for years to come. We’re making sure everybody has something to gain from it,” he said.
Ishak-Boushaki has gained experience and confidence in his co-chair role.
“Being an engineer isn't just building something – you have to be able to work on a team, maybe with people who have different skills or backgrounds or personalities than you,” he said. “Learning how to manage that is one of the skills I'm picking up.”
Participants, too, will learn and practice skills they can bring to careers, said Heileman. For those focused on engineering, working on broad projects will expand their perspectives. Future engineers will contribute to aspects like planning how to market a product and delivering an effective presentation for the Hack Arizona judges.
“This is what an engineer has to do when they get a job,” said Heileman. “They have to learn to work with the other elements of a company, and it’s often challenging.”