About the challenge
SMathHacks is the annual 36 hour hackathon hosted by the NC School of Science and Math, open to all North Carolina students. Students will collaborate to build innovative software projects, explore new technologies, and have fun along the way. In short, this is your ticket to meet new friends and build cool projects, in 36 hours.
Requirements
What to Build
SMathHacks 2025 has four main tracks: Web & Mobile Applications, Hardware, Explanatory Modeling & Computational Science, AI & Machine Learning.
What to Submit
- 3-minute video pitching your project (including project demos)
- Source code as a GitHub repository
- Links to live demos of your "hack" (if applicable)
- Project write-up on devpost
Prizes
Web and Mobile Application - 1st Place
Astronaut Galaxy Projector
Web and Mobile Application - 2nd Place
Solar System Planetarium
Hardware - 1st Place
USB Microscope Camera
Hardware - 2nd Place
Astronaut Lego Set
Explanatory Modeling and Computational Science - 1st Place
Anker Speaker
Explanatory Modeling and Computational Science - 2nd Place
Solar System Crystal Ball
AI and Machine Learning - 1st Place
Mini Projector
AI and Machine Learning - 2nd Place
Starpointer
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Michael Martine
Pravallika Devineni
Micheal Owoc
Harini Shankar
Bhanuprakash Madupati
Kaleeswaran Muthupandi
Shravan Mylavarapu
Sai Krishna Kalakonda
Joe Aurilia
Eric Hao
Ernesto Sola-Thomas
Abhishek Pareek
Seth Hollandsworth
Thomas Riley
Catherine Kauber
Sowmya Sukhavasi
Connor Shugg
Andre Cayen
Vishwerar Bijarapu
Tia Howell
Honey Kothapalli
Balaji Govindarajan
Tulika Jha
Deven Yadav
Rupesh Shirke
Nikhil Maddikunta
Manish Tiwari
Daniel Altieri
Dennis Daniel
Judging Criteria
-
Originality
Did the team take a fresh approach to an old problem? Does the hack tackle a unique aspect of the problem? -
AI & Machine Learning
Ethical Considerations: Did the team demonstrate awareness of fairness, bias, or other AI-related issues? -
Explanatory Modeling & Computational Science
Simplified Approach: Did the team use accessible methods (e.g., spreadsheets, basic simulations) to explain their model? -
Hardware
Prototype Quality: Does the hardware function, even in a basic way, to demonstrate the idea? -
Web & Mobile Applications
Ease of Use: Is the interface simple and accessible, even if it’s basic? -
Presentation
Was the hack pitched in a compelling manner? How well did the team understand their chosen problem? Is the concept viable for an entrepreneur? -
Execution
How well did the team translate their idea into a functional prototype? Is the hack well-designed? -
Impact
Does the hack have clear real-world implications? How well thought-out is the concept? Does the hack adhere to its respective track?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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