HackYSU brings 36-Hour innovation marathon to Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University’s annual student-run hackathon, HackYSU, returned March 13–15, bringing together students from across the region for 36 hours of collaboration, creativity and technological problem-solving.

The event challenged participants to start, complete and present a proof of concept to innovate in new fields of technology such as AI or machine learning. Hosted by the YSU Computer Club, the event welcomed students of all backgrounds and experience levels, reinforcing the university’s commitment to hands-on, experiential learning.

Throughout the weekend, attendees followed a full itinerary of technical workshops, professional development sessions and mentorship opportunities. Featured sessions included “How to Present Your MVP” led by club founder and YSU alumnus Joe Duncko, and “Building Data Centers for Training Machine Learning Models” presented by Connor Kenneally, an eBay software engineer and YSU alumnus. Participants also took part in a two-hour technical workshop hosted by the YSU AWS Cloud Club in collaboration with Amazon Web Services Cloud Engineers, offering insight into modern cloud infrastructure and development practices.

Students worked both individually and in teams to develop their projects before presenting them to a panel of judges at the end of the event. The competition concluded with MCCTC earning first place, followed by YSU’s teams placing second and third.

This year’s event had an excellent turnout, with 80 registered students, 17 registered mentors and judges and six sponsors, and growing interest from students across the Mahoning Valley and surrounding areas. HackYSU has been held annually since 2015 and continues to serve as a platform for students to build technical skills, collaborate across disciplines and expand their professional networks.

“HackYSU is a competition, but it’s also fun. To see that game you’ve always wanted to make, start to come together in front of you, demonstrating skills you didn’t even know you had, meeting strangers and becoming friends in the course of a weekend, that’s just the magic of it,” said Anthony Hake, president of the YSU Computer Club. 

With this year marking the 11th HackYSU, students and mentors are already looking ahead to the 12th HackYSU, scheduled for Spring 2027.

More information about HackYSU can be found on the HackYSU website.