New Hackathon Contest to Offer Prizes

A new software competition could win aspiring hackers up to $750 in prizes.

A hackathon is a weekend-long competition in which a team collaborates to create a software project. Teams then present their projects to professional software engineers for judging and winning.

The first-ever Truman hackathon will occur 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. March 19 and 20 in Barnett Hall 2209. All majors are welcome, and registration is free. In addition to prizes, there will be professional software engineer mentors from MasterCard and Cerner, and lunch provided both days courtesy of Donna Liss, chief information officer.

To enter, contestants must build a team of up to four people, and then choose a category to compete in. Categories are:

Web applications: design an application accessible through the web that provides a service
Mobile applications: develop a useful mobile tool, or an application for wearable devices
Microcontrollers: create a device using microcontrollers, like a home automation tool for feeding the dog

If contestants use the MasterCard API, they will be in the running to win an additional $250 in MasterCard prepaid cards. An API, or application-programming interface, is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a web-based software application. For more information, visit developer.mastercard.com/portal/display/api/API.

Join the event “Truman State Hackathon” on Facebook to RSVP and get updates, or contact Alec Hanshaw for more details.