JMU students invited to intelligence hackathon

The design for the next innovation in high tech intelligence equipment could come from a group of James Madison University students who will spend the first 24 hours of their spring break Saturday, March 2 participating in a special pilot hackathon-style event near Fayetteville, North Carolina. 

The competition was developed jointly by JMU X-Labs and a group of defense contractors as a means of auditioning the next generation of specialized equipment.  Three four-person teams from JMU were selected to attend along with a similar group from Virginia Military Institute.  High-performing students could receive a paid summer internship. 

The students will be designing gadgets similar to those the character "Q" makes in the James Bond movies. During the competition, students will have 24 hours to rapidly develop a technical solution to a challenge.  The event is designed to simulate real-world challenges with a bit of stress and a few surprises built into the weekend.  During the process, the students will be evaluated and top candidates will be offered summer internships. 

With its transdisciplinary courses, JMU X-Labs aligns higher education with industry needs and develops creative, confident and market-ready leaders who are experienced in emerging technologies. For more information, contact Founding Director Nick Swayne at swaynedd@jmu.edu.

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