Bowie State Student Team Set to Compete in Black Enterprise Hackathon

BSU Students Head to Silicon Valley to Showcase Cybersecurity Skills

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – Four undergraduate students will represent Bowie State University in a national collegiate competition to develop mobile apps in California next month, facing teams of top students from 15 other historically black colleges and universities selected for the 4^th annual Black Enterprise magazine’s 36-hour BE Smart Hackathon.

The hackathon, taking place Oct. 8-9 in Burlingame, California, near Silicon Valley, is part of the publication’s annual BETechConnext Summit, which features prominent technology leaders and attracts hundreds of participants. The top three student teams, judged by a panel of industry experts, will win prizes and bragging rights.

The Bowie State team members are the following computer technology majors: junior Jahaziah Benjamin, junior K’mar Grant-Smith, sophomore Alhaji Kanu and junior Mia Smith. Each student is a member of the Bowie State Cyber Squad for students interested in developing their cybersecurity skills, led by Professor Lethia Jackson and Dr. Haydar Teymourlouei from the Department of Technology and Security. Last year’s team developed a mobile app that uses Google’s personal voice assistant, Alexa, to improve the car-buying experience.

Not only will the students compete in the hackathon, but they will also have the opportunity to attend interactive workshops and hear dynamic speakers in the technology field as part of their experience. The students will represent the university on a national stage to demonstrate the strengths of Bowie State’s cybersecurity programs, which are nationally recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit www.bowiestate.edu.