Image
Students
Pace Students Build Real-World AI Solutions at IBM Hackathon
On December 5, 2025, partnered with the Seidenberg SchoolÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s Pace Data Science Society to host a full-day hackathon at ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ. The event opened with remarks from IBM technology leaders Jonathan Hill (Technology Executive Leader), Rich LÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™Insalata (Executive IT Architect), and Lindsey Sample (Technology Sales Leader), who introduced students to IBMÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s AI workflow tool, Watson Orchestrate. The presentation included a practical demonstration of how the tool automates routine tasks, connects applications, and enables users to build streamlined workflows without advanced coding.
More than 15 IBM mentors were on-site to support student teams throughout the day, helping them explore real-world applications of Watson Orchestrate across four use cases based on actual ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ web services. As teams analyzed their scenarios, developed ideas, built prototypes, and presented their solutions, their work showcased a range of inventive approaches and thoughtful problem-solving grounded in teamwork and technical skill.
A panel of judgesÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ”including Dean of the Seidenberg School Li-Chiou Chen, ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s Interim Provost Jonathan Hill, Alex Weisman, and Seidenberg professors Jonathan Lee, Soheyla Amirian, Krishna BathulaÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ”reviewed the final presentations and commended the teams for their clear communication, thoughtful effort, and effective problem-solving.
After a full day of collaboration and problem-solving, the top three teams included Team 6 (Melody Nguyen, Sofia Furda, Omari Nasir, and Ulyana Shyrokaya), who took first place; Team 12 (Raja Palagummi, Pranjali Changadkar, Aarian Varma, and Vishnu Sai Reddy) in second; and Team 1 (Nisarga Vishwamanjuswamy, Utkarsh Yadav, Palakben Shah, and Niharika Jagadeesh) in third.
The hackathon provided students with hands-on experience using professional tools and meaningful opportunities to engage with industry experts. By working through real challenges with guidance from IBM mentors, participants gained insight into how classroom concepts translate into practical solutionsÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ”highlighting the value of PaceÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s experiential learning model and the strong industry partnerships that make these opportunities possible.
More from Pace
Students
Coming from a small town in Arizona, Daisy Molina was curious about how the big changes of moving to New York City would impact her. She wondered whether she would be able to find her place and a sense of community in one of the worldÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s busiest cities. But she found a sense of belonging at ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
Students
Steven Schiavone ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™26 isnÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™t just studying cybersecurity, heÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s practicing it at the highest levels. As a CyberCorps® scholarship recipient, Digital Forensics Lab manager, and competitive team captain, heÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s preparing to secure the digital future for us all.
Faculty and Staff
Mary Tedeschi, professor at ÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵÌÇÐÄvlog¶ÌÊÓƵ™s Seidenberg School, spent much of 2025 doing what she does best: teaching her students and guiding them through research to such a level that they presented their papers at two prestigious international virtual education conferences.