This spring, The University of Tulsa launched a new tradition grounded in creativity, collaboration and cutting-edge problem-solving: the Hurricane Hackathon.
Organized by members of UTulsa’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) Club, in partnership with the Tandy School of Computer Science, the event attracted about 20 students for an intense, time-bound innovation sprint. With a theme of “2030 and Beyond,” participants were challenged to create solutions for the future.
Hackathons allow participants to build community and learn in a fun, fast-paced environment. Participants collaborate in teams to turn ideas into functional projects. Dallas Elleman, a Cyber Fellow and doctoral student from Sand Springs, said inspiration struck during a road trip with the AIML Club, which is a student organization that he co-founded. They were attending a similar event, Hacklahoma, in Norman and wanted to duplicate that opportunity for UTulsa students who appreciate challenges, problem solving and teamwork.
“In general, hacking is just creative problem solving. It doesn’t have to involve technology. Hackathons are intense sprints where people come together to solve problems creatively,” Elleman explained. “Hackathons are a time-constrained opportunity – usually 24 to 48 hours, but sometimes as long as several days – for participants to transform their ideas into tangible working prototypes.
“Online hackathons bring together people from all over the world. On-site events like the Hurricane Hackathon often feature food, prizes and workshops on creativity, engineering, teamwork and other topics. And hackathons aren’t just for engineering students; all different backgrounds and majors have something to contribute and learn.”
What started as an idea became a reality much quicker than expected. With help from Instructional Assistant Professor of Computer Science Ian Riley, Ph.D., organizers planned and launched the university’s first hackathon since before the COVID-19 pandemic in just three weeks.
Building and delivering the event was a creative problem-solving sprint in itself, but the team’s hard work and planning paid off. The inaugural Hurricane Hackathon drew strong participation and overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“The biggest surprise for me was the quality and creativity of the responses we got. With a simple prompt – “2030 and Beyond” – students came up with some incredibly creative solutions to problems they see now and coming at us in the next five to 10 years,” Elleman said.
Student submissions for the inaugural Hurricane Hackathon can be found online.
The event was intentionally designed as a smaller, “minimum viable product” hackathon, allowing organizers to test interest and learn what works. Elleman said he’s already working with students and faculty in UTulsa’s College of Engineering & Computer Science and across campus to plan another, larger hackathon in the fall. Their goal is to include 100+ students from across campus and other universities, regardless of major.
“I think my biggest takeaway is that students at UTulsa – and members of the community at large – are hungry for a top-shelf hackathon tradition. The University of Tulsa is in a great position to add immensely to Tulsa’s innovation ecosystem by supporting one,” he said.