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Defense and Security

Navy veteran charts a new course with George �鶹��Ƶ robotics

tdonnel — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:28:39 +0000

Navy veteran charts a new course with George �鶹��Ƶ robotics tdonnel Mon, 03/09/2026 - 11:28

In This Story

Xuesu Xiao

As a scientist for the federal government, Naval Reservist David Eichinger’s path to a master’s degree in computer science at �鶹��Ƶ was less than traditional. A microbiology major turned technologist, Eichinger is now a graduate researcher in robotics. He represents the motivated, resilient students George �鶹��Ƶ empowers, balancing academics with the demands of life beyond the classroom.

After noticing patterns in his work, Eichinger realized he needed computational tools to solve complex problems. Over the course of nine years—first in a post‑baccalaureate certificate, now in the master’s program—Eichinger built the foundation he needed.

David Eichinger. Photo provided.

“I chose the computer science program because I was interested in learning computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, and robotics to understand pattern recognition in data,” he said.

When he began exploring graduate programs, he sought proximity to his job and support for veterans in addition to an excellent program. That support system at George �鶹��Ƶ has been critical as he balances graduate studies with military life, work, and family. It’s also one reason he believes George �鶹��Ƶ is such a strong fit for veterans and nontraditional students like himself.

“George �鶹��Ƶ’s [Computer Science Program] was just very flexible as far as the time of day they offer their classes,” he said, adding that classes can be either online or in person. Even more important to him was faculty access.

Today, Eichinger works in Xuesu Xiao’s robotics lab in Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square, working on off-road mobility and social navigation robotics. The lab is lively, collaborative, and hands‑on. “It’s like a little makerspace to geek out on with different toys,” he said. “It is a joy to play with these robots and try to program them to move on their own.”

As a nontraditional student, Eichinger appreciates that George �鶹��Ƶ creates space for varied pathways and goals. For veterans, career changers, and those returning to school later in life, his path demonstrates how George �鶹��Ƶ’s computer science master’s program meets students where they are and takes them where they hope to go.

“It is not a walk in the park,” he said, “but it is worth doing if you believe in it."

Topics

computer science

George �鶹��Ƶ team wins Virginia Cyber Cup Competition at Commonwealth Cyber Fusion event

tdonnel — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:25:26 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ team wins Virginia Cyber Cup Competition at Commonwealth Cyber Fusion event tdonnel Fri, 02/27/2026 - 10:25

In This Story

Matthew Jablonski

A team of �鶹��Ƶ students brought home the first-place trophy from the 9th Annual Commonwealth Cyber Fusion and Virginia Cyber Cup Competition, held February 20-21 at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia. The statewide, invitation‑only event brought together top cyber programs from institutions designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense for two days of competition, professional development, and networking. More than 150 students from 19 Virginia colleges and universities participated.

�鶹��Ƶ Competitive Cyber (MCC) team secured first place in the university division, edging out top competitors from the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary. Their win came down to the final minutes of a four‑hour Jeopardy‑style capture-the-flag (CTF) competition, for which students solved a series of complex cybersecurity challenges across multiple categories. The winning team included undergraduates Amaan Abbas, Dylan Charnick, Kyson Fromm, Noah Hinger, Neil Sharma (cyber security engineering (CYSE) majors) and Cristian Puerto (information technology major).

�鶹��Ƶ team poses with trophy. Photo provided.

For Dylan Charnick, MCC’s vice president and the team’s student liaison with Cyber Fusion organizers, this year’s competition carried a different weight. “Last year I was one of the new players, and I felt like my main responsibility was to learn as much as I could," he said. "This year I was the team leader, which meant I had to guide a lot of new players into their roles. I had a blast working with my teammates, and I feel like we all worked hard to secure the win. We definitely learned a ton, and we’re ready to come back next year!”

Teammate Cristian Puerto agreed. “This was my first time at this event, along with most others on my team, so we came into it willing to learn and to try our best. Our team's balanced skill sets throughout all the categories allowed us to get through almost all the challenges except for a couple. One of my highlights from this weekend was not only winning the competition but having the opportunity to put myself in an environment where everyone shares the same passion for cybersecurity and having conversations with anyone at any experience-level.”

Hosted by VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics and co‑sponsored by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) and the Virginia Cyber Range (VACR), the event featured a job fair and industry speakers in addition to the CTF competition. Attending the event with the students was Peggy Brouse, a member of the VACR Executive Board and associate chair in CYSE, and Matthew Jablonski, faculty sponsor for MCC and CYSE assistant professor.

The weekend’s competition extended beyond the CTF. On Friday, the event kicked off with Tech Duels, a team debate challenge in which students were paired across institutions to argue a topic selected by the organizers. For his debate, Neil Sharma, representing George �鶹��Ƶ, was partnered with a student from Liberty University to form “Team AI” and tackle the prompt: “AI vs. Zero Trust—What is the best way to protect the nation’s infrastructure?” The duo won their opening debate, which was the first competitive event of the weekend.

Jablonski poses with trophy. Photo provided.

“The Tech Duels debate was a lot of fun. I enjoyed working with someone I didn’t know prior to the event,” said Sharma. “Due to my teammate’s prior experience with Tech Duels and our coordination beforehand, we were able to put forth a convincing argument and win the debate. Unlike the CTF component of the competition, I had no prior experience, so it was exciting to try something new.”

Jablonski said, “This was my first time attending Cyber Fusion, I was incredibly impressed with the way CCI and the Virginia Cyber Range organized this event. Our students were challenged, they competed hard, and they were respectful of their peers from other universities throughout the entire weekend. The CYSE Department couldn’t be more proud of MCC and our students for bringing home the Virginia Cyber Cup.”

With support from partners like CCI and faculty mentors across the College of Engineering and Computing, MCC students continue to demonstrate excellence in Virginia's growing cybersecurity ecosystem.

Topics

Cybersecurity

information sciences and technology

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

�鶹��Ƶ Competitive Cyber

HackFax x PatriotHacks 2026 entered the Major League with a 72-hour Valentine’s weekend event

tdonnel — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:29:12 +0000

HackFax x PatriotHacks 2026 entered the Major League with a 72-hour Valentine’s weekend event tdonnel Mon, 02/23/2026 - 12:29

Over Valentine’s Day weekend, two of �鶹��Ƶ’s tech communities joined forces to host HackFax x PatriotHacks 2026, a collaborative hackathon and capture-the-flag (CTF) competition. Event organizers leaned into the holiday theme, joking that “we fell in love at first sight and became one!” The result was a joint event that brought together more than 500 students from more than 30 colleges and universities for hacking, learning, and community.

Photo by Andani Munkaila/Office of University Branding

In addition to the CTF competition, the three‑day, 72-hour event featured workshops, panels, and networking opportunities with sponsors such as EY, AWS, Microsoft, Peraton, and Red Bull.

And this was the first gathering since PatriotHacks went Major League. PatriotHacks is now designated as a Major League Hacking (MLH) event. MLH, the official student hackathon league supporting collegiate hackathons in the United States, helps empower students to promote innovation, form communities, and teach technical skills.

For some participants, the appeal of the Valentine’s weekend event was the chance to build and learn freely while having fun.

Anuridhi Gupta, an information sciences and technology (IT) major described the CTF challenge as “kind of like a treasure hunt.” She said she valued the industry exposure and took the opportunity to speak with representatives from Amazon and Microsoft.

Aryan Patel emphasized the creative freedom that hackathons offer, saying, “You can make what you want and learn the skills that you’re interested in.”

Senior IT major Alexa Mayer was motivated to attend the hackathon because of the panel on women working in STEM hosted by Microsoft on Saturday. The panel’s emphasis on soft skills and growth mindset broadened her understanding of what success in cybersecurity requires, she said.

Sophomore management and information systems major in the Costello College of Business Lara Miran said hearing of panelists’ journeys helped her imagine new futures for herself in roles such as product or project management.

Cyber security engineering student Marcos Daleney highlighted the career benefits of participating in a hackathon. “It’s a great resume builder,” he said.

By merging two student‑run hackathon communities into one high‑energy, holiday‑themed event, HackFax x PatriotHacks 2026 delivered more than just code and competition. It fostered meaningful connections between students and sponsors.

More from the College of Engineering and Computing

Topics

Hackathon

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

student organizations

George �鶹��Ƶ digital forensics expert clarifies Guthrie footage recovery

tdonnel — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:07:41 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ digital forensics expert clarifies Guthrie footage recovery tdonnel Mon, 02/16/2026 - 15:07

In This Story

Jim Jones

In a series of national news reports, Jim Jones, the director of �鶹��Ƶ's digital forensics program, explained to the public how investigators may have recovered previously inaccessible home‑security footage related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

Jim Jones. Photo provided.

"Our world is awash in digital data," said Jones. "The challenge in investigations like this is to collect all that data, process it, then find the needles in the haystacks that are relevant, connected, and can help solve the case."

Jones appeared as a digital forensics expert in an ABC News video segment, where he and Mary Ellen O’Toole, the director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s forensic science program, analyzed the recovered footage and discussed how investigators interpret digital artifacts in complex cases. Their commentary helped contextualize how fragments of data, even when corrupted, incomplete, or seemingly lost, can still become vital evidence in high‑stakes investigations.

Jones’ insights also appear prominently in NPR and VPM reports explaining how the FBI managed to retrieve Google Nest doorbell camera footage despite early claims that the device had been disconnected, tampered with, or lacking a paid storage subscription. He explained that physically removing or unplugging a camera does not erase already‑captured footage, noting that earlier recordings may actually be safer from being overwritten once the device stops recording. “Whatever had been recorded up to that point is actually a little bit safer because it's not going to be overwritten by more recording,” he said.

Jones also clarified misconceptions about subscription‑based video retention. While Google is not obligated to store footage for non‑subscribers, data is often still transmitted to the cloud and may persist in backend systems long enough for forensic recovery.

In a separate CBS Chicago report, Jones also explained how investigators are deploying a helicopter‑mounted “signal sniffer” to search for faint, irregular transmissions from Guthrie’s pacemaker, noting that while its range is extremely limited and lacks any clear identifier, it remains a tool worth trying as authorities exhaust every technological option in the search

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and digital forensics, Jones is regularly featured in media segments breaking down high-profile cases and forensic methodologies, and he speaks at conferences and contributes to public discussions about how digital footprints are used in modern investigations. His scholarship and public engagement make him one of the most trusted voices in forensic science education in the country.

Topics

George �鶹��Ƶ is launching a Space Forward Frontiers Seminar with Northrop Grumman

Domonique Hopkins — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:45:36 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ is launching a Space Forward Frontiers Seminar with Northrop Grumman Domonique Hopkins Mon, 01/26/2026 - 10:45

Explore the College of Science

Explore Mechanical Engineering

�鶹��Ƶ’s College of Science is launching the Space Forward Frontiers Seminar Series in spring 2026, in partnership with Northrop Grumman and George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing.

The one-credit, in-person seminar (PHYS 391/590, cross-listed as ME 500) is open to undergraduate and graduate students of all majors interested in the space industry.

Limited to 50 students, the Thursday afternoon seminar features weekly lectures from George �鶹��Ƶ faculty and industry professionals, offering practical and academic perspectives on today’s space sector. Topics include the space industry’s foundations, enabling technologies, policy considerations, and future directions, with the inaugural offering focusing on crowding and events in the space environment.

With no prerequisites or textbooks, the course is highly accessible and connects students to such emerging opportunities as NASA’s Landolt Mission, led by George �鶹��Ƶ faculty. The seminar also supports the university’s Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI), advancing both 21st-century education and pioneering space exploration through industry collaboration.

Topics

Aerospace

Space

College of Science

mechanical engineering

innovative classes

George �鶹��Ƶ team earns $2.1M to study seizure dynamics

tdonnel — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:06:52 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ team earns $2.1M to study seizure dynamics tdonnel Tue, 01/13/2026 - 10:06

In This Story

John Cressman

Parag Chitnis

Remi Veneziano

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a �鶹��Ƶ research team $2.1 million to create a system that could revolutionize the study of seizures.

The project combines the expertise of Parag Chitnis and Remi Veneziano (Department of Bioengineering), and Rob Cressman (Department of Physics and Astronomy) to develop an imaging and sensing system for identifying areas of the brain with potassium ion dysregulation.

“Potassium is one of those ions that actually inhibits activation of cells. If there's a dysfunction in those ions, you get runaway signaling. A seizure is an example of that,” said Cressman, who has studied epilepsy since his postdoctoral work. “We’re trying to develop tools that help us understand that better.”

From left, Parag Chitnis, Rob Cressman, and Remi Veneziano. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding.

When the biocompatible nanosensors, made of DNA and light-sensitive dye, encounter a local change in potassium concentration, they change their shape resulting in a change in their near-infrared fluorescence signal.

“We want to detect even very small changes in potassium,” said Veneziano, whose work involves synthesizing new nanomaterials from DNA particles, proteins, and lipids. “The system we’ve built is modular, versatile, and highly sensitive.”

These signals can be mapped in real-time using a near-infrared imaging device to understand dynamic changes in ion concentration.

One of the most promising applications is image-guided surgical intervention for epilepsy. By pinpointing seizure foci through potassium mapping, surgeons may be able to perform precise tissue ablation, removing only the affected areas.

“If you can identify the focus and remove that part of the tissue, you can sometimes stop the seizures,” said Cressman.

The four-year NIH-funded project, previously funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), builds on years of research supported by George �鶹��Ƶ’s Center for MedTech Innovation.

“This grant allows us to translate our NSF-funded feasibility work into real-world applications,” said Chitnis, who studies brain-body interactions using light and ultrasound. “We’re not just studying disease—we’re building tools that could guide future interventions.”

The toolkit will be tested across multiple platforms—from cell cultures to brain slices to intact mammalian models—allowing researchers to study bioelectrical activity at various scales.

The team also sees potential for assessing functional recovery after traumatic brain injury. Scar tissue can disrupt potassium regulation, and the nanosensors may help identify regions at risk of developing seizure foci. As the research progresses, the team hopes to open new pathways for understanding and treating complex brain disorders.

Topics

Bioengineering

College of Science

National Science Foundation

National Institutes of Health

Groundbreaking study reveals hidden complexity in human genetics

tdonnel — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:32:03 +0000

Groundbreaking study reveals hidden complexity in human genetics tdonnel Mon, 01/12/2026 - 13:32

In This Story

Amarda Shehu

Sometimes, in genetics, two wrongs do make a right. A research team recently showed that two harmful genetic variants, when occurring together in a gene, can restore function—proving a decades-old hypothesis originally proposed by Nobel laureate Francis Crick. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), not only experimentally validated this theory but also introduced a powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approach to genetic interpretation led by �鶹��Ƶ researchers.

The project began when Aimée Dudley, a geneticist at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI), approached �鶹��Ƶ Chief AI Officer Amarda Shehu after following her lab’s work on frontier AI models for predicting the functional impact of genetic variation. That conversation sparked a collaboration that married PNRI’s experimental expertise with George �鶹��Ƶ’s computational innovation to discover some surprising ways variant combinations can shape human health.

The problem

Every year one in three Americans is diagnosed with a genetic disorder. Symptoms manifest in infancy for about 70% of individuals. Sadly, 35% die before the age of 5. Advancements in clinical genomics offer hope to better understand and possibly treat these disorders.

“High-throughput genomic screening has been a wonderful feat for humanity,” said Shehu, “but one of its side effects is that it has produced massive amounts of data, outpacing our ability to interpret what that data means for health and disease.”

Research in the Shehu lab has for years focused on building frontier AI models to advance genetic interpretation, but all data available link only isolated, single variants to measured functional activity. Because each person's genome contains billions of base pairs, with about five million variants existing between two individuals’ genomes, looking at one variant at a time rather than combinations of variants could only reveal so much.

“It looked like we had hit a wall,” Shehu said, “that is, until Dr. Dudley contacted my lab more than a year ago.”

On the left, a 3D landscape derived from variant–variant measurements shows distinct functional regions emerging from pairwise interactions. On the right, these regions map onto a multimeric protein structure, where variants in separate spatial zones can be sequestered into different active sites, allowing functional recovery. This visualization captures the structural logic underlying positive epistasis and illustrates how AI-enabled analysis links genetic variation to protein function, a key, groundbreaking result Dudley and Shehu's labs published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Image provided.

The proof

Dudley’s lab was convinced that the key was to account for variant combinations in a gene, also called epistasis. They measured functional effects of variant combinations in the DNA of a key enzyme, argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), a lack of which results in urea cycle disorder, a rare but devastating condition.

The researchers tested thousands of variant combinations that resulted in no enzyme activity when on their own and found that a significant portion of them had high levels of enzyme activity when in combination with each other. In other words, two defective variants, when combined, can recover function.

“This was the most puzzling thing that I could not believe when Dr. Dudley showed it to me. Sometimes in biology, zero plus zero equals 100%,” said Shehu.

Shehu said that Crick, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962 with James Dewey Watson and Maurice Wilkins for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of DNA, had hypothesized this could happen.

“Crick had a fancy word for it—variant sequestration,” said Shehu, “But until Dr. Dudley, no one had demonstrated it.”

The progress

Once Dudley’s lab confirmed the phenomenon experimentally, George �鶹��Ƶ researchers turned to AI to see if it could predict similar effects across other genes. Using the ASL data from Dudley’s lab, George �鶹��Ƶ computer science PhD student Anowarul Kabir developed a machine learning model to predict the effects of variant combinations. Then, he applied the model to a structurally similar but evolutionarily distinct protein, fumarase (FH). The algorithm achieved 99.6 percent accuracy in predicting regained function within ASL and 91 percent accuracy in FH.

“The really cool thing about this,” said Shehu, “is that the model learned both sequence and structural patterns and was able to transfer its knowledge to another gene.”

This breakthrough suggests that with experimental data from a few genes, AI can help scale variant effect prediction to a broad set of genes. The PNAS publication estimates that as many as 4% of the genes in the human genome could have the same types of effects seen for ASL and FH.

The paradigm shift

This breakthrough marks a paradigm shift in clinical genomics for precision medicine. By considering variant combinations rather than isolated, single variants, clinicians can deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses and life-saving interventions for families facing rare diseases. They can also prioritize therapeutic treatments based on specific epistatic profiles of patients or clinical trial participants.

“Clinical genomics has been stuck in a rut for decades. We’ve shown that you need to look at combinations of variants to fully understand their impact,” said Shehu. “Our AI model expands coverage from one gene to another, accelerating interpretation and bringing us closer to true precision medicine.”

Topics

DNA

Machine Learning

Machine Learning in Health Care

applied information technology graduate programs

Artificial Intelligence

George �鶹��Ƶ student project presents sticky situation for hackers

tdonnel — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:56:10 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ student project presents sticky situation for hackers tdonnel Wed, 12/17/2025 - 15:56

When a cloud computing class at �鶹��Ƶ called for a team project, master’s student Kevin Landry saw an opportunity to share what he knew and give classmates a taste of real-world cyber defense.

A seasoned cybersecurity enthusiast, Landry introduced his team to the concept of a honeypot—a decoy system designed to lure and monitor cyber attackers. As he put it, honeypots allow you to “reach out and touch actual attackers,” bringing textbook concepts to life in a way few classroom exercises can match.

“You’ll never look at the internet the same way again after running a honeypot,” Landry said. “It’s eye-opening to see how many bots are out there scanning for vulnerabilities.”

For his teammates—many of whom had never built home labs—the project offered hands-on experience that mimicked an enterprise environment and bridged the gap between theory and practice. Honeypots aren’t just academic tools; companies maintain them to study hacker activity, identify patterns, and share intelligence that helps reveal common vulnerabilities.

Kevin Landry. Photo provided.

“It’s a low-investment, high-yield product that’s passive,” Landry explained. “You do all the coding and setup, then just let it run and watch attackers come in.”

The team deployed Cowrie, an open-source honeypot that simulates a Linux shell. But Landry didn’t settle for the default configuration.

“I changed every standard setting possible,” he said. “Fake encryption keys, fake password files, fake directories—everything to make it look like a lazy or incompetent sysadmin left the doors open.”

Those tweaks made the trap convincing enough to attract hundreds of attackers, from automated bots to human hackers.

Once customized, the honeypot started buzzing—logging intrusion attempts almost immediately. To make the experience even more interactive, the team integrated real-time alerts through Discord, receiving up to 500 notifications a day whenever an attacker engaged with the system.

At one point, the attack volume was high enough that Discord temporarily rate-limited the alerts, thinking they were automated traffic. Landry resolved the issue by rotating through multiple webhooks and fine-tuning the alert frequency to keep everything running smoothly.

Over the course of 48 days, the honeypot captured an extensive dataset. Landry even created an interactive visualization of the activity for the team’s class presentation, showing where attacks originated and how they unfolded over time.

To make the project even more aligned with industry practices, Landry’s team uploaded the attackers’ IP addresses to Gray Noise Intelligence, a company that allowed him to use its enterprise-grade platform for the project. The software analyzes IP addresses and assigns confidence levels indicating how likely each one is malicious, giving students a window into professional threat intelligence workflows.

“It makes me feel good that I’m wasting hackers’ time or bots’ time,” Landry said.

For Landry—who served ten years in the U.S. Coast Guard and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Mary Washington before pursuing his master’s in applied information technology at George �鶹��Ƶ—the honeypot was both an academic milestone and a career-building moment. He believes projects like this are essential for breaking into cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity jobs—even entry-level—want three years of experience, but you can’t get experience without getting a job,” he noted. “Home labs and projects like this help build a portfolio and show employers you can do the work.”

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, George �鶹��Ƶ’s applied approach to technology education ensures students are ready to meet them head-on. For Landry, the honeypot was not only a class assignment but also a chance to turn passion into practice—and to share that experience with others.

An image from the interactive visualization of the project. Full visualization available here: https://gemini.google.com/share/24b205428724.

Topics

Cybersecurity

innovative classes

George �鶹��Ƶ hackathon team turns heads online with award-winning cat robot

tdonnel — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:22:27 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ hackathon team turns heads online with award-winning cat robot tdonnel Mon, 11/17/2025 - 09:22

�鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) made a splash on an online stage when students from four different departments joined forces to compete at Saucethon 2025, a hardware-focused hackathon hosted by Open Sauce and the National Havoc Robot League. Their second-place finish didn’t just earn bragging rights—it highlighted the CEC’s breadth of expertise and collaborative spirit for thousands of viewers following the event online.

From left to right: Alexia Marie De Costa, Irene Hossain, Meah Chambers, and Luis Anchundia. Photo provided.

The challenge began with a $500 combat robot kit and a mission: modify the base design to complete a rescue scenario in an apocalyptic setting. YouTubers Michael Reeves and William Osman participated, filmed, and commentated throughout the event, amplifying the competition to thousands of viewers.

“Usually hackathons are software focused, so building a robot was so much fun,” said computer science major and Honors College student Alexia Marie De Costa. “The challenges were really fun as well.”

Majoring in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and information technology, respectively, the team joined forces with two other participants, a virtual reality specialist and a programming expert, to develop a cat-themed design.

“I decided that I wanted to add cat ears just because I thought it’d be cute,” said information technology major Irene Ashma Hossain. Those playful touches evolved into practical enhancements: static paws for herding, a pan-tilt tail for maneuverability, and modified wheels for stability.

The team's robot. Photo provided.

“It ended up being really effective,” said De Costa.

The 24-hour event tested endurance and ingenuity. Against a backdrop of camera crews and livestreams, George �鶹��Ƶ’s team stood out for its creativity and adaptability. Even after a late-night power outage forced participants to improvise, the team completed two rescue runs, performing “emergency surgery” with duct tape between rounds. Their determination paid off: second place, ahead of the prominent YouTubers’ team.

“We were really just having a lot of fun building, so seeing it succeed was exciting,” said De Costa.

By blending creativity, technical skill, and resilience, the team demonstrated George �鶹��Ƶ’s interdisciplinary strength, innovative mindset, and ambition.

“This experience was really, really fun,” De Costa reflected. “We’re definitely planning to attend the next one—and maybe even host it closer to �鶹��Ƶ.”

Topics

Hackathon

CEC students