CEHD Partners With College Of Architecture For Hackathon

The College of Architecture is gearing up for its Diversity Accessibility Hackathon on February 17-18. The 24-hour event will give participants the opportunity to pursue ways to improve public accessibility on campus through creative and engaging ways.

Like past Hackathons held by the college, the event is to stimulate dialogue about diversity and inclusion topics on campus in a collaborative environment. Contestants will do so by utilizing public data provided by Texas A&M and the Bryan-College Station City Councils. By working independently or in teams of up to eight, contestants must then analyze the data and present effective solutions through maps, prototypes, structures, and codes aimed at improving accessibility.

This year offers $5,000 in prizes for the top six teams who submit the most challenging and engaging solutions.

“The mission of the Hackathon is aligned with the mission of the university in which advancing and facilitating the respect for diversity ultimately helps in moving the university forward,” said Architecture Diversity Councilmember and graduate student Bara Safarova. “Afterward, the ideas presented will be exposed to city representatives, expert mentors from various departments and local businesses.”

This year, The College of Architecture collaborated with the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Engineering, the College of Geosciences, the Texas A&M University Libraries Maps and GIS Unit, Department of Multicultural Studies, and College of Architecture’s Information Technology Services.

“As a partner of this program, the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is driven in its celebration of diversity and the ability to work together with others,” said CEHD Clinical Assistant Professor Dr. Trez Jones. “We have some of our own technology management students participating.”

The event is open to all disciplines and registration will begin in the Langford Building at 4 p.m. Friday, February 17. Registration is free but required and the sign up form can be found on the Hackathon signup page.