2025 Hacking4Humanity
Hacking4Humanity 2025 brought together undergraduate and graduate students to present innovative ideas for addressing real-world social issues through technology and policy. The event focused on the challenge of online hate, with participants exploring potential tech and policy-driven solutions. Students from universities in the greater Pittsburgh area had the opportunity to engage with pressing societal problems, with no prior experience in tech or policy required. The event was made possible by the support of sponsors, including the The Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law at Duquesne University, Pitt Cyber: The Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, The Sara Fine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, Center for Applied Research on Targeted Violence, Community College of Allegheny County, and The Center for Informed Democracy and Social-cybersecurity Research Group at Carnegie Mellon University.
Celebrating the Winners: Tech and Policy Innovations
This year’s hackathon featured two distinct tracks: the Tech Track, where teams presented ideas for technological solutions such as websites, apps, or plugins, and the Policy Track, where teams proposed new policies or suggested improvements to existing ones. Both tracks addressed challenges related to online hate, with participants selecting the track that best aligned with their expertise or interests. The event culminated in final presentations on February 7, where judges reviewed the teams’ ideas and awarded prizes based on creativity, feasibility, and potential impact.
Policy Track Winners
- First Place: Felci – Andre Washington and Daniel Terrero (Duquesne University)
- Project: “Complementary Policy to CCPA: Promoting Restorative Justice in Gaming Platforms”
- Honorable Mention: Green Eggs and Hamlet – Ruby Scupp, Josephine Cairnduff, and Piper Neanderth (University of Pittsburgh)
- Project: “Community Journalism Initiative to Address Information Racism”
Tech Track Winners
- First Place: Praetzel Clouds – Sarah Cross (Carnegie Mellon University), Makayla Chang (University of Pittsburgh), and Sai DeFillipo (Duquesne University)
- Project: “Frakted Cloud: Your Content, Your Mind, Take Control”
- Honorable Mention: Team Barnie Dinosaur – Shin Yeung Kang and Ansel Urairat (University of Pittsburgh)
- Project: “Factoch”
- Honorable Mention: The Code Breakers – William V. Fullerton (Robert Morris University), Remy Scalise (University of Pittsburgh), and Declan Smith (University of Pittsburgh)
- Project: “The Inquisitor”
Presentations at the Governor’s Residence – March 21st
The winning teams will present their projects at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg on March 21. Officials from the Shapiro administration will listen to the presentations and provide feedback, offering valuable guidance to help further the development of the projects, particularly in addressing online hate and shaping related policy.
Recordings of the event’s live streams are available for viewing: