Students create apps with impact during Clarkathon 2022

During the Clark Center for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship’s (TIE) first-ever hackathon this spring, student teams worked together on tech projects addressing a range of real-world situations, from an app showing campus accessibility to an online marketplace for local vendors. 

TIE, a student-run group, was created to bring together like-minded students and works with campus staff, faculty, and students to operate a co-working space on campus to foster and promote innovation. TIE also supports students in innovation and entrepreneurship contests throughout the New England area.

During Clarkathon 2022, four teams of five students each worked on projects under the theme of “social impact,” selected because it aligns with TIE’s core value of wanting to influence the Clark community in a positive manner. Each team was guided by an alumni mentor who works in the field.

While most hackathons run for one or two days, Clarkathon was intentionally developed to last for a full week so participants could spend more time on their projects and have a greater opportunity to connect with their mentors — Evan Hoffman ’21, Rehan Rasool ’22, and Akhmad Kurbanov ’21.

Nipurna Dhakal ’22, president of TIE this spring, says hackathons like this one are extremely rewarding for everyone involved — particularly when you can explore your entrepreneurial talent and learn from people working in the industry. 

“For me, participating in hackathons is always a great experience,” Dhakal says. You get to meet people from different backgrounds, attend tech workshops, and win some exciting swag. You also get the opportunity to work with like-minded people to develop a project fitting the hackathon theme.” In addition, he also noted how hackathons allow participants to learn from those in the field and explore their entrepreneurial talent.    

Projects developed at Clarkathon 2022 included: 

• Clark Pantry, an app to provide information on the current stock in the Clark Undergraduate Student Council’s Food Pantry.
• Interactive Clark Accessibility Map, an app that gives information on the accessibility of campus facilities.
• Clark Messaging App, to allow for easier communication across campus.
• Backyard Shopping, a mobile marketplace app that lets local vendors sell their products online.

Clarkathon 2022 judges were TIE co-founder Abdur Rahman ’20 and computer science professors Kenneth Basye and Peter Story.