Augustana's first student-led hackathon was organized by the Google Developer Group, in collaboration with the Augustana Physics and Engineering Society and the Data Analytics Club.
Inaugural AugieHack shows what's possible
HackAugie, Augustana College’s inaugural 24-hour hackathon, brought together students from across the Midwest for a fast-paced weekend of innovation, collaboration and problem-solving. Open to all majors and experience levels, the event challenged participants to build creative, real-world solutions in just one day.
Quinxie Doan '26
“I wanted Augustana students to experience the value of hackathons — solving real problems, learning new technologies and meeting people — without relying on the access that larger coastal schools often take for granted,” said Quinxie Doan ’26, founder and co-director of HackAugie.
Participants developed 36 projects across health care, fintech, sustainability, gaming, hardware and data-driven tracks, competing for more than $3,200 in prizes.
Designed to go beyond computer science, HackAugie created space for future designers, business leaders, data scientists and innovators to collaborate across disciplines. The goal was simple: bring together different perspectives, build something meaningful and prove what’s possible when students are given the time, tools and freedom to create.
Dr. Lena Hann talks with Augustana's Soulaima Ben Ismail '27 and Aya Cherkaoui '27, who built Benchly.
Organized by the Google Developer Group, in collaboration with the Augustana Physics and Engineering Society and the Data Analytics Club, Augustana’s first student-led HackAugie hackathon welcomed 146 students from more than 20 colleges and universities, creating a collaborative space where ideas moved quickly from concept to creation.
“We are a liberal arts college, and people don't always put us in the same conversation as big tech schools,” said Imane Mansouri ’28, co-director of HackAugie. “That was exactly the point. We wanted to prove that students here — economists, biologists, designers, analysts, computer science majors, all of us — could sit down together and build things that actually matter.”
Projects were evaluated by a panel of more than 30 mentors and judges from academia and industry, including professionals from Microsoft, John Deere and Snap and a former Facebook employee.
Participants built their projects using a range of tools and technologies, including Gemini, TypeScript, GitHub and Python.
Some of the top projects included:
Adaptive Assistive Cane (AAC): a low-cost smart cane with real-time obstacle detection, motion sensing and audio-visual feedback, making navigation safer and more accessible.
Benchly – Your Hands-Free Lab Companion: a full-stack laboratory workflow platform that lets researchers run their entire lab session without ever touching their phone or computer.
Preventia: A prevention-focused gamified app that turns personal stats into a competitive, interactive wellness journey.
See a full list of the projects at https://hackaugie.devpost.com/project-gallery.
Collaboration was crucial for all teams, including this one from Knox College.
“The hardest challenge for my team was finding a clear direction,” said Summer Pandey ’27, a member of the Preventia team. “We all had a variety of ideas we wanted to explore, so it took us some time to find a middle ground.
“But the experience gave our team a lot of confidence. Being able to build something complete and deliverable within 24 hours showed each of us what we were capable of, and that was really encouraging.”
Launching an inaugural event like HackAugie from scratch is no small task, especially while balancing full course loads and other campus activities. From logistics and sponsorships to coordinating teams and keeping everything running smoothly, student organizers built the experience in real time.
“My biggest takeaway is that you don’t need perfect conditions to start something meaningful,” said My Ha ’27, HackAugie sponsorship lead. “We didn’t have everything figured out, but by saying yes, staying consistent and working with the right people, we built something real from zero.”
Beyond the competition, the event also featured workshops led by industry professionals, mentorship from engineers and founders, and a career fair with networking opportunities.
“The goal was to start a tradition, rather than simply sending students elsewhere,” Doan said. “HackAugie shows what Augustana is capable of, and for a liberal arts college to host an event like this, the sky's the limit.”