There’s hardly any aspect of life that isn’t feeling the emerging impact of artificial intelligence. AI.
How we work and learn.
How we interact with and understand the world.
Creativity. Education. Medicine. Criminal justice. Fact and fiction.
The impact of AI is now unavoidable.
But AI’s emergence is also an opportunity, says Aaron Rosman, 16 (CAHNR) ’21 MBA, program manager for the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UConn, for students to feel empowered.
“I’m a firm believer that things aren’t out of our hands regarding AI’s – and our – future,” says Rosman. “I believe everyone has a voice in this conversation. How we use AI and how we live with AI is up to us.”
Undergraduate students interested in taking on the challenge to help shape the future of AI are invited to participate in HackUConn 2026 – a hackathon event aimed at bringing together young innovators and industry experts for a non-stop, fast-paced innovation and invention competition.
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, engineering, or simply passionate about creating positive change.
“Students do not need to be highly technical, have prior experience, or be a specific major to participate,” says Daris Pon Mohan Kumar ’27 (ENG), the tech team co-lead and logistics team lead for this year’s event. “HackUConn focuses on being creative and proposing ideas rather than just engineering or coding. Projects can range from conceptual prototypes and business ideas to fully programmed applications depending on the students’ interest. HackUConn is a great place for both beginners and experienced students to network, collaborate, and learn!”
Led by a dedicated team of student organizers, HackUConn 2026 will focus on the AI “elephant in the room,” notes Rosman.
“When we started discussing where we wanted HackUConn 2026 to go, all roads led to AI,” Rosman says. “Everyone came with ideas that started somewhere else but had a red line to AI. ‘How is the landscape of education being impacted by emerging technologies?’ ‘How is the job market looking as I plan to graduate from UConn this May?’ ‘I feel as though I am creative, but what creativity means right now is changing.’”
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 – 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.
“This is something students would want to do because it gives them the unique opportunity to work with professionals in their preferred industries and get their feedback regarding their prototypes and what can be improved,” explains Preethika Rao ’27 (BUS), the student planning team lead. “From this, they not only get to learn more about their industry, but they also get the chance to form long-lasting bonds with some incredible advisors that can help them thrive in their future careers.”
This year’s HackUConn will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27 (with check-in starting at 4:00 p.m.), and will run until noon on Saturday, February 28, at the Peter J. Werth Residence Tower on the UConn Storrs campus.
Students are encouraged to register through Nexus by Friday, February 20. 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.
Over the course of the hackathon’s 20 consecutive hours, student teams will brainstorm, prototype, and pitch their solutions to a panel of judges, who then select the winning ideas.
And solutions, the organizers note, can come in a variety of forms – from architecture to apps and software, devices and prototypes, policy and research proposals, the only limit is student creativity.
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.
“HackUConn is an opportunity to explore the ideas that we often find no way to present to the world – the same ideas we discuss amongst others when we are discussing a problem or concern we have with the world that we live in or the difficulties that we face,” says Christopher Sindoni ’26 (BUS), the event materials student lead for HackUConn 2026. “In exploring these ideas and potential solutions, students have a chance to really evaluate the impact they may be able to make and learn about the resources provided to them to make it possible.”
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.
