MTSU students create, network to pad resumes during 2023 HackMT [+VIDEO]

Middle Tennessee State University Computer Science and Data Science students were not only creating games and dabbling with virtual reality and artificial intelligence at this year’s HackMT event, but also networking and establishing relationships with, hopefully, potential employers.

Joined by representatives from industry partners, MTSU students on 10 teams spent 36 nonstop hours creating apps and more during the annual HackMT and project expo in the MTSU Science Building Sunday, Jan. 29.

The marathon hackathon gathers software developers, visual designers, programmers and computer/data science students from MTSU and professionals from local industry to form teams to invent new web platforms, mobile apps and electronic gadgets during the weekend.

Shortly after the awards ceremony wrapped up the event, about 80 happy but extremely tired students left the event site in search of sleep, as most pulled one or two all-nighters.

“I’ve been able to participate and make connections,” said Elijah Atkins, 19, a sophomore computer science major from Dickson, Tennessee, involved for the second consecutive year. “From this, I have a new colleague (Blake Stanley, a senior and part-time MTSU student who has just become a project analyst with Ingram Content Group in La Vergne, Tennessee).”

Atkins and Stanley were part of the 12-member team named WHaSUP, voted second overall by the judges. Atkins later received the second MTSU Computer Science Department Foundation HackMT Scholarship.

Dr. Joshua “Josh” Phillips, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science — Dr. Josh Phillips

“It’s cool that I got it,” Atkins said of the scholarship. “It means I’m visually able to see progress as a computer science student and am able to help other students.”

Josh Phillips, computer science associate professor and HackMT director, said they were “up in the number of participants and industry partners. All 10 teams stuck it out and everybody worked hard.”

One team included 18 data science students from the Data Science Club.

After setting up their computers showcasing their creations, Middle Tennessee State University computer science and data science students discuss their work with those attending the annual HackMT Sunday, Jan. 29, in the Liz and Creighton Rhea Atrium in the MTSU Science Building. From Friday night through Sunday morning, 10 teams and 80 students collaborated on their projects. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

An app to renovate KOM

Lorna Hedges, MTSU student majoring in computer science — Lorna Hedges

One team, named KOM-fused, developed an app called .KOM — creating a hypothetical way to renovate Kirksey Old Main, one of the four original buildings on campus in 1911 and home to computer science and Mathematical Sciences.

“You play a game, get tokens and cash them in to renovate KOM,” said senior computer science major Lorna Hedges. “You renovate the walls, floors, desks and materials one at a time. It has been a very steep learning curve. … It was successful and has been rewarding.”

Middle Tennessee State University computer science students Whit Barrett, left, and Lorna Hedges prepare to discuss their “KOM-fused” app they helped create that would help renovate Kirksey Old Main, one of the four original buildings on the MTSU campus. The app they created was appropriately named .KOM. In all, 10 teams and a combined 80 students and industry partners participated this year in the 36-hour event from Friday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 29, in the MTSU Science Building. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

One man show

Senior computer science major Wesley Mitchell, 21, of Franklin, Tennessee, created a graphical programming tool to build neural networks with artificial intelligence.

He created by himself because “I didn’t know a lot about the (AI) technology and I didn’t want to get with a bunch of people and tell them, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’”

Mitchell’s solo efforts were rewarded when he and Ian Tatum received $2,500 Asurion HackMT Scholarships. Mitchell plans to use the scholarship to attend classes this summer and his project “is something I want to keep working on and make better.”

Middle Tennessee State University computer science majors Wesley Mitchell, left, and Ian Tatum, right, received $2,500 scholarships from event sponsor Asurion Sunday, Jan. 29, at the conclusion of the annual MTSU HackMT event in the Science Building. Kevon Young, software engineer with Asurion, announced the names of the winners. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Virtual reality, or VR, once again was a focus by teams participating in the annual Middle Tennessee State University computer science HackMT, which wrapped up Sunday, Jan. 29, to conclude a 36-hour hackathon for a combined 80 computer science and data science students. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

2023 HackMT awards

• First place — Team 7 (team name 777), including Marim Abbas, Collin Kinslow, Anthony Pierce Ian Tatum, Samuel Thomas and Stephanie Zhang.

• Second place — Team 2 (team name WHaSUP), including Elijah Atkins, Kwabena Fosuhene, Audra Hensley, Andrew Leverette, Phillippe Lumpkin, Elena Malafeeva, Cory McDermaid, Rosalinda Powell, Justin Redifer, Blake Stanley, Zach Turner and Ajay Vashist.

• Third place — Team 9 (team name RLRACERS), including Zita Ajoku, Carlos Aldana, Joshua Cox, Kendra Givens, Jack Goble, Naomi Igbinovia, Alex Larable, David Ludwig, Christian Mertz, Grace Metri and Rahma Seid.

• Hackers’ Choice Award — Team 1 (team name No API available), including Mitchell Dwitt, Mark Eskander, Uriel Esquivel, Zarya Ghafour, Mateo Lopez Moncaleano, Adel Mahfooz and Matthew Radice.

• HackMT Scholarship/MTSU Computer Science Department Foundation — Elijah Atkins.

• Asurion HackMT 2023 Scholarship — Wesley Mitchell and Ian Tatum.

The 2023 Middle Tennessee State University HackMT judges’ first-place award went to the team nicknamed “777” on the final day of the 36-hour marathon hackathon in the MTSU Science Building Sunday, Jan. 29. Ten teams and 80 combined students and industry reps competed. (MTSU photo by Cat Curtis Murphy)

Industry partners

Phillips and Paul Wydra, MTSU director of development initiatives, annually receive solid support from a number of industry partners, led by Asurion and Amazon. Other featured sponsors included Bondware, CAT Financial, Antage, Genesco, CGI, L3Harris and TVA.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)