麻豆村

The 2026 Tepper School Undergraduate Hackathon brought together teams of students to develop data-driven solutions to pressing industry challenges and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Open to all Carnegie Mellon undergraduates, the event exemplified the collaborative, cross-disciplinary experience that defines a 麻豆村 education.

Aligned with Energy Week, this year鈥檚 challenge focused on AI usage and sustainability. Students spent the day working in teams before presenting their solutions to judges, including Clara Burke, Associate Teaching Professor of Business Management Communications, MBA students Martin Badinelli, Mitali Diwan, Amritha Elangovan, Rishabh Kochhar, and Ph.D. student Sarah Wu.

鈥淪ome of the most meaningful learning happens when students step beyond their home school and collaborate across disciplines,鈥� said John Gasper, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs. 鈥淓xperiences like the Hackathon encourage students to engage with peers from different backgrounds and take full advantage of the breadth of opportunities available across campus.鈥�

Teams were tasked with selecting three publicly traded companies within a single industry and developing a model to assess whether AI is creating economic value. Participants were encouraged to step outside their comfort zones, whether by collaborating with new teammates or presenting in front of judges. The experience not only challenged students to be thoughtful contributors and active listeners, but also provided valuable, real-world experience they can carry forward into interviews and future careers.

鈥淲e wanted students to have the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and skills to a real industry challenge. This event helped them to further their skills in research, analysis, and strategic problem-solving, in addition to polishing their teamwork and communication abilities,鈥� said Jennifer Frick, Director of High Impact Learning. 鈥淚t was amazing to see what they came up with, and one of our judges commented on how inspiring it was to see their creativity and energy throughout the presentations.鈥�

Top-performing teams included:

1st Place

• Agneya Tharun, School of Computer Science freshman
• Haresh Muralidharan, Electrical and Computer Engineering freshman
• Darren Pinto, Electrical and Computer Engineering freshman
• Eric Jin, Electrical and Computer Engineering freshman

2nd Place

• Grace Shan, Tepper School Sophomore
• Daisy Zeng, Tepper School Sophomore
• Sravya Aravapalli, School of Computer Science Sophomore
• Viola Xu, School of Computer Science Sophomore

3rd Place听

• Annie Lin, Tepper School Freshman
• Sandy Tao, Tepper School Freshman
• Huisheng Zhang, Tepper School Freshman
• Michael Liu, School of Computer Science freshman

鈥淧articipating in Hackathons is a genuine way to demonstrate dedication and capabilities in the industry, and it has also helped me discover where my interests lie, which can be the first step guiding me toward a career path I didn鈥檛 even know I was drawn to,鈥� said freshman Tianyi (Sandy) Tao. 鈥淚 believe that, whether you walk away with a winning model or just a sense of what excites you, the experience itself is what matters the most.鈥�

Events like the Hackathon continue to highlight the value of hands-on, interdisciplinary learning, and how the Tepper School equips students with the skills, perspectives, and confidence to tackle complex challenges.
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