Major hacking event to welcome more than 1,500 programmers to San Diego

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More than 1,500 computer science students andprogrammers will converge in San Diego to take part in one of the largest student-run hackathon movements to sweep the nation.

Oct. 2-4, 2015, the University of California, San Diego will host the inaugural SDHacks competition – a 36-hour hackathon where undergraduates from around the nation will converge to engage in collaborative computer programming. The event, the first of its kind to come to San Diego, is part of the student-led movement Major League Hacking. Student teams competing in the coding marathon will focus on applications in software, virtual reality, enhanced motion-sensing technology, biotechnology and more.

Not to be confused with illegal and unauthorized computer programming, “hacking” in this context means creating a real application that others can use. SDHacks participants will have the weekend to successfully build a prototype of their idea using computer programming tools or kits provided by sponsors.

San Diego as a Talent Hub

What started as an idea by the UC San Diego Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC) has morphed into a grand-scale event. Many of the 1,500+ registered students are from outside the San Diego region, making SDHacks an attractive place for companies looking for talent.

“SDHacks is an opportunity for undergraduates to contribute to the growing culture of innovation in San Diego, and for companies to scout out talent,” said Ryan Hill, computer science and engineering major at UC San Diego and the event’s organizer. “After the event, we hope the hackathon never really stops for the participants – hopefully we fostered career advancement opportunities and kindled something deeper that will drive our hackers to consider San Diego as a place to launch a career.”

Industry Partners And Navy Unite Behind Hackathon

Companies from across San Diego, as well as Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, have all come together to create a robust competition where participating students will experience challenging real-world scenarios and have unlimited opportunities to connect with multiple top industry and Navy representatives who are looking to grow their future cyber workforces.

“Qualcomm collaborates with UC San Diego in a variety of initiatives, and SDHacks is another exciting way to work with them,” said Charles Bergan, vice president of engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Qualcomm is committed to fostering innovation and this hackathon is a great opportunity to provide the next generation of scientists and inventors with an environment where they can develop new skills and use technology to solve problems.”

In addition to hacking, participants can attend tech talks and workshops.

During the hacking competition, representatives from sponsor companies, UC San Diego alumni and some of the top minds in cybersecurity will be on-hand to mentor teams. Hackers will also have the option of attending Link2 Cyber – a program that brings executives from prominent San Diego companies in the innovation economy to college campuses – to learn about dynamic career opportunities in San Diego.

With companies like Qualcomm Incorporated, ViaSat, iBoss Cybersecurity, ESET, Google, Facebook and Microsoft among the sponsors, the event promises to attract some of the best and brightest undergraduates from around the nation. San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC San Diego are also sponsors.

SDHacks takes place Oct. 2-4, 2015 at the UC San Diego Triton Track & Field Stadium.