For a decade, the Hesburgh Libraries Hackathon has empowered students to examine everyday problems and develop impactful solutions.

This year, students participating in the weekend-long event, themed “Coding Pathways to Progress: Cultivating a Hopeful Future,” developed a variety of innovative projects that addressed privacy, accessibility and access.

On Sunday, 11 teams presented their ideas to a panel of judges who evaluated them in five key areas: innovation, impact, usability, technical merit and presentation. Prizes were awarded to teams that excelled based on the judging rubric.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Hesburgh Libraries Hackathon!

1st place $3000
Ember

George Pulickan, College of Arts & Letters, Computer Science, Statistics
Amir Tomashpayev, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics 
Matus Vecera, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
Aleksander Wróbel, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering

Computers are not universally accessible. By default, a basic interface assumes users can operate a mouse or keyboard. Specialized, and often costly, software and equipment are required for people with paralysis or movement issues, as well as for individuals who have vision loss. 

To improve computer accessibility, Ember created a low-cost, all-in-one solution leveraging a feature already built into most computers. Using a computer’s webcam, the team built a head-tracking and voice-control system. Through a guided setup process, the program determines what movements an individual can perform and then sets preferences that allow the user to fully click, type and navigate the computer. For instance, in place of a mouse, the individual could move a cursor by tilting their head or click by blinking. Because the program is a driver rather than an app, it works seamlessly with all computer apps and functions. 

2nd place $2000
SafePrompt

Leyang Li, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering 
Luke Cao, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering

In the era of AI, it has become easier to accidentally share private information. Simply uploading text or image files can help an individual improve their resume, better understand a medical bill, or even remove something from the background of a photo, but it can also inadvertently expose personal information to AI companies. 

To prevent this, SafePrompt created an extra layer of protection. Before uploading a document or image to AI, SafePrompt analyzes the file on the local machine and notes areas where private information is disclosed. The program then highlights and abstracts that info, or replaces it with placeholder text, before it even reaches the AI. In the case of an image, the program can temporarily replace an individual’s face with a generic one before the user uploads it. By highlighting privacy concerns, SafePrompt makes users more aware of what they may be disclosing, abstracts it and then allows users to reap the benefits of AI without sacrificing privacy.

3rd place $1000
PathAware

AJ Jones, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
Calvin Bacall, College of Science, Physics
Nathan Gafney, College of Business, Finance

Navigating around sudden hazards is difficult, particularly for individuals with impaired vision. With its new real-time navigation assistant, PathAware aims to make everyday navigation more accessible. Using a video source, object detection, tracking, and depth-based risk assessment, the product detects hazards and delivers audio alerts to help the user identify obstacles and change their path accordingly.  

Honorable Mentions $250
Voxa

Mahmoud Hafez, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
Kaza-Zack Kazirukanyo, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering

Despite its integration into our everyday lives, internet access remains limited in many parts of the world. However, many of these individuals do have access to phones. Using any type of phone, Voxa turns a dial tone into direct AI access—no computer, internet or apps required. 

By simply calling a number, the program connects the caller with OpenAI, which automatically detects more than 40 languages. The caller can then speak naturally and receive real-time answers to their queries. After the call is ended, Voxa sends an SMS summary of the interaction. When a user makes future calls, the program will remember their language, context and preferences from previous conversations. 

 Match Lab

Brisny Rodriguez Flores, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
Nawal Jaffary, College of Science, Neuroscience and Behavior
Swindar Zhou, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering  

For many students, starting a research journey can be overwhelming. To make the process easier and more accessible, Match Lab serves as a tool that allows students to explore and connect with relevant faculty and funding. 

The program allows students to search by interest and matches them with faculty and research relevant to those interests. Beyond just matching, it creates an interactive mind map that lets users compare information and even condenses faculty pages into concise, more easily digestible formats so that students can still grasp the scope, even if they are early in their academic career and may have yet to take the required classes to understand the specifics of the research. Taking it one final step, the program also helps students reach out to a professor to learn more. 

2026 Hackathon Judges

A special thank you to all of our judges.

Alexa Tuskey, Sr. Software Engineer, Hesburgh Libraries
Michael Runyon, Sr. Systems Engineer, Hesburgh Libraries
Erin Chambers, Snyder Family Mission Collegiate Professor of Computer Science
Shreya Kumar, Associate Teaching Professor, Computer Science and Engineering