UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fifteen student teams have been awarded a total of $4,500 in the "Prototype Phase" of the Nittany AI Challenge. Each team proposed an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to help make the world a better place.
Presented by the Nittany AI Alliance in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State, the Nittany AI Challenge is an annual competition that offers Penn State students the opportunity to harness the power of AI to address pressing global problems.
“The Nittany AI Challenge is an incredible out-of-classroom learning experience that reinforces Penn State’s commitment to leading AI literacy and innovation,” said Andrea Tapia, dean of the College of IST. “Students from colleges and campuses across the University, including those without a technical background, collaborate on real problems to promote positive change in the world.”
For the "Prototype Phase," held last month, 40 student teams submitted prototype videos and supporting documentation that conveyed the key components of their AI solutions.
A panel of independent judges selected 15 teams to move forward in the challenge. Each team was awarded $300 to further their idea for the "Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Phase" of the competition. The Nittany AI Challenge will culminate in a pitch contest, where teams will present their MVPs and demonstrate their journey from ideation to a viable product.
“The challenge was designed for thinkers and problem-solvers from every discipline because those different perspectives are often where the most unexpected and transformative ideas begin,” said Patti Doroschenko, education program coordinator for the Nittany AI Alliance. “When diverse minds collaborate, that’s where innovation happens, and the challenge is at its best when students from all backgrounds come together to imagine what's possible.”
This year’s winning prototype teams include undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Arts and Architecture, the Eberly College of Science, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the College of IST, the College of the Liberal Arts and the Smeal College of Business, representing Penn State University Park and Penn State Great Valley.
“Every year, I’m amazed by the creativity and passion our students bring to the Nittany AI Challenge,” Doroschenko said. “It gives them the chance to gain real, hands‑on experience by taking an idea from concept to prototype — and watching that journey unfold is incredibly inspiring.”
Winners of the Nittany AI Challenge "Prototype Phase"
The following projects were selected to move on to the MVP Phase:
- AI Sentinel: Addressing effective ways to ensure responsible and secure AI deployment while minimizing societal harm and maintaining regulatory compliance. Team members: Sai Sanjna Chintakunta, Anushka Thagle and Tushar Tushar.
- AIDNET Solutions: Addressing inefficiencies and unmet needs in the aftermath of natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. Team members: Paulina Chavez and Luke Sokolowski.
- BeeSmart: Addressing the challenges involved with monitoring honeybee colony health via manual hive inspections. Team members: Neil Chattopadhyay, Evan Edris and Paul Hong.
- ClaimShield: Addressing errors in the nation’s health care billing system that leave patients vulnerable to overpayment. Team Members: Kapil Ravi Rathod, Aneesh Shamraj and Kushal Joseph Vallamkatt.
- CrashAI: Addressing the difficulty of manually analyzing large volumes of complex car crash data collected by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Team members: Rohiin Havre, Ameya Panchal and Andy Tang.
- dbydt: Addressing the steep learning curve and accessibility issues experienced by users of the three-dimensional modeling tools foundational to architectural design. Team member: Deebak Tamilmani.
- DNA Learning: Addressing the psychological barriers that cause girls ages 7 to 15 to lower their expectations for success in mathematics. Team member: Huanying Song.
- Gradesphere: Addressing trends in modern education that prevent timely feedback and the opportunity for corrective learning. Team members: Pranav Attrey, Yash Patil, Rishit Rai and Deekshith Reddy Bhoomireddy.
- Large Language Defense: Addressing the struggles faced by new or young learners to understand how large language models work. Team member: Wyatt Petula.
- Lumen: Addressing the ineffectiveness of existing tech solutions for people with dementia and their caregivers. Team members: Parker Aluryn Franklin, Anirudh Nair and Israr Ahmed Shaik.
- MatchMyLab: Addressing the recurring and costly problems involved with teaching assistant scheduling at Penn State. Team members: Gustavo Rodrigues Foz, Troy Matthew LaPolice and Julien Victor Mutton.
- Mesra: Addressing organizations’ lack of accessible tools to understand and act on their energy and water usage data. Team members: Hiba Al-Nabhani, Filzah Amiynah Shamshudin, Huzaifah Fakhrul Anuar, Haidah Saad and Gitika Saini.
- Propflow AI: Addressing the costly challenges faced by independent landlords and small property management to access rental market and tenant trends. Team members: Alex Taylor and Joel Torres.
- Sign Link: Addressing the lack of a major platform that offers automatic sign language translation for video conferencing. Team member: Katerina Dimitrova.
- Surge Events: Addressing difficulties with discovering, curating and updating events for the public-facing community event calendars that inform residents and visitors. Team members: Ishaan Narang and Lance Streuber.