IEEE Computer Society Drives AI Innovation at 24-Hour Hackathon
By IEEE Computer Society Team on
The IEEE Computer Society’s Student and Young Professionals (SYP) Local Coding Initiative delivered a 24-hour Innovation Hackathon at the University of Bridgeport Student Center on March 28-29, 2026. The theme was simple: “Build the Future.”
Teams from several area universities rose to the challenge. Inspired by the event, they developed AI-powered solutions that addressed real-world challenges.
A Purpose Driven by IEEE CS’s Vision
The hackathon’s purpose went beyond a typical student competition. It aligned with the IEEE Computer Society’s vision of fostering innovation and building bridges between academia and industry. Rather than confining university students to labs, IEEE CS uses events like the hackathon to equip them to overcome modern computing challenges.
Delivering on this promise required a strategic structure consisting of five tracks for building solutions:
- Smart Infrastructure & Mobility
- Environmental Protection & Waste Management
- HealthTech & Well-Being
- AI-Powered Business & Future Workforce
- Education & Learning Innovation
These tracks scaffolded each team’s interdisciplinary approach while also ensuring each project could have a meaningful impact on society and/or industry.
Broad Participation Enhanced by Industry Mentors and Judges
The 13 teams hailed from a range of schools from the northeast, including Northeastern University, New York University, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, University of New Haven, and the University of Bridgeport.
At the same time, the presence of industry professionals grounded the event, making sure projects delivered genuine, innovative impact. Specifically, there were:
- Eight judges who examined each project according to technical and strategic criteria
- Five mentors who worked with the teams, helping them through the full 24-hour development cycle
- Five industry speakers who touched on AI innovation, emerging tech, and how they could have real-world benefits
The judges’ panel included:
- Bhumika Shah - Chubb
- Devtosh Dubey - Digital Turbine
- Ishaan Raj - United Rentals
- Sanchay Gumber - HCL Technologies
The mentors played an equally important role, using their professional perspective and experience to support the teams and their projects. The mentors included:
- Devtosh Dubey - Digital Turbine
- Ishaan Raj - United Rentals
- Sanchay Gumber - HCL Technologies
- Shaubham Kashikar: ARS Technologies
- Mustafa Merchant: KUBTEC Medical Imaging
The result was a rigorous, focused event.
Devtosh Dubey highlighted its impact: “Participants worked intensively, making real-time design decisions and collaborating effectively to address complex, real-world problems.” Dubey also mentioned the effectiveness of the event, saying, “Several teams delivered structured, functional systems aligned with industry expectations.”
Winning Teams
There was an overall winner and a tie for second place:
- First place: New York University
- Second place (tie): Northeastern University
- Second place (tie): Fairfield University
How Participants Felt the Impact
As testimonials from judges and mentors poured in, it was clear that the hackathon achieved its goals of fostering applied learning and industry alignment.
Bhumika Shah described how the projects reflected a genuine understanding of what effective innovation involves:
“The strongest submissions reflected not just technical capability but also an understanding of scalability, feasibility, and user impact—the same trade-offs encountered in production environments.”
Ishaan Raj was impressed by the participants’ ability to execute while under pressure:
“The strongest teams demonstrated clarity in problem definition, structured solution design, and a clear path toward scalability… capabilities directly transferable to real-world system development.”
IEEE CS Guides University Students as They “Build the Future”
The event did more than just promote STEM education and foster skills for modern AI and software engineering. It also reinforced the importance of collaboration and disciplined problem-solving. Like other IEEE CS events, it closed the gap between theoretical learning and building effective solutions that benefit industry and society.
Those interested in running or participating in a similar event can find out more on IEEE CS’s volunteer page.
