In a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and female empowerment, the winners of GirlHacks 2023 were announced, with LunaTech taking home the top prize. The 24-hour hackathon, sanctioned by Major League Hacking and hosted by NJIT Undergraduate Women in Computing Society, brought together college students in STEM fields at the NJIT. Held on Sept. 23–24 in person, the event aimed to foster creativity, camaraderie, and technical prowess among participants.
Its theme, centered around space exploration, inspired teams to create projects that ranged from educational to entertaining. LunaTech, a project developed by Fahad Fizah, Ayushi Sangoi, and fourth-year information technology major Adrianna Rust, stood out with its imaginative space hub concept.
LunaTech offers users two exciting services. The first, Luna’s Stellar Space Facts, delivers daily space facts along with a historical perspective on objects near Earth using NASA Application Programming Interface integration. The second service introduces fun interactive space-themed games, including the Lunar Launch and Professor Launch games. The latter, a unique stress relief method, allows users to choose an NJIT professor as their avatar, navigating through a galactic adventure while dodging obstacles.
Fizah, fourth-year human-computer interaction major and a first-time participant in GirlHacks, expressed her motivation for joining the hackathon, stating, “GirlHacks focuses on uplifting and empowering women in STEM, which is very important to me as a female student in a male-dominated school pursuing a career in a male-dominated field.” She emphasized her appreciation for the event’s mission and the valuable workshops provided.
Sangoi, fourth-year biomedical engineering Ph.D. candidate, shared her inspiration behind LunaTech, saying, “We wanted to have fun with this year’s project and take a relaxed approach, so we felt an educational opportunity and game would be the best approach.” Sangoi, who has participated in over 50 hackathons, expressed her love for local events and highlighted the significance of inclusivity in programming.
Reflecting on the most memorable moments of the event, Sangoi recalled the unexpected win and the exhilarating run to the winners’ podium in a torrential downpour. The team’s dedication to aesthetics, including a logo, color scheme, and mascot, contributed to the overall cohesiveness of their project.
While Fizah will not be able to participate in GirlHacks next year due to graduation, Sangoi expressed her enthusiasm to return, emphasizing the event’s positive environment. She hopes for increased gender inclusivity in all teams, fostering a more inclusive atmosphere in the world of programming.
The hackathon’s commitment to cultivating an environment in which diversity thrives is exemplified in the success of LunaTech. Beyond the code and design, the project’s victory is symbolic — an emblematic triumph against prevailing gender disparities that have persistently hindered the progress of women in STEM. The hackathon stands not just as an event but as a microcosm of an industry where merit and ingenuity take precedence over gender norms.
In this post-GirlHacks landscape, LunaTech and Professor Launch stand as luminaries, guiding the way for others to follow. The call to ‘reach for the stars’ has transitioned from a mere phrase to a tangible mandate. With each project showcased, each line of code written, and each barrier overcome, the report from GirlHacks 2023 reads not just as a record of accomplishments but as a roadmap for a future in which women in technology shine brightly, contributing their unique brilliance to the ever-evolving tapestry of innovation.
