Feb. 5, 2024
As more and more women are joining the field of computing and information, it is essential to host events where women can collaborate on projects in the field. The SheInnovates Hackathon provides women with these opportunities. The School of Computing and Information (SCI) hosted the 10th annual SheInnovates Hackathon on Jan. 26 - 28 in Alumni Hall's Connolly Ballroom, with undergraduate and graduate students in attendance from surrounding universities in Pittsburgh.
Hosted by Pitt’s Women in Computer Science Club (WiCS) and the Big Idea Center, 127 students collaboratively coded technical projects over the course of the weekend, with 30 teams submitting final projects. The event was sponsored by PNC, an annual sponsor since 2018. The founder of SheInnovates, Mackenzie Ball (SCI’s director of outreach and alumni engagement), was thrilled to celebrate the hackathon’s 10th anniversary.
"SheInnovates is my favorite event of the year because I love to look around and see so many female and non-binary students participating in the hackathon, as compared to other hackathons that are traditionally male dominated," remarked Ball. "Inclusive events like SheInnovates that encourage the meaningful participation of women and non-binary people in tech are essential for the health and growth of the technical workforce. SheInnovates pushes forward the need for gender equality in tech and highlights the fact that more diverse teams make better products."
Additional event sponsors included CGI, Naval Nuclear Laboratory, NetApp, and ISACA Pittsburgh Chapter.
Learn more about the event here.
--Alyssa Morales
--Photos by Johnson Wang