UCD Innovation Academy recently hosted a dynamic Student Hackathon, challenging participants to devise impactful solutions for real-world campus issues. In just four hours, teams tackled one of the challenges: Future-Proofing Learning, Sustainable Campus, Health and Well-being for All, and Diversity. Guided by UCD Innovation Academy’s Jiaqi Zhang (Technology Integration Manager) and Gwen Kenny (Facilitation Specialist), who designed and facilitated the event, students applied design thinking and rapid prototyping techniques. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as teams developed solutions, competing for prizes and the chance to represent UCD at a sustainability-focused hackathon at Notre Dame University.

The judging panel—Eleanor Kelly (Head of Strategy and Partnerships), Dorcas Réamonn (Facilitation Specialist), and Professor Tasman Crowe (UCD Vice President for Sustainability)—evaluated projects for innovation, presentation, and impact, awarding top teams in the following categories:

  • Best Presentation Award – for outstanding communication
  • Prototype Power Award – celebrating impressive prototypes
  • Innovation Spark Award – for innovative and forward-thinking ideas
  • Audience Favourite Award – chosen by peers for creativity and teamwork
  • Spirit of Creation Award – honouring collaboration and inspiration

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Congratulations to UCD’s Notre Dame Representatives 

We extend our congratulations to the selected ten students who will represent UCD at Notre Dame University next year, selected by Professor Tasman Crowe (UCD Vice President for Sustainability) and Dr Philip Crowe (UCD Lecturer in Climate Responsive Design): 

  • Laura McDermott (MSc Design Thinking in Sustainability)
  • Thomas O’Dea (Computer Engineering)
  • Nithiish Vijayadevareddy Kumar (MSc Digital Innovation)
  • Blessed Fonkoh (Computer Science)
  • Moaz Refaei (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
  • Ali Alsaqai (Medicine)
  • Joel Thomas Chacko (MSc Data and Computational Science)
  • Anju Mariyam Joseph (MSc Computer Science)
  • Krishnateja Jinka (MEngSc Electronic and Computer Engineering)
  • Vaishnavi Kannan (BSc Computational Social Science).

“The Hackathon was such a fun and refreshing experience for me! Working alongside my team members, I came to adopt skills essential for innovation and design thinking. The Hackathon exposed me to different perspectives to similar problem statements and other solutions that were so vastly different from that of our team’s! I am proud of what our team designed in under 4 hours and I can’t wait to engage more with the UCD Innovation Academy in the future!”

Vaishnavi Kannan – Social Science Student, 1st Year

“I participated in my first hackathon and won the Prototype Power Award! It was an incredible experience collaborating and turning fresh ideas into a prototype model.”

Priyanka Kaushal – MSc Data and Computational Science Student 

Congratulations to all who took part for their innovative and impressive ideas developed within such a short timeframe. We look forward to hosting more hackathons in trimester two—stay tuned!