Imagine a campus the size of a city.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were an easier way to get from one end to another when you only have 15 minutes between classes?

Or, if there were a better way of knowing when you were registering for classes that you would have to sprint from one end of campus to the other – in the rain, sleet, snow, or hail – to get from one class to the next on time?

Or, if there was something that could be done to fix that college-life problem that you just haven’t been able to stop thinking about since your first day on campus?

Because as much as you might love being a college student, no matter how great a university might be, there’s always something – be it something big, or just something small – that you hope could be done just a little bit better. A little bit smarter. A little bit more efficiently.

Chances are that UConn undergraduates have a lot of ideas about what some of those things could be, which is why student organizers are inviting all undergraduate students to help imagine the “Universities of Tomorrow” at HackUConn 2025 – a hackathon event that aims to bring together young innovators and industry experts for a non-stop, fast-paced innovation and invention competition focused on improving the college experience for students all across the globe.

“In the past year leading up to HackUConn, I’ve heard several suggestions from peers and friends about how to further improve their college experience,” says Preethika Rao ’27 (BUS), planning team co-lead for HackUConn. “We wanted to give many a chance to expand on these ideas with HackUConn this semester.”

A hackathon is a chance for creative thinkers, problem solvers, and anyone eager to make a difference to come together for the greater good. Students of all majors and backgrounds are invited to collaborate and innovate solutions to real-world challenges, whether you’re into design, business, marketing, or simply passionate about creating positive change.

First launched in 2016 as a way to help contribute to the University’s now thriving and collaborative entrepreneurial culture, HackUConn is the University’s flagship hackathon and an annual tradition – supported by the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – that offers an opportunity for students to step outside of their comfort zone and gather ideas, attend workshops, gain insight from mentors, and compete for prizes during the 20-hour in-person event.

“If you have an idea, if you want to create change within your local community, then this is the innovation competition for you,” says planning team co-lead Julian “Juju” Setiadi ’25 (ENG).

This year’s HackUConn will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28 (with check-in starting at 4:00 p.m.), and will run until noon on Saturday, March 1, at the Peter J. Werth Residence Tower on the UConn Storrs campus.

Students are encouraged to register by Friday, February 21. Students can register individually and then join a team at the event, or have the option of building a team before the event and registering together, though teams cannot bring in prior work – hacking can only be done during the event’s announced hacking period.

“Many have this misconception that HackUConn is only for comp sci and engineering majors, but this isn’t the case – no matter what your major is, you can definitely contribute to HackUConn and the team you eventually will become a part of,” Rao says. “It’s a great opportunity to make entrepreneurial ideas a reality. It’s also a good way to gain exposure to various fields and make long-lasting connections with others participating in HackUConn as well as the judges.”

Over the course of the 20 consecutive hours, the student teams will brainstorm, prototype, and pitch their solutions to a panel of judges, who then select the winning ideas.

Some previous HackUConn winners have gone on to pitch their ideas to UConn’s Get Seeded, which gives students opportunities to earn seed funding and mentorship through the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Education, or CCEI, to help launch an entrepreneurial idea.

“Student participants can expect to learn more about themselves, figuring out how they can really challenge their minds to come up with innovative solutions,” Setiadi says. “With HackUConn, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. The event is a roller coaster of emotions, but I believe that you’ll come out of it knowing more about yourself than you did before. If you manage to win the event, that will also be a great accomplishment to add onto your résumé.”

Each year, the planning team’s hope for the event, according to Aaron Rosman ’16 (CAHNR) ’21 MBA, operations manager for the Werth Institute and advisor for the student organizing team, is to find a theme that students relate to, so they can take part in coming up with innovative ideas for change.

“You are not alone in your thoughts and feelings!” says Rosman. “There are so many other students that share a similar viewpoint as you, and our goal is to connect you with them. Excitingly, you’re already an expert on this year’s HackUConn theme. By having step foot on our campus, you are prepared to be a part of our event. Help take your thoughts to the next stage and innovate what the university of tomorrow will look like with us!”

HackUConn is free, and food is provided for all participants. For more information, or to register for this year’s HackUConn, visit werth.institute.uconn.edu/events/hackuconn.