LionHogTech 2025, a regional hackathon focused on automation and AI, brought together high school and university students from Missouri and Arkansas to develop real-world technology solutions. The event, held at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) on October 17, 2025, was jointly organized by the Cognitive Robotics and IoT Consortium (CRIC) – Smart CIS (Computer Information Science) Club and SAFE (Smart Agricultural and Food Engineering) Lab at the University of Arkansas.
“LionHogTech 2025 marked a pivotal moment for our campus — the first regional hackathon co-organized by Missouri Southern State University and the University of Arkansas, and a powerful showcase of how AI and automation can drive innovation through student collaboration. Bringing together high school and university students from two states under one roof to solve real-world problems was both ambitious and deeply rewarding,” said Swarna Sethu, MSSU Assistant Professor of Computer Information Science. “I’m proud to have led this initiative and to see our department take a visible step forward in building a hands-on STEM culture. I look forward to expanding these efforts and continuing to grow the reach and reputation of CIS at MSSU.”
With the theme “Automate,” LionHogTech 2025 emphasized hands-on learning, cross-institutional collaboration, and STEM engagement through competitive and educational programming.
Competition Results
First place was awarded to Team HackOps for their project “StandTall,” a web-based posture monitoring system. Using real-time sensor data and automated detection algorithms, the platform alerts users to slouching to promote ergonomic health. The team included:
- Joel Johnson, Bentonville West High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Vishwaksen Paramkusham, Bentonville West High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Yeshwanth Mathavan, Bentonville West High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
Second place went to Team STA-STARS for “AgriVision,” a mobile application that helps farmers detect crop health issues using AI-powered image analysis. The team was made up of:
- Aamir Abatiyow, University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, Missouri)
- Alex Tripp, University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, Missouri)
- Carson Calvert, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Missouri)
- Gibson Nichol, University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, Missouri)
Third place was awarded to Team Uranium for “Hatch,” a digital startup assistant that validates business ideas and generates MVPs, marketing materials and feedback analysis to support early-stage entrepreneurs. The team included:
- Aarush Divakarla, Bentonville High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Arav Jain, Bentonville High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Avinash Devineni, Bentonville High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Gaushi Chauhan, Bentonville High School (Bentonville, Arkansas)
LionHogTech 2025 demonstrated the power of collaboration in STEM education, connecting students, educators and industry leaders from Missouri and Arkansas. The event strengthened regional partnerships and provided participants with practical experience in automation, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.
Founded in 1937, Missouri Southern State University has provided educational opportunities for Southwest Missouri and beyond. The university serves nearly 4,300 students in more than 140 academic programs and boasts outstanding NCAA Division II athletics programs. The university’s mission is to educate and graduate knowledgeable, responsible, successful global citizens. For nearly 90 years, MSSU has developed exceptional, state and nationally accredited programs that prepare their students for the competitive and changing 21st century society.
Reference:
University Relations and Marketing
Missouri Southern State University
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