UMass Boston

Students team up to solve real-world problems in health care, education, the tech sector, and everyday life, using AI tools and applications.

The Paul English Applied AI Institute (PEAAII) Student Advisory Council (SAC) is excited to announce the launch of the inaugural AI Applications Hackathon. Formed this past spring, SAC is comprised of students across academic disciplines and works closely with the Institute’s Executive Director and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Wei Ding, to design learning and engagement opportunities for their fellow students, with the goal of creating ways to optimize and democratize the use of AI tools across a broad range of majors. Uchenna Charles Onuoha, Business Administration in Finance PhD candidate remarked, “Being a part of the SAC at the Institute has been a remarkable learning experience. Collectively, we’ve provided input on the Institute’s programs, promoted student interests, and contributed to the mission of advancing AI education and research. We’re excited to see the hackathon come to fruition.”

A method used by a myriad of organizations — from startups to Fortune 100 companies — a hackathon is a short period of intense and focused work for participants to complete a project or solve a problem. For the Institute’s AI Applications Hackathon, students will put aside distractions over the course of a few days and achieve something that might not otherwise be accomplished due to its ambitious nature or competing responsibilities. Each student participating in the hackathon will receive a $50 stipend, and the four final teams will receive $1,000 each. Each of the four teams will present their findings at the AI for All event on October 30. At the event, Institute Founder Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19 and Provost Joseph Berger will ask questions to all four teams before they and the audience cast their votes to select the 1st prize, 2nd prize, 3rd prize, and Honorable Mention.

Realizing that the notion of a hackathon may be new to many in the campus community, SAC knew that education and communication were the keys to setting up their fellow students for success. Leading up to the hackathon, the group created new communications channels through Microsoft Teams and social media accounts, and planned a semester-long speaker series, featuring faculty and external partners highlighting how they use AI in their daily work. As a warmup exercise, the group deployed the "Interview with an AI Tool" contest. This event is aimed to raise awareness of AI and encourage participation among UMass Boston students by challenging them to solve real-world problems with the help of AI tools.

Throughout the semester, faculty mentors from various disciplines provided invaluable support to students. Tim Zeng, associate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction department, emphasized the importance of mentorship in fostering student innovation.

 “I’ve been impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the students,” he said. “Our role as mentors is to guide them, help refine their ideas, and ensure they understand the ethical implications of their projects.”

Associate Professor of Communication Gamze Yilmaz echoed this sentiment: “It’s exciting to see students apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The hackathon is a perfect platform for them to experiment and learn in a hands-on environment.”

“This is just the beginning. Our goal is to foster a culture of innovation and collaboration in AI. We hope to make this hackathon an annual tradition, empowering students to think critically about the role of technology in society,” said Ding.

To join the conversation on October 30, confirm your attendance at the registration site: zzsghm.com/aiforall. To learn more about the AI Institute, visit ai.zzsghm.com.